Sleep hygiene guide: how to sleep better

Improve your sleep hygiene plan

In this guide we address why getting more and better sleep should be an integral part of your self-care routine.

We desperately need to celebrate sleep, expose its benefits, and seek solutions for sleep deprivation. That’s because in the U.S. alone, 50-70 million people don’t get enough sleep.

It’s a disheartening statistic, particularly when you consider how important sleep is to your physical and psychological well-being.

In modern times, almost everyone experiences some type of struggle with sleep hygiene — and one of the biggest issues seems to be an unhealthy mindset around just how important sleep is.

Sleep is seen as an enemy to productivity — a human limitation that you need to overcome so you can get more done. Perhaps that’s why a popular sleep-related search term is “sleep hacks”.

However, you can only push yourself so far before “hacking” sleep leads to frightening experiences that will dramatically change your perspective. Lack of sleep causes all sorts of short-term and long-terms effects (delusion is one of many).

It’s time we realize that you can’t fight sleep (and it is dangerous to do so). It’s much easier and healthier to embrace it and incorporate it into your self-care routine.

Sleep can be a powerful ally if it’s accepted as a critical (and enjoyable) element of your overall wellness regimen instead of treated as a necessary evil.

In this guide we provide an overview of how to improve your sleep hygiene and sleep better. We also provide a wealth of resources and references to support you in getting more sleep.

Sleep Hygiene: Simple ways to sleep better

Embrace sleep

Sleep deprivation is an American (and increasingly global) epidemic and one of the contributors is the general consensus that it is a physiological limitation. Culturally, we look down on sleep, wear lack of sleep like a badge of honor, and go through great strain to stay awake.

However, the best way to get more sleep is to change your thinking about it. Accept it as both an essential — and pleasurable — element of living well. These facts about sleep from Harvard University can assist with that:

• Learning — sleep is critical to your ability to learn and enables your brain to store new information and retrieve old information from your memory.
• Weight — sleep regulates your metabolism and chronic sleep deprivation can cause weight gain because it disrupts the way your body processes and stores elements from the foods you eat.
• Safety — individuals who are sleep deprived experience a greater risk to their personal safety and those around them as they are prone to involuntarily doze off which can cause all sorts of detrimental mistakes, mishaps and errors.
• Mood — Your mood is directly tied to the amount and quality of the sleep you get and lack of sleep can lead to negative emotions such as agitation, annoyance, impatience as well as the inability to concentrate.
• Health —  several sleep disorders have been linked to cardiovascular issues such as hypertension, hormonal stress and irregular heartbeat.
• Immunity — in addition to cardiovascular health, your sleep has a hand in boosting your immune system while sleep deprivation suppresses and makes you more susceptible to disease such as cancer.

Schedule sleep

Now that you understand the facts, it’s time to take action. One of the best ways to ensure you get enough sleep is to create and prioritize your sleep schedule.

Everyone has a circadian rhythm — or body clock — that regulates energy levels and alertness as well as physiological processes. To avoid erratic sleep/wake cycles, it’s important to stick to a regular sleep schedule to keep your circadian rhythm stable.

That means, depriving yourself all week and thinking you can just catch up on the weekend does not work. Some debts simply can’t be paid late — the only way to reap the full benefits of sleep, while avoiding sleep deprivation issues, is to be consistent.

Though 8 hours is the rule of thumb, it is best to reflect on the number of hours that give you the most energy when you wake up. Depending on your age, lifestyle and health you will need to adjust this standard figure — some need a bit less while others need much more.

Once you determine how many hours you need put some measures in place to ensure you get the appropriate amount of sleep. Then use a sleep tracker to monitor how long and well you sleep (see our recommendations that follow).

Anticipate Sleep

Be enthusiastic about sleep by developing an enjoyable bedtime routine. This is a series of short activities in the evening that help you wind down and prepare for glorious slumber.

Whatever calms your body and mind, and can be scheduled at least one hour before bedtime, is fair game. Here are a few ideas to consider:

• Taking a warm shower
• Drinking a cup of herbal tea
• Reading a lightweight book
• Writing in your journal
• Meditating
• Listening to ambient music
• Cuddling with a furry friend
• Adjusting the thermostat
• Allowing fresh air into the room

The best way to choose activities for you bedtime routine is to experiment with a few and see what works best for you.

Support sleep

Supporting sleep means engaging in activities that are known to improve the quality and duration of your sleep. We’ve outlined a few of the most important considerations.

DIET

Certain substances such as caffeine and alcohol can interfere with sleep, especially if consumed in excess and/or too close to bedtime. There are also less obvious culprits — such as spicy and acidic foods — that can upset your digestive process and make it hard to fall asleep.

Additionally, if you are overweight you are more apt to struggle with sleep disorders such as Sleep Apnea. So it’s worth monitoring what and how you eat to identify any foods or habits that may be sabotaging your ability to rest well.

ACTIVITY

Just a moderate amount of physical activity, on a regular basis, can significantly improve sleep quality and duration. The caveat is that the effect is gradual not immediate.

If you aren’t exercising regularly right now you’ll have to start and commit to a workout routine for a period of time before you can reap the benefits.

Nevertheless, you don’t have to run marathons to see results — even 10-minute daily walks (if done consistently) will eventually help you sleep longer and better.

MOOD

Stress and anxiety can wreak havoc on your sleep hygiene and lead to a perpetual cycle of sleepiness and agitation. Under stress, the brain is overactive and unable to function properly because of excessive worrying.

Carrying issues from the day into the night keeps you tossing and turning and the lack of sleep impairs your mood during the day — potentially causing even more stress.

Having a method for resolving or shelving problems before bedtime — be it through meditation, journaling, or venting to a loved one — can help protect the quality of your sleep.

REMEDIES

If it is particularly challenging for you to wind down and sleep well at night, you may consider natural remedies. Something as simple as a soothing chamomile tea, a few drops of lavender oil on your temples or a pillow spray can go a long way.

Natural supplements such as Vitamin D and Melatonin may also assist you in getting to sleep faster and resting better. We recommend that you seek a consultation with your health practitioner before consuming any supplements (even over-the-counter).