sleep hygiene

7) No naps. It is best to avoid taking naps

What is Sleep Hygiene? during the day, to make sure that you
are tired at bedtime. If you can’t make it
‘Sleep hygiene’ is the term used to describe good sleep habits. through the day without a nap, make
Considerable research has gone into developing a set of sure it is for less than an hour and
guidelines and tips which are designed to enhance good before 3pm.
sleeping, and there is much evidence to suggest that these 8) Sleep rituals. You can develop your own rituals of things to
strategies can provide long-term solutions to sleep difficulties. remind your body that it is time to sleep - some people find
it useful to do relaxing stretches or breathing exercises for
There are many medications which are used to treat insomnia, 15 minutes before bed each night, or sit calmly with a cup of
but these tend to be only effective in the short-term. Ongoing caffeine-free tea.
use of sleeping pills may lead to dependence and interfere
9) Bathtime. Having a hot bath 1-2 hours before bedtime can
with developing good sleep habits independent of medication,
be useful, as it will raise your body temperature, causing you
thereby prolonging sleep difficulties. Talk to your health
to feel sleepy as your body temperature drops again.
professional about what is right for you, but we recommend
Research shows that sleepiness is associated with a drop in
good sleep hygiene as an important part of treating insomnia,
body temperature.
either with other strategies such as medication or cognitive
therapy or alone. 10) No clock-watching. Many people who struggle with sleep
tend to watch the clock too much. Frequently checking the
Sleep Hygiene Tips clock during the night can wake you up (especially if you turn
on the light to read the time) and reinforces negative
1) Get regular. One of the best ways to train your body to thoughts such as “Oh no, look how late it is, I’ll never get to
sleep well is to go to bed and get up at more or less the sleep” or “it’s so early, I have only slept for 5 hours, this is
same time every day, even on weekends and days off! This terrible.”
regular rhythm will make you feel better and will give your
body something to work from. 11) Use a sleep diary. This worksheet can be a useful way of
making sure you have the right facts about your sleep, rather
2) Sleep when sleepy. Only try to sleep when you actually than making assumptions. Because a diary involves watching
feel tired or sleepy, rather than spending too much time the clock (see point 10) it is a good idea to only use it for
awake in bed. two weeks to get an idea of what is going and then
3) Get up & try again. If you haven’t been able to get to perhaps two months down the track to see how you
sleep after about 20 minutes or more, get up and do are progressing.
something calming or boring until you feel sleepy, then 12) Exercise. Regular exercise is a good idea to
return to bed and try again. Sit quietly on the couch with help with good sleep, but try not to do strenuous
the lights off (bright light will tell your brain that it is time exercise in the 4 hours before bedtime. Morning
to wake up), or read something boring like the phone walks are a great way to start the day feeling refreshed!
book. Avoid doing anything that is too stimulating or
interesting, as this will wake you up even more. 13) Eat right. A healthy, balanced diet will help you to sleep
well, but timing is important. Some people find that a very
4) Avoid caffeine & nicotine. It is best to avoid consuming empty stomach at bedtime is distracting, so it can be useful
any caffeine (in coffee, tea, cola drinks, chocolate, and to have a light snack, but a heavy meal soon before bed can
some medications) or nicotine (cigarettes) for at least 4-6 also interrupt sleep. Some people recommend a warm glass
hours before going to bed. These substances act as of milk, which contains tryptophan, which acts as a natural
stimulants and interfere with the ability to fall asleep sleep inducer.
5) Avoid alcohol. It is also best to avoid 14) The right space. It is very important that your bed and
alcohol for at least 4-6 hours before going to bedroom are quiet and comfortable for sleeping. A cooler
bed. Many people believe that alcohol is room with enough blankets to stay warm is best, and make
relaxing and helps them to get to sleep at sure you have curtains or an eyemask to block out early
first, but it actually interrupts the quality of morning light and earplugs if there is noise outside your
sleep. room.
6) Bed is for sleeping. Try not to use your bed 15) Keep daytime routine the same. Even if you have a bad
for anything other than sleeping and sex, so that your body night sleep and are tired it is important that you try to keep
comes to associate bed with sleep. If you use bed as a your daytime activities the same as you had planned. That is,
place to watch TV, eat, read, work on your laptop, pay don’t avoid activities because you feel tired. This can
bills, and other things, your body will not learn this reinforce the insomnia.
connection.

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