Sleeping Hygiene : Start Here First
If you’re seeking insomnia help and really good place to start is with ‘the basics’, what the practitioners like to call ‘sleep hygiene’:
Here are some tips for effective sleep hygiene habits:
- Establish a regular time for going to bed and getting up in the morning and stick to it even on weekends and during vacations.
- Your bedroom should be exclusively for sleeping. Well, maybe one other activity, but avoid eating, reading, smoking, drinking or watching television in bed; excessive time in bed seems to fragment sleep.
- Avoid naps, especially in the evening.
- Exercise before dinner. A low point in energy occurs a few hours after exercise; sleep will then come more easily. Exercising close to bedtime, however, may increase alertness.
- Take a hot bath about an hour and a half to two hours before bedtime. This alters the body’s core temperature rhythm and helps people fall asleep more easily and more continuously. (Taking a bath shortly before bed increases alertness.)
- Do something relaxing in the half-hour before bedtime. Reading, meditation, and a leisurely walk are all appropriate activities.
- Keep the bedroom relatively cool and well ventilated.
- Do not look at the clock. Obsessing over time will just make it more difficult to sleep.
- Eat light meals and schedule dinner four to five hours before bedtime. A light snack before bedtime can help sleep, but a large meal may have the opposite effect.
- Spend a half hour in the sun each day. The best time is early in the day. (Take precautions against overexposure to sunlight by wearing protective clothing and sunscreen.)
- Avoid fluids just before bedtime so that sleep is not disturbed by the need to wee.
- Avoid caffeine or other stimulants in the hours before sleep. A general recommendation is not to consume anything that might hinder your sleep 4-6 hours before your anticipated bedtime.
- Don’t drink alcohol before going to bed.
- If you are still awake after 15 or 20 minutes go into another room, read or do a quiet activity using dim lighting until feeling very sleepy. (Don’t watch television or use bright lights.)
- Give yourself a quiet time right before bed. One or two hours before you retire, take a few moments to spend quietly relaxing and meditating.
- If distracted by a sleeping bed partner, moving to the couch or a spare bed for a couple of nights might be helpful.
These are a few basic tips to get you started back on your journey to a good night’s sleep. You can check out the free e-book – Sleeping Secrets Exposed, or the other posts in this site for a few other ideas!
Tags: sleep hygiene
Insomnia Help | Editor | 
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