Posted on February 28, 2008 in Latest News
Sleep hygiene refers to sleep habits. A good sleep habit is essential for a healthy life. But, today people are cultivating poor sleep hygiene due to various reasons and compulsions. Their health and lives are getting adversely impacted due to poor sleep hygiene.
Guidelines for Good Sleep Hygiene
Here is a list of guidelines for good sleep hygiene:
Personal Habits
- Fix a particular bedtime and an awakening time. Stick to the fixed time
- Avoid napping during the daytime or limit your nap to 30-45 minutes
- Avoid alcohol 4-6 hours before bed
- Avoid caffeinated beverages, such as tea, coffee, soda, or chocolate before bedtime
- Avoid spicy, heavy, or sugary foods 4-6 hours before bedtime
- Exercise regularly, but not right before bed
Sleeping Environment
- Use comfortable bedding
- Keep your bedroom quiet, cool and well ventilated
- Eliminate as much as light as possible
- Block out all distracting noise
- Use your bed only for sleeping. Avoid using it for eating, or TV watching
Getting Ready For Bed
- Avoid watching television or gluing to your computer system before bedtime
- A light snack before bed is good. Foods such as warm milk and bananas are also recommended before bed
- Practice relaxation techniques, such as deep breathing or yoga that helps in relieving
- stress and reducing muscle tension before bed
- Leave your worries behind when you go to bed
- Avoid stimulating mental and physical activities before bed
- Establish a pre-sleep ritual, such as a warm bath or a few minutes of reading
- Get into your favorite sleeping position
- If you don’t fall asleep within 15-30 minutes, get up, go into another room, and read until sleepy
Follow and practice the above tips and improve your sleep hygiene.
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