What Is Sleep Hygiene :
Most people know that sleep is essential to physical health. In fact, getting enough sleep every night will have a positive effect on cognition. Slow weight gain and improve cardiovascular health
Unfortunately, some people find it not easy to fall asleep. If you are a sleep deprived person, it may be helpful to check your sleep hygiene. If this is the first time you have heard of this idea. Read on to learn more about this idea and why you need it.
1. Definition of sleep hygiene
Sleep hygiene in a simple definition is a series of activities that we do before going to bed. This could come from drinking a cup of hot milk, wearing pajamas, or even turning on a white noise machine. Some people buy new pajamas or mattresses to finally get a good night’s sleep.
But first, you can improve the quality of your sleep. You should first understand why it is difficult for you to fall asleep or stay asleep.
2. Know your body’s heart rhythm
Heart rhythm is a 24-hour cycle, which can help our body recognize when to rest and when to get up. Some people even call it part of the circadian body clock.
When you wake up too late or sleep too little, your body will think this is your rhythm error. So it resets it. It prevents you from sleeping properly. This can cause insomnia. Daytime fatigue and long-term health problems later.
3. Tips for improving sleep hygiene
Once you know how your body’s rhythm works. Here are some steps you can take to improve the quality of sleep:
4. Create a bedtime.
Every night, try to do your best before going to bed. This will help your body know it’s time to sleep. The specific activities are up to you. For example, this might include brushing your teeth, meditating, or wearing pajamas. During this period, you should also minimize your exposure to electronic equipment. This is because additional stimulation can keep you awake longer.
5. Follow a regular sleep schedule.
It is important to insist on regular sleep and wake-up time. This will help your body know exactly how long you get enough sleep each day. Do this often, and you can set a fixed bedtime schedule. You will naturally start to fall asleep when you want to sleep.
6. Make sure your bed is clean.
Laying a good foundation for a good night’s sleep is the key to improving sleep quality. Take some time to clean the room and pay close attention to your bed in the process. Develop a messy habit and invest in quality bedding, blankets and pillows. There is nothing better than crawling into a clean bed and snuggling under a soft blanket. After a long day.
7. Block unwanted light and sound.
The relaxed environment allows your body to feel that it can rest undisturbed. In other words, exposure to strong light can make it difficult to sleep at night, so you may need to buy blackout curtains to make your room completely dark. You can also buy earplugs to block unnecessary noise.
8. Avoid caffeine and alcohol at night.
Your diet can also affect the quality of your sleep. If possible, try to limit your intake of stimulants such as caffeine. Stimulants can affect your adrenaline levels and make you unnecessarily alert. And although alcohol is an antidepressant, drinking alcohol before going to bed can also reduce the quality of sleep. It can also cause insomnia and sleep apnea.
9. Don’t eat snacks at midnight.
Avoid large meals, especially before going to bed. This is because the digestive process affects your sleep. Sleeping with a full stomach may affect breathing. This makes you more likely to wake up in the middle of the night. Eating before going to bed can also cause acid reflux. This can cause sleep apnea and other serious illnesses. Related to sleep.
Do you find yourself counting sheep and wandering around at night? In this case, you may need to carefully check your sleep hygiene.
IIn fact, sleep is something that many people do not pay enough attention to. Even if it is easy to be overlooked, getting high-quality rest can lead to serious health problems later in life. In the stress of daily life and work, good sleep hygiene may be the thing you don’t care about the least. As mentioned earlier, you should try to improve sleep hygiene. Your body and mind will thank you.