According to a WebMD report, most adults need between 7 to 9 hours of shut-eye each night to promote health; however, many individuals fail to achieve this level of rest each night.
Sleep hygiene is the collective term for habits and behaviors that directly influence how quickly someone falls asleep, stays asleep through the night, and feels refreshed in the morning. On the contrary, poor sleep hygiene may cause difficulty falling or staying asleep at night as well as cause you to wake up feeling fatigued.
There are many ways to ensure you are getting the optimal amount of sleep, from creating a bedtime routine to selecting an inviting sleeping environment:
1. Establish a Consistent Sleep Cycle:
Establishing the same bed and wakeup times every day can help ensure success in your sleep hygiene regimen.
2. Create a Comfortable Sleep Environment:
Make your room cool and quiet by turning off the lights, using earplugs to drown out noise that might keep you up at night or interrupt your sleep cycle. This will ensure a restful environment for optimal restful rest.
3. Avoid Caffeine, Nicotine and Alcohol Before Bed: These stimulants can disrupt your natural sleep rhythm.
4. Exercise for Sleep: Establishing a regular regimen of moderate-intensity physical activity during the day can help you fall and stay asleep more easily.
5. Take a Nap:
Napping is an excellent way to give both your body and mind a much-needed break from the demands of the day.
6. Limit In-Bed Activities to an Hour Before Sleeping: Limiting in-bed activities like watching TV, playing video games and reading to one hour before going to sleep can help your body associate sleep with being in bed, making it easier to fall asleep quickly.
7. Elevate Your Mood and Reduce Stress: Having a positive outlook can help you get the most out of sleep while improving your overall sense of well-being.
8. Try Hypnotherapy to Improve Your Sleep: Hypnotherapy is a type of therapy that assists those suffering from insomnia or other sleep issues. It's a safe, natural and effective way to encourage healthy sleeping patterns while relieving anxiety and tension.
9. Seek Therapy: Speaking with a psychologist, therapist or psychiatrist can offer insight into any underlying mental health issues that are contributing to your poor sleep habits.
It is essential to consider the quality of your snooze. Good news is that you can start improving your sleep hygiene right away with just a few changes to your daily and evening routine. Keep in mind that improved sleep hygiene may not always solve all your sleeping problems, nor be an alternative treatment option for serious conditions like obstructive sleep apnea or chronic insomnia. If you have sleep apnea conditions, consult your doctor or The Air Station immediately for a sleep study and sleep apnea treatment.
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