What Is Sleep Hygiene?
Sleep hygiene is becoming a common practice that can help set you up for a better night's sleep. Sleep hygiene is the term given to the habits, behaviours and environment we set in order to obtain a regular quality night's sleep. If you are someone that struggles with poor sleep quality, insomnia, fatigue, hormone imbalance, weight regulation, inflammation or chronic disease then focusing on your sleep hygiene is a great way to set yourself up for a great night's sleep.
Circadian Rhythm
The circadian rhythm is a 24-hour cycle that’s governed by our body's internal clock and plays a huge role in our sleep. The circadian rhythm is heavily influenced by light, hence why we wake at daylight and get sleepy as daylight reduces into the night. Our body will use more energy and specific organs during the wake cycle. During the sleep cycle, our body will reduce energy expenditure, clear toxins, repair cells and consolidate short term memory. When the circadian rhythm is dysregulated, sleep disorders such as insomnia, daytime sleepiness, delayed onset of sleep and waking during the night will arise.
Following a healthy lifestyle and good sleep hygiene is proven to improve sleep difficulties and reduce disease risk long-term by helping regulate your circadian rhythm.
Ways to optimise your sleep:
Have a fixed wake-up and bedtime
Waking and falling asleep at the same time every day can reinforce the circadian rhythm helping our body feel energised throughout the day. This includes on weekends.
Prioritise sleep
Whilst socialising, studying, or working can sound more important or appealing, ensuring you get at least 7-8 hours of sleep a night will help you feel fully rested the next day.
Limit naps throughout the day
Napping throughout the day can make it harder to fall asleep at night. If you nap, ensure it's no longer than 20-30 minutes.
Follow a nightly routine
Develop a pre-bedtime routine such as dimming the lights, going to bed at the same time, brushing your teeth, unplugging electronics, ensuring a comfortable temperature, meditating and/ or reading. All of these steps help the brain recognise its time to wind down for bedtime.
Remove electronics from your bedroom
Remove electronic devices, such as TVs, computers, and smartphones, from your bedroom. These electronic devices can disrupt your circadian rhythm through the blue light projected. Exposure to blue light through the afternoon to evening blocks the pituitary glands ability to produce melatonin. An important hormone needed for sleep onset. Aim to remove exposure to these devices after sundown and/or at least 2 hours before bedtime. If you work on a computer all day you might want to invest in some quality blue light blocking glasses or download an app on your computer such as F.lux which changes the light from blue to orange as the daylight drops.
Get sunlight exposure during the day
It’s important to get as much natural light as possible throughout the day. Watching the sunrise and sunset is a great way to help support your circadian rhythm. However, this may not be possible for everyone. In which case it's best to get up and open the blinds when you first wake up to get some sunlight into your eyes and help signal to your brain to stop making melatonin needed for sleep and start making cortisol needed for wakefulness.. This will be particularly important for shift workers. Additionally, getting outside in the afternoon for a walk after work is a great way to help signal to your brain it's time to start making melatonin as the daylight is reducing.
Reduce stimulants
Limit caffeine, especially in the afternoon or evening. Caffeine can take around 5-9 hours for your body to metabolise. Limiting alcohol intake, once the sedative effect of alcohol wears off, your body starts to metabolise the alcohol preventing you from reaching a deep sleep and REM sleep. However, heavy alcohol drinkers can experience reduced sleep onset.
Avoid eating late at night
Eating late at night or one hour before you go to bed can cause acid reflux and also can interrupt sleep during the night. This is due to the release of insulin when eating, this release of insulin before bedtime can affect the circadian rhythm as it can signal the wake cycle in your brain.
Evaluate your sleep quality
Are you satisfied with your sleep upon waking?
Do you feel sleepy during the day?
How long does it take for you to fall asleep? Are you waking between 2-4 am?
When you wake during the night, how long does it take you to get back to sleep?
Do you worry about sleep?
Do you feel moody or find it hard to pay attention during the day?
Need a bit more help with your sleep? Book in a 15min free consultation to discuss how naturopathy can help you optimise your sleep