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Tired of Being Tired? Improve Your Sleep Hygiene 

Are you tossing and turning all night?  Do you wake up feeling groggy and exhausted, no matter how many hours you have slept?  You are not alone.  Millions of people suffer from poor sleep, which can have a serious impact on physical and mental health.  The good news is that you can take control of your sleep by improving your sleep hygiene.  In this post, we’ll explore the habits and environmental factors that can affect your sleep and provide practical tips for getting a better night’s rest.

Sleep Hygiene refers to the environment and habits surrounding your sleep that impact the quantity and quality of an individual’s sleep.  Sleep is an important aspect of every individual’s physiological needs.  The quantity and quality of sleep play an important role in both your physical and mental health.  There are habits and environmental aspects that may be negatively impacting your sleep and reducing your Melatonin, a naturally occurring hormone produced by your body to facilitate sleep. Below are some suggestions to help improve your sleep hygiene and, ultimately, your physical and mental health.

Habits:

  1. Set a routine time to settle for bed (pajamas, wash face, brush teeth, mood journaling, meditation).  Consistency helps to make tasks more “automatic,” for your brain. 
  2. Set a consistent wake-up time to improve ease of falling asleep and waking up. 
  3. Regular physical activity can make it easier to fall asleep at night, but strenuous physical activity should be avoided immediately before bedtime. 
  4. Avoid eating large meals and consuming excess amounts of fluid before bedtime.  To prevent digestion and bathroom breaks from disrupting your sleep. 
  5. Cut down caffeine intake in the afternoon and evening.  Caffeine is a stimulant and can make falling and staying asleep more difficult.
  6. Avoid relying on Melatonin long-term for sleep every night, this may hinder your body’s production of the hormone. 
  7. Avoid napping if you can.  If you nap, avoid doing so for more than 30 minutes as this may negatively affect your ability to fall or stay asleep at night.
  8. Avoid smoking before bedtime or smoking in the middle of the night if you wake.  Nicotine acts as a stimulant and can disrupt sleep. 
  9. Avoid using alcohol as a means to fall asleep, while this may help you fall asleep, it negatively impacts your sleep quality and can leave you feeling unrefreshed and groggy in the morning.  

Environment: 

  1. Set aside 30 minutes to “de-stress” before bedtime. 
    1. Do’s: light music, meditation, stretching, reading.
    2. Don’ts: devices (phones, computer, gaming consoles), social media, television and doom scrolling.  All of these promote mental stimulation, making it more difficult to fall asleep.  Additionally, blue lights from cell phones and computers can decrease melatonin production. 
  2. Use your bed only for sleeping, with sex being the exception.  This will help your mind establish a relationship between bed and sleep.
  3. Dim lights before bedtime, this can help activate melatonin production.  If you work third or evening shifts, look into investing in “black-out” curtains.
  4. After laying in bed for 20 minutes, if you are still unable to fall asleep, get up and try to meditate, read, or do another low impact relaxing activity in dim lighting, before you attempt to lay back in bed to fall asleep. 
  5. Sound reduction can help you to fall asleep and stay asleep to optimize your sleep environment.  If you live in a loud neighborhood or have a snoring partner, consider utilizing a white noise machine, fan or ear plugs.
  6. Make sure your pillow and mattress are comfortable for you!  The average lifespan of a mattress is 7-10 years, which is something to consider if you are waking up with pain or find yourself frequently tossing and turning at night.  If you tend to wake up with a stiff neck or neck pain, consider investing in a cervical neck pillow to improve your sleep posture as well. 

Prioritizing sleep hygiene is not just about feeling rested; it is about investing in your physical and mental health.  By creating a conducive sleep environment and adopting healthy sleep habits, you can unlock greater energy, improved mood, and sharper cognitive function.  Start implementing these suggestions today and experience the transformative power of quality sleep.

Tired of Being Tired helpful chart

References 

    1. Alanazi, E. M., Alanazi, A. M. M., Albuhairy, A. H., & Alanazi, A. A. A. (2023). Sleep Hygiene Practices and Its Impact on Mental Health and Functional Performance Among Adults in Tabuk City: A Cross-Sectional Study. Cureus, 15(3), e36221. https://doi.org/10.7759/cureus.36221
    2. Baranwal, N., Yu, P. K., & Siegel, N. S. (2023). Sleep physiology, pathophysiology, and sleep hygiene. Progress in Cardiovascular Diseases, 77, 59–69. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.pcad.2023.02.005 
    3. Suni, E. (2024, March 4). Mastering sleep hygiene: Your path to quality sleep. Sleep Foundation. https://www.sleepfoundation.org/sleep-hygiene