What is Sleep Hygiene?
Sleep hygiene is the term used to describe good sleep habits. Considerable research has gone into developing a set of guidelines and tips which are designed to enhance good sleeping, and there is much evidence to suggest that these strategies can provide long-term solutions to sleep difficulties.
Sleep Hygiene Tips
1.Establish regular bedtime routines, sleep-wake schedule, including weekends. Get up at the same time each morning. Maintaining a reasonably early awakening time is one of the most important time cues for the 24hr circadian sleep-wake rhythm.
- Even if you have a bad night sleep and are tired, it is important that you try and keep your daytime activities the same as you had planned.
2. Keep nasal passages clear. Use saline wash to clear nose before bed and use nasal dilators when necessary. This helps keep the nostrils open and helps facilitate nocturnal nasal breathing.
3. Avoid daytime naps, this disrupts the sleep-wake cycle especially if naps are at irregular times. Only nap is there is a safety concern and be sure to limit the nap to less than one hour, optimally 20 minutes and no later than 8 hours before bedtime.
4. Get regular exercise each day, preferably in the morning. Avoid strenuous exercise 4 hours before bedtime. There is good evidence that regular exercise improves restful sleep; this includes stretching and aerobic exercise.
5. If you haven’t been able to get to sleep after about 20 minutes, get up and try again later. Find something relaxing, and not stimulating, to take your mind off of worries about sleep. This will aid in relaxing your body and distract your mind.
6. Avoid blue light emitting electronics and other bright lights. Turn off electronics like televisions, computers, and cell phones 2-3 hrs bedtime. Exposure to blue light can alter your body’s ability to prepare for sleep due to reduced melatonin production. Melatonin is a hormone that helps induce sleepiness.
7. In order to facilitate sleep, the bedroom should be kept at 65 degrees and dark with enough blankets to keep comfortable. A white noise machine can also be helpful.
8. No alcohol at least 2 hours before bedtime AND no caffeine 6-8 hours before sleep periods.
Products We Love
- Xlear Nasal Spray with Xylitol, All-Natural Saline Nasal Spray for Sinus Rinse
- Navage Saline Nasal Irrigation System
- NeilMeds Saline Sinus Rinse Kit
- Used for sage nasal irrigation; relieves a variety of sinus conditions and promotes nasal breathing as it helps clear the airflow passage within our nose and sinuses.
- SomniFix Mouth Sleep Strips
- SleepYStrip
- Mouth taping encourages nose breathing. When breathing through the nose, it acts as a filter, warms the air and creates nitric oxide which aids in healthier blood oxygen levels. ***Functional Mouth Tape should only be used under the advisement of your doctor. Methods should always be discussed and well understood prior to use.
- Breathe Right Nasal Strips
- Rhinomed Mute Nasal Dilators
- Dortz Nasal Dilators – Snore Care Set
- Internal Nasal Dilators work to mechanically open nasal passages to reduce risk of nostril collapse and decrease the resistance of incoming air.
- Blue Light Blocking Glasses
- These look like regular glasses without magnification and can be used in the evenings with electronics like cell phones, TV, and computers. It’s best to avoid electronics in the evening, but these glasses can be a good alternative. Be sure to check that they don’t block beneficial turquoise light.
- YogaSleep Dohm Sleep Machine
- Use of a white noise machine, or consistent noise machine, can help mask small noises that could interrupt light sleep.