Sleep hygiene

Pay attention to Sleep hygiene is one of the easiest ways to prepare for better sleep. Good sleep hygiene involves ensuring that your bedroom environment and daily routines support regular, uninterrupted sleep . Each person can tailor their sleep hygiene practices to their needs, helping to establish positive habits that make it easier to fall asleep throughout the night and wake up refreshed.

Why is sleep hygiene important?

Healthy sleep is crucial for physical and mental health, improving productivity and overall quality of life. Everyone, from children to adults, can benefit from better sleep, and sleep hygiene plays a key role in achieving this goal .

Research has shown that developing good habits is essential for health. By adopting sustainable and beneficial habits, healthy behaviors become almost automatic, creating a cycle of positive reinforcement . Conversely, bad habits can develop and have negative consequences.

Fortunately, humans have a great capacity to change their habits to serve their long-term interests. Creating an environment and routines that support our goals can really pay off.

Sleep hygiene, which encompasses both environment and habits, can improve sleep quality and overall health. Improving sleep hygiene is inexpensive and safe, making it a crucial part of a public health strategy.

What are the signs of poor sleep hygiene?

The main signs of poor sleep hygiene are difficulty falling asleep , frequent awakenings during the night, and daytime sleepiness . A lack of consistency in the quantity or quality of sleep can also indicate poor sleep hygiene.

How to practice good sleep hygiene?

Practicing good sleep hygiene is about creating the optimal conditions for getting a good night's sleep every night. This includes optimizing your sleep schedule, bedtime routine, and daily habits to make quality sleep more automatic. Additionally, creating a pleasant bedroom environment encourages relaxation and makes it easier to fall asleep.

Here are some practical tips, which you can adapt to your situation, to create your own sleep hygiene checklist:

• Maintain a regular sleep schedule : Go to bed and get up at the same time every day.
• Create a relaxing bedtime routine : Engage in calm, relaxing activities.
• Optimize the bedroom environment : Keep the bedroom dark, quiet and cool. Use blackout curtains.
• Limit caffeine and alcohol : Avoid consuming stimulants before bed.
• Exercise regularly : Physical activity can improve sleep quality, but avoid intense exercise just before bedtime.

By adopting these practices, you can promote better quality sleep and, therefore, better overall health.

Set your sleep schedule

Having a regular schedule makes sleep a vital part of your day and trains your brain and body to get the full amount of sleep you need.

Have a fixed wake-up time

Whether it's a weekday or a weekend, try to wake up at the same time, as a fluctuating schedule makes it difficult to get into a regular sleep pattern. Discover our collections .

Prioritize sleep

It may be tempting to skip sleep to work, study, socialize, or exercise, but it's essential to prioritize sleep. Calculate a target bedtime based on your regular wake-up time and do your best to be ready to go to bed at that time every night.

Make gradual adjustments

If you want to change your sleep schedule, don't try to do it all at once, as this can throw your schedule out of whack. Instead, make small, incremental adjustments, no more than an hour or two, to allow yourself to adjust and settle into a new schedule.

Don't overdo naps

Naps can be a convenient way to regain energy during the day, but they can disrupt sleep at night. To avoid this, try to keep naps relatively short and limit them to the early afternoon.

Follow a nightly routine

How you prepare for bed can determine how easily you fall asleep. A sleep preparation program that includes some of these tips can put you at ease and make it easier to fall asleep when you want to.

Adopt a consistent routine

Going through the same steps every night, like putting on your pajamas and brushing your teeth, can reinforce in your mind the idea that it's time for bed.

Allow 30 minutes to relax

Enjoy whatever puts you in a calm state, such as soft music, light stretching, reading, or relaxation exercises.

Dim the lights : Try to avoid bright lights, as they can interfere with the production of melatonin, a hormone the body creates to aid sleep.

Unplug electronic devices

Plan a 30-60 minute buffer before bed, free of electronic devices. Cell phones, tablets, and laptops cause mental stimulation that is difficult to turn off and also generate blue light that can decrease melatonin production.

Try relaxation methods

Instead of trying to fall asleep, it's often easier to focus on relaxation. Meditation, mindfulness, rhythmic breathing, and other relaxation techniques can put you in a more comfortable frame of mind for bed.

Choose a good alarm clock to accompany you on this adventure.

Don’t toss and turn : It’s helpful to establish a healthy mental connection between being in bed and sleeping. So if you haven’t been able to fall asleep after 20 minutes, get up and stretch, read, or do something else soothing in dim light before trying to fall back to sleep.

Cultivating healthy daily habits

Bedtime habits aren’t the only thing that influences sleep quality. Adopting positive routines throughout the day can support your circadian rhythm and minimize sleep disruptions.

• Get exposure to daylight : Natural light, especially sunlight, is a key regulator of circadian rhythms and can improve sleep quality.
• Be physically active : Regular physical activity promotes better nighttime sleep and provides many other health benefits.
• Don't smoke : Nicotine stimulates the body, disrupting sleep. This is why smoking is associated with many sleep problems.
• Cut down on alcohol : Alcohol can help you fall asleep, but its effects wear off quickly and disrupt sleep later in the night. So moderate your consumption and avoid alcohol late in the evening.
• Limit caffeine in the afternoon and evening : Since caffeine is a stimulant, it can delay falling asleep. Avoid it late in the day and be careful if you are using caffeine to compensate for lack of sleep.
• Don't eat late : A large, heavy or spicy meal eaten late in the evening can disrupt digestion at bedtime. Opt for light meals or snacks before bed.

• Limit activities in bed : To establish a link between bed and sleep, use your bed only for sleep and sex.

Optimize your bedroom

In addition to habits, a proper sleep environment is crucial for good sleep hygiene. Your bedroom should be quiet and free of disturbances to make it easier to fall asleep.

• Choose a comfortable mattress and pillow : Your sleep surface should be comfortable to prevent pain and ensure a good night's sleep. Select the mattress and pillow that best suit your needs.
• Use quality bedding : Sheets and blankets, in direct contact with your skin, must be adapted to your preferences for maximum comfort.
• Set a comfortable temperature : A cool room, around 18°C ​​(65°F), is generally ideal for sleep.
• Block out light : Use blackout curtains or an eye mask to prevent light from disturbing your sleep.
• Muffle noises : Earplugs can block out distracting noises. Alternatively, a white noise machine or fan may be helpful.
• Try calming scents : Light scents like lavender can induce a calm state of mind and create an environment conducive to sleep.

Is sleep hygiene the same for everyone?

The basic concept of sleep hygiene—that your environment and habits can be optimized for better sleep —applies to almost everyone, but what ideal sleep hygiene looks like can vary from person to person. That’s why it’s worth experimenting with different tweaks to find out what helps you sleep the most . You don’t have to change everything at once; small steps can help you move toward better sleep hygiene.

It’s also important to know that improving sleep hygiene won’t always solve sleep problems. People with severe insomnia or sleep disorders such as obstructive sleep apnea may benefit from improved sleep hygiene, but other treatments are usually needed.

In other words, while it can be beneficial, sleep hygiene is not a cure-all. If you have persistent or severe sleep problems or daytime sleepiness, it's best to talk to a doctor who can recommend the most appropriate treatment.