Sleep Hygiene Series: Part 1 – Your Sleep Environment
Question: What is Sleep hygiene?
Answer: Practices and habits that help to promote a good nights sleep
Our sleep environment is often something that many of us underestimate the importance of. We often don’t understand the impact it can have on the quality of our sleep. Lets start with the bedroom, did you buy your curtains because they look nice or because they will help your sleep? The brightness of the sleep environment may impact your sleep, rule of thumb; the darker the better. There are many ways to darken your room. Sleep eye masks for example can be worn (but may be uncomfortable), black out curtains are probably the most ideal solution, however cardboard boxes can be just as effective at a fraction of the cost.
Do you own a tablet (iPad), a smart phone or a laptop? Do you use these in bed? Do you feel you need to check your email or have a quick look at facebook before bed? Stop right there. This is a guilty pleasure so many of us partake in and it can impact on your sleep. The bright lights from these devices can trick the body and reduce the drive to sleep.
You should avoid procrastinating about sleep, this is a prime example of poor sleep hygiene. The bed should be used for two things only… Sleep and sexual activities. Beds are not designed for reading, problem solving and study, computer games, watching TV or eating. These are all terrible habits that may prevent you from having a quality nights sleep. This is especially true for those having trouble sleeping – your bed is for your sleep!
Tip: Do what you can to minimise noise, make your bed as comfortable as possible and try to avoid overly pungent smells in your bedroom. Sadly some of these annoyances come from other people and these people we may not easily be able to avoid (eg: partners, children, housemates).
Fun fact: Your core body temperature needs to drop slightly before sleep. Your body will pump blood to your extremities (hands and feet) to help to cool your body down. Some people find that sticking your feet out from the blankets can help them to get off to sleep, perhaps this is why?
