You keep tossing and turning, the night is slipping away, but sleep never comes? Difficulty falling asleep, difficulty staying asleep or persistent insomnia can be very stressful and not only lead to frustration at night, but also affect our well-being during the day. We feel exhausted, weak, exhausted. This can go so far that we may even develop a fear of sleep, or our sleep disorder may lead to relationship problems. To prevent the consequences of sleep disorders, in this article we will show you 10 sleep hygiene rules that you can use to improve your sleep in a sustainable way.
Sleeping Clean? So What is Sleep Hygiene?
Basically, there are a few classic rules for good sleep that you've probably heard before. These strategies are summarized under the term sleep hygiene. Just as you follow the rules of classical hygiene to protect your health, such as washing your hands thoroughly, you can also follow some sleep hygiene rules that contribute to a restful sleep and feeling better during the day.
There are some rules of sleep hygiene; You may already know some of these, or maybe even practice them. It is important that you do not need to follow all sleep hygiene rules to make progress. Consider which sleep hygiene rules are most important to you and which ones you can easily integrate into your daily life. You can choose a rule to start. Once the new habits are established, you can add another sleep hygiene rule if necessary.
1. Use daylight
It may be especially helpful to exercise outside in the first half of the day to support your natural sleep-wake cycle. Even on a gray, overcast day, outside sunlight is much brighter than artificial indoor lighting.
2. Enjoy caffeine responsibly
Both amount and duration play a role in drinking caffeinated beverages. While morning coffee is known to cheer you up, consuming caffeine too late can significantly contribute to sleep problems. Although some people do not notice any problems falling asleep, caffeine has a strong effect on sleep quality and can, for example, cause us to wake up at night. Therefore, you should not consume caffeinated drinks at least 6 - 8 hours (preferably 8 - 10 hours) before bedtime. A good rule of thumb is to avoid consuming caffeine after 12pm. In addition to coffee, green and black tea, mate, cola and energy drinks are also caffeinated drinks.
3. Create your personal sleep rhythm
Our favorite cafe for morning coffee, the usual commute or lunch break; We humans are creatures of habit, and our sleep habits are no exception. If you always go to bed at different times or wake up at different times, your body will eventually lose the feeling of tiredness. Changing your sleep patterns can negatively affect your internal clock, also known as your biorhythm. This may make it difficult for you to fall asleep in the evening. Therefore, try to keep your bedtime and wake-up time the same, even on weekends. This way your body learns when it's time to relax and when you need to increase your energy levels.
4. Avoid midday naps
It seems like a good idea to take a nap, especially when we get very little sleep at night and are very tired and exhausted during the day. But napping, even for just a few minutes, can cause the so-called sleep pressure to decrease again. Result: You stay awake longer in the evening and need more time to fall asleep. For a restful and continuous sleep, it is recommended to avoid afternoon naps. If this isn't possible, experts recommend taking a nap before 3pm each day and limiting naps to around 20 minutes to avoid entering the deeper stages of sleep.
6. Minimize distracting factors
All bright or noisy “disturbing factors” should ideally be banned from the bedroom. This can include brightly glowing alarm clocks as well as televisions. In general, it is recommended that you avoid looking at digital devices such as alarm clocks or smartphones at night. This will not only protect you from being woken up again by blue light, but it will also help you avoid putting extra pressure on you due to time. If sounds such as your partner's snoring bother you at night, it may be useful to use earplugs.
7. Make room in your stomach
It is recommended to avoid heavy meals before going to bed so that your body is not overloaded with its own digestion. A good rule of thumb is to eat your last meal at least two to three hours before bed. However, it should not be forgotten that eating too little may cause poor sleep quality. Here it may be advisable to postpone or extend the fasting period. A full bladder can also disrupt your night's sleep. Getting up frequently at night due to the need to urinate is stressful and can be avoided by drinking more in the morning and during the day and less in the evening.
8. Plan activities correctly
Friendships, hobbies and exercise are not only important for our health during the day, they also help us rest better in the evening. Regular exercise, in particular, has a positive effect on sleep as it tires the body and therefore increases sleep pressure. You should avoid strenuous physical or mental exertion shortly before bedtime, as this stimulates the body and leads to the release of stress hormones. Therefore, it is recommended to gradually reduce strenuous activities, starting about 2 or 3 hours before bedtime. You still don't have to miss evening appointments. However, try to get up at the normal time the next morning or try to delay your waking time by 1 to 1 1/2 hours maximum.
9. Avoid alcohol and nicotine
Drinking alcohol in the evening may help you fall asleep faster, but it causes our sleep quality to decrease and causes us to wake up more frequently throughout the night. If you really want to drink, it's a good idea to make sure you take the last sip of alcohol at least two to three hours before bed. Similar to how alcohol affects sleep, nicotine can have a negative effect on our biorhythms. Therefore, if possible, it is recommended not to smoke for a few hours before going to bed and to avoid smoking completely at night.
10. Create a natural and comfortable sleeping environment
For a restful sleep, you can choose sleep products made entirely from natural fibers. You can have a wonderful sleep in 4 seasons with the breathable structure of natural ingredients such as wool, cotton, linen and bamboo. Organic mattress toppers, natural futon mattresses, organic pillows and even the pajamas you wear will affect your comfortable sleep.
Create your natural sleeping environment with WoW Futon. WoW Futon Organic Bedding provide organic and healthy sleep with its certified natural ingredients such as bamboo, merino wool, cotton, alpaca wool, linen and natural latex. Visit the Amazon store and find a variety of WoW Futon Natural Bedding Products that will bring you comfort and quality.
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