Nowadays many people have trouble falling asleep, staying asleep or both. This can be caused by a health issue, however in most cases it’s due to poor sleep hygiene. What is sleep hygiene, you ask? Sleep hygiene is practicing habits that allow you to get a good nights sleep. I’ll talk about those techniques now. I promise you that if you follow these habits you will get much better sleep.

1. Your sleep environment: Is your bedroom dark or do you have light coming in through the window that will make it harder to fall asleep? Investing in good drapes or blackout shades may make a big difference in your sleep.

Temperature: Is your bedroom too hot and you find yourself waking up in the middle of night, kicking off the blankets? Research has shown that 65 degrees Fahrenheit is the ideal temperature for sleeping. Too cold for you, consider 66-70 degrees.

Bed & Bedding: Is your mattress old and sagging, and needs to be replaced? Don’t sacrifice good sleep. Do you need a new pillow because your neck hurts from using old pillows? All of these factors can impact your sleep.

2. Sleeping routine: Many people spend hours laying in bed, watching TV or relaxing. Your bed should be used for sleep or sex, that’s it. Your body needs to recognize that when you lay down in bed it means sleep time.

3. Pre-Bedtime Routine: What you do before bed has a huge impact on your ability to fall asleep. Most of us are watching TV, playing games on our phones, etc. The blue lights emitted from these devices stimulates the brain and prevent us from falling asleep. Turn off all electronics 30 minutes to 1 hour before bedtime. This will work!!!

What we consume before bed can have a huge impact on our sleep. Avoid all caffeine after 2-3 pm as this may stay in your system. Alcohol can also interfere with sleep, so avoid it in the evenings. (Yes, it may make you sleepy, however, studies have shown that it interferes with sleep.)

Do you have questions about sleep? Feel free to comment below. SWEET DREAMS