Sleep Hygiene 101 – What Is It & Why Is It Important?

The late 70s and early 80s are the years when the development of sleep hygiene began. Although the term sleep hygiene was first mentioned back in 1939, it took sleep medicine some 40 years to make sufficient progress and only then could sleep hygiene become an important environmental and behavioral practice. This is also the definition of sleep hygiene.

Generally speaking, sleep health hygiene is not one thing you should do, but rather many different habits related to sleep.

There are so many reasons why you should pay attention to sleep hygiene and what reason can be more important than your overall health? As we mentioned at the beginning, in order to live a healthy and productive life, you need to sleep well, simple as that.

The first signs of sleep problems are a drop in productivity, mood, libido and concentration. If these signs are ignored, then the problems will become more serious, both physically and mentally. Some of the most serious diseases such as diabetes, heart disease, thyroid disease, depression, anxiety are associated with insomnia.

Circadian rhythm is an internal process characteristic not only of humans but also of animals and plants. Healthy sleep-wake cycle is crucial and it is controlled by circadian rhythm. However, we don’t have identical circadian rhythm and also the lifestyles are different so not everyone can have same healthy sleep habits. Nevertheless, sleep schedule, bedtime routine and healthy daily habits are essential for your sleep hygiene to be considered good.

It is important to keep in mind that you need to practice sleep hygiene and follow our sleep hygiene tips in order to sleep well every night. Don't expect to experience significant improvements a day or two after you start practicing new habits. It takes time but it is well worth.

Your body loves routine. So you should eat meals at a similar time every day, exercise regularly as well as develop a consistent sleep schedule that you will stick to.

This way, your body will “know” when it's time to go to sleep even without you doing anything. And for a lot of people, this makes the entire process a lot easier.

This is because it will no longer feel like you're forcing yourself to go to bed. So, if motivation is a big hurdle for you, having a consistent schedule is a game-changer!

Once you get used to waking up at the same time, in 99% of cases you will wake up at that time even when you are on vacation. While this can be annoying when you want to sleep longer, this is the key to achieving a regular sleep schedule.

So set the alarm at the same time every day and after a few weeks you will no longer need the alarm. This is the only problem for those who work in shifts.

Six to eight hours of good night's sleep is more than enough for an adult. It is not necessary for an adult to sleep 10 hours as a baby. Uninterrupted sleep is even more important than the length.

Of course, do not sleep only 3 or 4 hours, because sleep deprivation will negatively affect you after just a few days, not to mention weeks or months.

Just as it is very important not to be exposed to strong light in the evening in order not to disturb the secretion of melatonin, it is equally important that you get enough sunlight during the day.

Sunlight is essential for eyes, mood, vitamin D secretion and strong bones. Also daylight will not make you sleepy and so you will avoid naps.

You have to be tired to be able to fall asleep on time in the evening. And we don't just mean mentally tired, which is sometimes counterproductive, but physically tired.

If you work in an office, it is very difficult to get physically tired. That is why it is necessary to have a workout routine. But not a workout session just before bed, rather hour or two before.

Caffeine is a natural stimulant consumed by people all over the world. Coffee is certainly the most popular beverage that contains caffeine, but it is also found in energy drinks, chocolate and tea, among others.

Yes, even tea has enough caffeine to ruin your sleep! So, be sure to do a bit of research before you have a late-night beverage.

You should not consume caffeine after 4 PM, and you should especially avoid caffeine in the evening or at night.

Cigarettes, drugs and alcohol are stimulants that can disrupt the sleep cycle. Nicotine can keep you awake much like drugs. Alcohol will seemingly make you sleepy, but sleep will be discontinuous and you will need more time to get to the REM phase.

Cigarettes, drugs and alcohol are harmful not only to sleep but also to overall health, so avoid them.

You should not skip dinner, but dinner shouldn’t be very late nor consist of fast food and other things that you should absolutely avoid especially at evening.

It should be well-balanced meal, full of protein and carbohydrates, as well as healthy fats. If you are very hungry just before the bed, eat a healthy snack and not a full meal or potato chips.

The effect of room temperature on sleep is very great. The ideal bedroom temperature is around 18 degrees. Many people like to sleep in a cold room and it has many benefits, but it should not be too cold either.

Also, if it is hot in the bedroom, you will be constantly sweating and you will not be able to sleep, even if you are not a hot sleeper.

Many people like to read a book in bed. It's definitely a much better bedtime routine than watching TV or using a smartphone. But it is important to dim the lights. If the lights are too bright, it will negatively affect the already mentioned melatonin.

You should install dimmers in the bedroom so that you can lower the intensity of the light. Alternatively, think of night lights for kids. Even though these are made for toddlers and children, night light can keep your room optimised for sleep.

The mattress is of utmost importance. It is one of the most important investments for your health, so you should not save when you decide to buy a mattress. Choose the ideal mattress for your sleep position.

For example, the best mattress for side sleepers is not the same as for stomach sleepers. If you have a good mattress, but want to improve some of its features, then you should consider buying a mattress topper.

Many people suffer from allergies. But did you know that allergies can occur at any time in your life, and that a sleep environment full of allergens is one of the most common causes? So you have to think about making a hypoallergenic environment, and bamboo is the best material for that.

Fortunately, the number of available bamboo products is growing. The leader in the UK market is Panda company, whose topper and foam bamboo pillow are a guarantee that you will sleep in a dust-free, hypoallergenic and antibacterial environment. And if you pair that with some of Panda's bamboo bedding, you should be set!

As every lie we tell incurs a debt to the truth, also poor sleep hygiene leads to something called sleep debt. Sooner or later, you will have to pay that debt. So if you have neglected sleep for too long, then sleep hygiene cannot work wonders.

If you have been keeping good habits for months and still can't get enough sleep, then it's time to think about some more solutions. For example, you can stimulate sleep pressure points. Also, talking to a psychologist and certain medications may help.