Sleep Hygiene – What it is and why it matters

No this isn’t some weird ritual of how to clean yourself or your bedroom before bed.  Sleep hygiene is a term used to describe how to optimise your sleep by creating the perfect sleeping environment.  Much of today’s sleep issues are as a result of us not practising good sleep hygiene, that is to say, we are not removing things that can disrupt good sleep, or creating the right environment to promote a good nights rest.

So whether you’re an insomniac, or just never feel like you’re properly rested, the sleep hygiene tips in this article should help you get a healthier night’s sleep.

So what exactly is sleep hygiene?

Firstly, let’s take a look at what is happening to our sleep. We are simply not getting enough good sleep these days, and it’s not just about how much sleep we are getting, the quality counts too. When we sleep we cycle through different sleep stages; light sleep, REM sleep, Deep sleep. We spend most of our time in light sleep, but cycle round dipping in and out of REM and Deep sleep. During REM and Deep sleep, a lot of recovery and maintenance work gets done. So when we don’t get enough REM and Deep sleep our health and performance suffers. That’s one of the reasons why it’s possible to sleep for 8 hours, but still not feel well rested.

There are many factors that can affect the amount of REM and deep sleep a person has and a great deal of that comes from the environment a person sleeps in.  What time you ate your last meal, what time you go to bed, the temperature of your bedroom, how dark your rooms is, how quiet your rooms is, whether you were on your phone, tablet or watching movies before bed, your caffeine intake, whether or not you took time to wind down before bed, alcohol consumption all affect quality and duration of sleep. Lets take a deep dive into how these lifestyle choices can affect your sleep, and what you can do to change them…this is what’s called practising good sleep hygiene.

Are you messing with your body clock?

You may or may not have heard of the body clock, or circadian clock. Just as everything else in life, our body operates in cycles. And as the rest of nature takes cues from its environment to run its cycle by, so does your body clock. Light/Dark, meal timing, and what time we go to sleep all affect how our internal clocks run. When it gets dark we start to produce a hormone called melatonin that helps us fall asleep and stay asleep. What time we eat, and what time we go to bed gives our body cues as to what time it is. This is why when you change time zones, you get jet lag that lasts days, even though you got some sleep or why working late on your computer or tablet, or playing on your phone late at night or exposure to bright lights leading up to bedtime causes you to have trouble sleeping. The light emitted from these devices emulates the bight blue light of daytime. So your body doesn’t get the cue to start making melatonin and you don’t feel sleepy and ready to go to bed, so you either toss and turn and get frustrated, or keep playing on your devices or watch more telly and ultimately don’t get sleepy. By the time you do get to sleep its very late and you don’t get the right amount of sleep and you certainly don’t get quality sleep, as you’re less likely to get the REM and deep sleep you require. This is the biggest interference in our modern society that is robbing us of our sleep, and one of the easiest to fix. By not exposing yourself or living this exposure to blue light emitting devices 1-2 hours before bed, your body will get the right cues that its time to start making melatonin to prepare you for sleep. Did you know melatonin allows plays a role in immune health? Those with low leaves of melatonin are more prone to getting ill, and there are even studies which suggest night shift workers are at an increased risk for cancer due to diminished melatonin levels. If you struggle to pull yourself away from blue light emitting devices and bright LED lights in your home bore bed, you can purchase Blue Blocking glasses, these glasses block out some of the blue light. There are also app like Flux you can install on your computer.

Equally if you’re not getting natural light exposer during the day, because you work in a dark office, this can confuse your body clock as to what time of day it is. Imagine if you spend half your day inside, that duly lit, and then go home and stare at bright screen all evening, your body would know night from day.

Are you truly relaxed when it comes to bedtime?

Set aside time to wind down before bed by doing relaxing things in the hour or so before bed. Did you know arguments, watching a intense movie, engaging your brain with work can all stimulate your mind making it harder to switch off and feel sleepy? Instead try listening to gentle music, mediating, taking a relaxing bath, a favourite craft or anything that helps you unwind and switch off before bed.

Is your room too warm?

There is an ideal temperature in which we sleep best, which is roughly 15-22C, it can be higher in elderly. Our bodies actually need to cool down a bit to allow us to drift to sleep, and if our room is too warm or we have too thick a duvet it can interfere with falling asleep.

Is your room used just for sleeping?

If you work in your room or have a telly in your room your brain might not associate it with a place to rest.

Is your room completely dark?

Our eyes can detect light through our eyelids, so if your bedroom isn’t dark enough due to street lamps, TV in room left on while you sleep, other devices that emit light could all be interrupting your sleep. Get heavier curtains, remove devices from your room, or get eye masks to block out light. Having a widow open too so you can get fresh air also really helps

WIFI?

Some people are genuinely sensitive to wifi signals. You definitely don’t want your WIFI router in your bedroom. Ideally, if you can, turn off / unplug your WIFI at night and put your phone into airplane mode, and don’t keep it under your pillow!

Are you exercising too close to bedtime?

While getting plenty activity in the day is great for aiding sleep this is because it reduces stress. Less stress = better sleep, However doing intense training too close to bedtime can can affect sleep quality, as it keep your body energised. Ideally try to get your intense workouts done 5 hours before bedtime.

Too much caffeine or caffeine too late?

Some people detoxify caffeine out of their body quicker than others, and for most people having their last coffee before 2pm is a good idea to allow the body to eliminate it, and ensure deep sleep. There are so many delicious herbal teas on the market right now, so you don’t have to feel deprived of a nice hot drink in the evening or before bed, and you can also try herbal infusions at bed time to aid with sleep, my personal favourite is a blend of hemp, ashwagandha, spearmint, camomile and lavender by Pukka Tea, or a nice Tusli tea.

Got your sleep hygiene mastered but still having some sleep issues? Sometimes other imbalances within the body can interfere with you getting good sleep. I can help you figure it out, why not get in touch for a free 30 min Health Review to find out more?