Sleep hygiene: how to implement a healthy sleep routine

Having a good night’s rest is essential – it improves cognitive brain function, reduces stress and can even improve weight loss – but you’d be surprised how many people have not implemented a healthy sleep routine into their daily life. From having a regular schedule, reducing water intake, listening to podcasts and winding down – we’ve rounded up the best tips so you can rest easy.

So, why is getting a good night’s sleep so important? Our sleep is controlled by our sleep drive processes and our body clock – that is how we get that tired feeling which lulls us to bed. When we’re asleep, we experience REM (rapid eye movement) and non-REM sleep which helps us wake up feeling well rested. According to Health.com, having a good sleep schedule can improve your mood, allows a stronger focus, lower your stress levels and gives you happier outlook on life.

But how exactly do you improve your sleep? Read on.

KEEP IT CONSISTENT.

Like anything in life, consistency is key – and this goes for your sleep schedule, too. Although it may be tempting to sleep through your alarm on the weekends, or on vacation, this can mess with your body clock and actually cause you to struggle to get to sleep in the long term. By setting a bedtime and a morning alarm that allows you to get your full seven hours rest, you’ll wake up feeling more refreshed.

CUT THE CAFFEINE AND ALCOHOL BEFORE BED.

Avoiding coffee and other caffeinated beverages (including green tea and energy drinks) before midday can really help you snooze through the evening. The effects of caffeine can last up to twenty-four hours, so if you’re struggling to get to sleep, avoid it all together – or opt for one a day, before midday. Avoiding alcohol and other sugary drinks can also assist in a better night’s sleep.

MINIMISE YOUR SCREEN TIME.

Although it is tempting to scroll through your phone late in the evening when you’re struggling to sleep, turning off your phone before bed can do wonders for your mind and your sleep schedule. However, meditation-based podcasts (we love this round-up from Bustle) and sleep-based podcasts like Sleepy and Nothing Much Happens are great to help your mind settle before bed. Free applications that fight blue light eye strain in technology (mostly laptop and phone usage) like Flux are great if you’re up late watching a movie and blocking out white light in your eyes. If you’re wanting to avoid technology all together, pick up a good book!

FOLLOW THE TWENTY MINUTE RULE.

Lying in bed staring at the ceiling is also not a great option if you can’t get to sleep. An easy rule to follow: if you can’t fall to sleep after twenty minutes, get up from your bed and go and do something – read a book or listen to a podcast.

What other tips do you have to get an early night’s rest? Let us know in the comments.

For more reading, check out these links:

http://healthysleep.med.harvard.edu/healthy/matters/benefits-of-sleep

http://sleepeducation.org/essentials-in-sleep/healthy-sleep-habits