The Ultimate Guide to Good Sleep Hygiene

This blog post was written by Dr. Stephanie Liu (Dr. Mom)—Family Physician and Assistant Clinical Professor at the University of Alberta—for SleepDebt.ca, a website developed by Eisai Limited.

Sleep hygiene might sound like it’s related to cleaning (although a tidy room can certainly help!), but it’s actually an umbrella term for the behaviours and environmental factors that are conducive to achieving quality sleep.

We all know how vital sleep is for our overall health and well-being—so consider this your ultimate guide to creating a space and setting habits that are more likely to help you get to sleep faster and stay asleep for longer.

The Impact of Poor Sleep Hygiene

Poor sleep hygiene can have consequences that go far beyond feeling a bit tired the next day. When we consistently lack adequate sleep, it can profoundly affect both our physical and mental health. This can become evident in many ways—such as a heightened risk of developing depression and anxiety—and may lead to a range of other health complications. It can also impact your ability to function well during your awake hours, which could result in poor work performance. Therefore, establishing consistent, positive sleep behaviours and setting up an environment that promotes healthy sleep are some of the most important things you can do for your health.

6 Sleep Hygiene Practices to Follow

1. Establish a consistent sleep schedule

When you make sleep a priority and go to bed and wake up at the same time each day (yes, even on weekends), you are helping to regulate your internal body clock. It can be tempting to stay up late watching a show, but consistency truly is key.

2. Create a calming bedtime routine

A nightly bedtime routine can involve a range of calming activities and rituals you do in the hour or so before you go to bed. We all find different things relaxing, so your bedtime routine will be unique to you, but a few things you might like to include could be reading a book, practicing mindfulness or breathing exercises, or taking a warm bath. When we get in the habit of having a consistent bedtime routine, we are signalling to our brain and our body that it’s time to let go of the racing thoughts of the day and start to wind down for sleep.

3. Limit evening screen time

This can be a hard one in the increasingly digital and connected world we live in, but limiting screen time in the hour before you go to bed can make it easier for you to fall asleep. This is because the blue light that is emitted from devices like mobile phones, tablets and computers can interfere with your body’s ability to produce melatonin—the sleep hormone.

4. Create a relaxing sleep space

When it comes to quality sleep and being able to wind down properly, your environment can play a huge role. We can develop a strong mental connection with being in bed and falling asleep, and if our sleep space isn’t relaxing, or if we’re using it for activities that don’t promote sleep, it can really impact our ability to fall asleep easily.

A cool, dark and quiet bedroom. A room that is too hot or too cold is going to make it harder to sleep.
Blackout curtains can be a good option, especially if you live in a brighter area, or a place where the sun rises very early. Blackout curtains keep the room nice and dark, preventing light from interfering with melatonin production.
It’s worth investing in a comfortable mattress and pillows if you can, and making sure you reserve your bed for two activities only: sleep and sex.
Consider wearing socks to bed. Keeping your feet warm can improve circulation and help your body relax, sending signals that it’s time to wind down and rest.
Limit clocks in the bedroom as time pressure can create unnecessary anxiety. If you must have a clock in the room (i.e., for an alarm), then try to face it away from your bed.
If you don’t fall asleep in your bed within 20 minutes, get out of bed and go to another area of your house such as the living room. Make sure to keep the lights dim. Only return to bed and reattempt sleep once you feel relaxed or sleepy. It is important to maintain a positive association between your bed and sleep.

5. Avoid consuming stimulating ingredients

This is a big one as many people consume different types of stimulating products and ingredients throughout the day and evening, including caffeine, nicotine and alcohol. While alcohol can have the effect of making you feel sleepy, it can wear off and disrupt your sleep later in the night. Caffeine and nicotine can interfere with your ability to drift off to sleep, so it’s best to avoid these close to bedtime. Ideally, try to limit your caffeine consumption to the morning as many people find that it can impact sleep even hours later.

6. Avoid activities that can interfere with sleep

We’ve all been there and needed a nap occasionally, but if you must have one, do try to cap it at 20—30 mins and have it earlier in the day. When you nap for too long, and too close to bedtime, this can make it harder to fall asleep and stay asleep. Also, avoid any activity that is too stimulating in the hours before bed such as work-related tasks or hitting the gym. Instead, it’s better to practice calming activities such as some of those mentioned in the sleep routine section above.