Sleep Hygiene is about creating a routine to give yourself the best chance to sleep well each and ever night. Achieving a greats sleep is vital for both your physical and mental health.
Struggling to fall asleep or experiencing frequent sleep disturbances maybe be caused by poor sleep hygiene. Maximising your sleep schedule and creating better lifestyle habits before you go to bed and when you rise will help improve the chances of optimizing your sleep.
The www.Hse.ie has put together a check list
Establish a regular sleep pattern
1.Set the alarm for the same time every morning for seven days a week, at least until your sleep pattern settles down. The Sleep Shop pillows and mattresses will help you achieve a regular good nights sleep.
2.Get up at the same time every day, even if you did not fall asleep until late.
3.Do not sleep during the day.
During the evening
1.Ensure you ‘put the day to rest’. Think it through and use a notebook if necessary. Tie up “loose ends” in your mind and plan ahead.
2.Try to keep yourself fit by performing light exercise in the late afternoon or early evening (later than this can disturb your sleep).
3.Have a regular routine before sleep, whereby you wind down during the course of the evening and avoid anything that is mentally demanding within 90 minutes of bedtime.
4.Keep your sleep for bedtime (i.e. avoid falling asleep or snoozing in the armchair).
5.Do not drink too much caffeinated substances (e.g. coffee, tea and certain soft drinks) and only have a light snack for supper. Try decaffeinated milk-based or herbal beverages.
6.Do not drink alcohol to aid your sleep. It may help you fall asleep, but you will almost certainly wake up during the night.
7. Make sure your bed is comfortable and the bedroom is not too cold (but not too warm) and is quiet (use earplugs if necessary). At bedtime.
8.Go to bed when you are ‘sleepy tired’ and not before.
9.Do not read or watch TV in bed.
10.turn the lights off when you get into bed.
11.Relax and tell yourself that ‘sleep will come when it’s ready’. Enjoy relaxing even if you don’t fall asleep at first.
12.Do not try to fall asleep. Sleep cannot be switched on deliberately but attempting to do so may switch it off! If you have problems getting to sleep.
13.Try not to get upset or frustrated as sleep problems are quite common and they are not as damaging as you might think.
14.If you are awake in bed for more than 20 minutes, get up and go into another room.
15.Do something relaxing for a while and don’t worry about tomorrow. Read, watch television or listen to quiet music and after a while you should feel tired enough to go to bed again.
16.Remember that people usually cope quite well even after a sleepless night. Only return to bed when you feel “sleepy tired”
17.Establishing a good sleep pattern may take a number of weeks; however, you should remain confident that you will achieve it by working through this guide.
Because Sleep Matters
