Sleep Hygiene
Effective Things You Can Do
1. Set a dedicated sleeping/relaxation time
The key here is to actually keep the same bedtime and waking time everyday, including weekends. Your goal is to re-establish your natural rhythm and get in sync with your circadian rhythm.
This time must be non-productive time. If you are sleepless use this time to practice relaxation techniques, read (leisure reading only)…or just stare at the wall & think. Work, chores, planning or other ‘productive’ activities must be avoided during this time.
You may not be able to control your sleep but you can control your rest and relaxation time.
2. Create the right sleep environment
It is not shocking information that most people sleep better in dark, quite rooms when they are comfortable. Your job is to assess your sleeping environment and make any changes necessary to ensure you are in a quite, dark, safe and comfortable space.
3. Prepare to go to sleep
It is important to get your body ready for sleep. Sleeping is a different physical state than waking – your body actually needs to chemically shift gears. In a natural environment your body gradually shifts as the sun sets and the temperature falls. In our homes we mimic daytime - we need to deliberately trigger the chemical shift in our bodies.
i. Drop the temperature
- Try lowering your thermostat about 1 hour before bed - most people sleep best in rooms at that 65°F or 18° C.
- Take a bath/shower at least 1.5-2 hours before bed so that your body has time to cool down for sleeping.
ii. Dim the lights
- Begin reducing light levels about 1 hour before bed, this will encourage the production of melatonin in your system.
- Avoid using backlit devices at night, use readers that require an additional light source such as a bedside lamp.
iii. Reduce stimulation levels at least 1 hour before bed
- This means no TV or computer work....You can record your favourite late night TV shows and watch them at another time.
iv. Create Sleep Rituals
- We are creatures of habit, so consciously create habits that will signal to your brain that it is time to get ready sleep.
- Good rituals are ones that will relax you and transition you to a peaceful state, e.g.:
- listening to soft music or books on tape
- reading by a soft light
- picking up/tiding the house or washing up the dishes
- making lunches for the next day
- yoga or stretching
- taking a walk around your neighbourhood
- just turning off all the lights and locking the doors
v. Eat a bedtime snack
- Eating a good bedtime snack ensures that you will not wake up from a drop in blood glucose and it will provide you with an extra boost of the
nutrients required for a solid sleep.
- A good snack is one that includes whole grain complex carbohydrates, a small amount of protein, and calcium & magnesium
- 1/2 a sandwich on whole grain bread
- a small bowl of oatmeal with yogurt
- a banana and some nuts
- whole grain bread and a nut butter or cheese
4. Your Day Affects Your Night
i. Caffeine - It can take up to 12 hours for your body to metabolize caffeine! Cut it out or at least cut down and avoid it for at least 6 hours before bed.
ii. Alcohol - Alcohol can relax you and help you fall asleep but it also interrupts your sleep cycle. Avoid it for at least 6 hours before bed.
iii. Couch Potato - Inactivity after dinner can leave you restless and unsettled at bedtime. Try to fight the urge to be a lump and instead try to be
active/stimulated after dinner until at least 1 hour until your bedtime
iv. Exercise - Tired bodies sleep better. As little as twenty to thirty minutes of daily activity, even if it is in 5-10 minute intervals, helps. Avoid vigorous
exercise/activity 4 hours before sleep to allow your system to cool down and relax.
v. Napping - For some people napping results on an inability to sleep at night. If you do need an afternoon nap earlier in the afternoon and for no more
than 1/2 an hour (total laying down time) and ideally 15-20 minutes.
The key here is to actually keep the same bedtime and waking time everyday, including weekends. Your goal is to re-establish your natural rhythm and get in sync with your circadian rhythm.
This time must be non-productive time. If you are sleepless use this time to practice relaxation techniques, read (leisure reading only)…or just stare at the wall & think. Work, chores, planning or other ‘productive’ activities must be avoided during this time.
You may not be able to control your sleep but you can control your rest and relaxation time.
2. Create the right sleep environment
It is not shocking information that most people sleep better in dark, quite rooms when they are comfortable. Your job is to assess your sleeping environment and make any changes necessary to ensure you are in a quite, dark, safe and comfortable space.
3. Prepare to go to sleep
It is important to get your body ready for sleep. Sleeping is a different physical state than waking – your body actually needs to chemically shift gears. In a natural environment your body gradually shifts as the sun sets and the temperature falls. In our homes we mimic daytime - we need to deliberately trigger the chemical shift in our bodies.
i. Drop the temperature
- Try lowering your thermostat about 1 hour before bed - most people sleep best in rooms at that 65°F or 18° C.
- Take a bath/shower at least 1.5-2 hours before bed so that your body has time to cool down for sleeping.
ii. Dim the lights
- Begin reducing light levels about 1 hour before bed, this will encourage the production of melatonin in your system.
- Avoid using backlit devices at night, use readers that require an additional light source such as a bedside lamp.
iii. Reduce stimulation levels at least 1 hour before bed
- This means no TV or computer work....You can record your favourite late night TV shows and watch them at another time.
iv. Create Sleep Rituals
- We are creatures of habit, so consciously create habits that will signal to your brain that it is time to get ready sleep.
- Good rituals are ones that will relax you and transition you to a peaceful state, e.g.:
- listening to soft music or books on tape
- reading by a soft light
- picking up/tiding the house or washing up the dishes
- making lunches for the next day
- yoga or stretching
- taking a walk around your neighbourhood
- just turning off all the lights and locking the doors
v. Eat a bedtime snack
- Eating a good bedtime snack ensures that you will not wake up from a drop in blood glucose and it will provide you with an extra boost of the
nutrients required for a solid sleep.
- A good snack is one that includes whole grain complex carbohydrates, a small amount of protein, and calcium & magnesium
- 1/2 a sandwich on whole grain bread
- a small bowl of oatmeal with yogurt
- a banana and some nuts
- whole grain bread and a nut butter or cheese
4. Your Day Affects Your Night
i. Caffeine - It can take up to 12 hours for your body to metabolize caffeine! Cut it out or at least cut down and avoid it for at least 6 hours before bed.
ii. Alcohol - Alcohol can relax you and help you fall asleep but it also interrupts your sleep cycle. Avoid it for at least 6 hours before bed.
iii. Couch Potato - Inactivity after dinner can leave you restless and unsettled at bedtime. Try to fight the urge to be a lump and instead try to be
active/stimulated after dinner until at least 1 hour until your bedtime
iv. Exercise - Tired bodies sleep better. As little as twenty to thirty minutes of daily activity, even if it is in 5-10 minute intervals, helps. Avoid vigorous
exercise/activity 4 hours before sleep to allow your system to cool down and relax.
v. Napping - For some people napping results on an inability to sleep at night. If you do need an afternoon nap earlier in the afternoon and for no more
than 1/2 an hour (total laying down time) and ideally 15-20 minutes.
