Sleep Hygiene: 5 Practices to improve your sleep
What is Sleep Hygiene? It is a series of practices, rituals and routines that enable you to have good quality and quantity sleep. Good sleep hygiene has a range of mental and physical health benefits from improved immunity, enhanced productivity and focus, better memory, increased ability to restore and repair organ systems, and the list goes on and on.
Suppose you are going through a difficult bout of sleep deprivation. In that case, it might be helpful to use a sleep log and weekly planner like in our Kocoono™ Wellness Toolkit, as this will allow you to recognise the pattern, and then you can intercept with an ingenious sleep plan!
We are all guilty of letting our priority for sleep slip from time to time but here are some simple reminders of what you can do to boost your sleep hygiene practices.
Pay attention to these 5 practices that will help you to wake up rested and happy:
1. Put your phone away 1.5 hours before bedtime
The blue light emitted from phones can really play havoc on your mind and has been found to re-stimulate those brain cells into energising bunnies so let your mind switch off in the lead up to bedtime and where possible leave technology out of the bedroom.
2. Short naps to restore your energy
To nap or not to nap? Daytime naps can actually be beneficial in helping you restore and reenergise so you can get back to work with more clarity and focus however they should be no longer than 30 minutes and naps after 3pm are a no-no.
3. Have a regular time that you are going to bed at.
Consistency is key so create your weekly schedule around the same bedtime and wake time. You can use our Kocoono™ Wellness Toolkit to create a weekly schedule that works for you.
4. Establish a relaxing night-time routine
Establish a relaxing night-time routine that gently lets your body know it’s time to nod off, it could be lighting a candle, dimming all the lights in the house, taking a bath, reading a book and make sure to avoid any conversations, tasks or exercises that might overstimulate your mind.
5. Keep your bedroom nice and cool
The optimal bedroom temperature is 60 - 67 degrees Fahrenheit. Your body temperature naturally decreases to initiate sleep so having a nice cool room helps to facilitate this process.
These sleep hygiene practices are literally just healthy habits that you can work on and build up in order to create a healthy relationship with sleep. If you log your current sleep pattern and energy you will be able to tell the different you feel when you implement healthy strategies and when you don’t. Sleep is so vital to overall well-being to make it a priority and reap the benefits!
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