Sleep hygiene refers to healthy sleep habits or behaviors that significantly strengthen your ability to fall and stay asleep through the night. Sleep hygiene refers to a collection of behavioral and environmental conditions to promote healthy sleep. Hauri and Linde developed sleep hygiene as an educational approach to treating insomnia in 1990.
Sleep hygiene forms on the premise that poor behavioral habits interfere with preserving good sleep quality and daytime alertness.
According to research, developing healthy sleep habits is a crucial part of overall health. When healthy behaviors are almost automatic, it creates an ongoing process of positive reinforcement. Bad habits, on the other hand, can become ingrained even when they have negative consequences.
Difficulty in falling asleep, inconsistency in sleep quantity or quality, frequent sleep disturbances, and daytime sleepiness are the most telling signs of poor sleep hygiene.
Importance of Sleep and Sleep hygiene
Your mind and body restore energy, replenish cells, and rebuild tissue while you sleep. You would not have sufficient energy to perform basic bodily functions without sleep. Getting enough sleep is beneficial for both your physical and emotional health. Enough sleep can help to reduce your risk of diabetes, heart disease, obesity, stroke, cancer, and Alzheimer’s disease. It also improves mood and energy and acts as a protective layer from anxiety and depression.
A biological clock present inside your body helps to regulate all the processes that occur in the body over 24 hours. The mechanism, known as circadian rhythm, informs the body when to sleep and when to wake up every day. When this rhythm is out of alignment, falling or staying asleep is troubled, leading to chronic fatigue and other sleep issues.
Signs of poor sleep
We tend to overlook our bodily needs and emphasize a lot on being productive. Being productive gives us a sense of satisfaction. However, we need to rethink its costs. Poor sleep can affect our entire day. It can worsen symptoms and affect mood as well. Not having quality sleep is a complex issue, as the root cause can vary from person to person.
There can be various causes of poor sleep. Some of these are:
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Stimulants (e.g., caffeine) are in the system close to bedtime
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Stress
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Emotional wounds
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Digestive issues
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Menopause
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Vitamin and Mineral deficiencies
You are not getting good quality sleep if:
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Even after sleeping for good hours, your body feels lethargic throughout the day
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You tend to be moody and irritable
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You lack organization and structure in the work
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It becomes difficult to concentrate for a longer period of time
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Behavioral changes can include anxiety
Effects of Poor Sleep
Lack of quality sleep can make us feel fatigued and exhausted in both the mind and body. Some of the serious health issues you can face due to sleep deprivation are:
Increases the risk of high blood pressure
Sleep deprivation is directly connected to the risk of high blood pressure and can worsen if we do not take proper care for the same.
Obesity/ Weight gain
When we are sleep deprived, the essential chemical that is connected to signal our brain that we have had enough food doesn’t work in sync which leads us to eat more.
Major mood swing
Individuals who are sleep deprived are at higher risk for developing mental health disorders.
Effects our work and thinking
Lack of sleep directly links to less productivity and distorted thinking patterns. Long-term sleeplessness can also cause memory loss.
Cultivating sleep hygiene
Sleep hygiene can be cultivated and improved through various means. Each person can adopt these methods according to their needs and wants.
Sleep schedule and Routine
Having a set schedule helps to adjust the internal clock to the amount of sleep required and its quality. The following points can help in establishing a routine:
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Prioritize your sleep by having a fixed sleep and wake time.
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Gradually adjust your new routine from an already established one.
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Limit the duration and timing of naps (not too late in the afternoon) to avoid confusing your internal clock.
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Keep a consistent routine. Routine helps to send a signal to your brain that it is time to go to bed. Actions such as brushing teeth and applying moisturizers can be a part of the routine.
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Relax and unwind for around 30 minutes before going to bed. Relaxation helps to enter a calm state which can be promoted through soft music, reading, stretching lightly, meditation, mindfulness, and deep breathing.
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Follow the 20-minute rule. Get up from bed and repeat the relaxation routine if you cannot fall asleep after 20 minutes.
Pleasant Sleep environment
Sleep environment includes how your bedroom promotes the ambiance of sleep and comfort. To achieve this, you can clean your rooms; use quality beddings i.e. comfortable and clean mattresses, pillows, and blankets; have optimal room temperature; use a heavy curtain to block lights and earplugs to avoid heavy noise.
Habits
Certain lifestyle habits influence our sleep quality.
Do’s
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Engage in regular exercise,
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Get daylight exposure to help fine-tune your internal clock,
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Use your bed only for sleeping (sex being expectation to this)
Dont’s
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Reduce stimulants such as nicotine in smoking and caffeine in coffee/tea.
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Reduce consumption of alcohol
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Avoid heavy meals late at night.
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Avoid electronic gadgets 30 minutes before sleeping.
Expectation
Negative expectations towards sleep like “I should fall asleep”, and “I can’t cope with little sleep” can harm your sleep. Challenging these expectations with statements such as “I am not sure if I can get good sleep today, but I will see how it goes”, and “Even if I get little sleep today and don’t feel energized tomorrow, I will handle it” can be helpful.
Sleep hygiene is crucial for well-being, especially for mental health. Poor sleep can have various effects on life. One can nurture their sleep in various ways. However, it is necessary to approach a specialist when these sleep issues are persistent and severe to get proper remedies.
Importance of Professional Counseling: A friend or family member may listen to you, but they aren’t professionally, technically qualified or experienced to offer you professional advice. If you wish you can contact us at MindTribe to receive help from our team of expert psychologists.
About MindTribe.in.
MindTribe Founder Dr. Prerna Kohli, India’s eminent psychologist, established the company to leverage the strength of the online to make counseling affordable and accessible to everyone. MindTribe provides counseling, workshops, support groups, forums, and eLearning.
About the Author.
Dr. Prerna Kohli, is an eminent psychologist, a published author, a four-time gold medalist, an awardee by the President of India for her contributions to Mental Health, and the founder of MindTribe.in. You can learn more about her by clicking here www.drprernakohli.in
Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of MindTribe.in, the Founders, or management team.
Acknowledgement: All images used are open source and from Unsplash.