Sleep Hygiene
By: Claudia Bognar
Sleeping with an eye mask can provide a soothing effect on the eyes and face, helping you nod off sooner.
SLEEP! We all need more of it. How do we get more?
We have all heard, read or seen firsthand how important it is to get a good night’s sleep. As quoted by Thomas Dekker, “Sleep is like the golden chain that binds our health and body together.” Obtaining healthy sleep is vital for both physical and mental health, improving quality of life and productivity.
Value your sleep. This is a mantra I have been living by since my son was born. I am not going to indulge too much information of what it is like being a new mom, as that is its own novel on its own. What I will comment on is how important self-care is during a monumental shift in one’s lifestyle. In the scenario of being a new parent, sleep hygiene is fundamental to your self-care. Not only does sleep offer a number of health benefits, but also enables you to be a functioning human being to your loved ones. You are no use to yourself or anyone else if you are not getting sleep.
Light reading in bed whether for yourself or reading to others is a great part of a sleep hygiene routine.
I will be the first to agree there are situations that are out of our control that do not allow us to get the required sleep our bodies need. You could be working shifts or have a new baby at home, so I can understand when you say, “I wish I could get some sleep!” This is why it is important to prioritize your sleep. Even though it might be hard to choose when to sleep, the need to sleep becomes a high priority. But actually put those priorities into action otherwise they are only intentions. Simply put: listen to your body and brain – if they are telling you they are tired, then go to bed. At least this is something you can control.
The best I can do is offer tips from my experiences, tips I am offering come from experience, recommendations from others, social media, newsletters, blogs and health care professionals. Sleep is so powerful as it is our body’s natural renewal. Even popular superheroes like Superman, gets his energy from radiation in the light from the sun. Sleep serves as our energy renewal source to repair ourselves – body tissues, metabolism, growth and development. Sleep assists with fighting infections, enhances our learning skills and memory, and regulates our emotions.
Sleep Hygiene is an important act that we should all pay attention to. Why? Because the concept will help revamp our habits in getting a better sleep. Research has demonstrated that the practice of forming good habits in your life creates an ongoing process of positive reinforcement and beneficial routines. Sleep Hygiene encompasses a habit to pave the way for quality sleep and better overall health.
Sometimes your body just needs rest, when it comes to caring for a newborn, sharing a nap is a real bonding experience.
What does strong sleep hygiene look like? It starts with having a comfortable bedroom environment and a daily routine to promote uninterrupted sleep. Keeping your bedroom free of disruptions, following a pre-bed routine and healthy habits can contribute to ideal sleep hygiene. Every sleeper should personalize their own sleep. You won’t know exactly what works best for you until you experiment – figure out your sleep by trial and error. Trust what your sleep needs and resist the temptation to grab at solutions – phone, TV, book, snack, drink and other resources that you find yourself resorting to assist in sleeping. Protect your sleep by not instilling too many changes, routines, and don’t force it.
So, how do we practice good sleep hygiene? The easiest way to begin this endeavour is by putting yourself in the best position. Almost like an athlete prepping for match day – mentally and physically prepare to remain calm, focused and harness the routine habits. A handful of tips will assist in building your own sleep hygiene checklist. To practice good sleep hygiene comes with a plan – a unique plan for you!
A place to start would be setting some sort of schedule to normalize your sleep and get your body accustomed to getting all of the sleep you deserve. Some suggestions are:
Try to have a fixed wake-up time and bedtime
As already mentioned, make sleep a priority
Don’t overdo it with naps. Keep them short and limit them to early afternoons. Oversleeping can stimulate fatigue and disrupt your sleep hygiene routine.
Prepare for bed by following a nightly routine to fall asleep easier. Some tips that helped me:
Keep the routine consistent – I like to shower, put my pajamas on, brush my teeth and moisturize before bed. It tells my mind that it is bedtime.
Wind down at least 30 minutes before bed – turn off all electronics, catch up on some reading, relaxation exercises and other tactics that may help calm your mind and body.
Dim your lights to increase production of melatonin, a hormone that promotes sleep and helps facilitate sleep.
Turn off all electronics – at least 30-60 minutes pre-bed buffer time that is device-free. Electronics generate light, which decreases melatonin production.
Some people practice meditation, paced breathing and other techniques that put their minds and bodies at rest.
Tossing and turning is not good sleep hygiene practice. If you find yourself tossing and turning - walk around and stretch.
A soak before bed helps to calm and relax the body. A great product I recommend trying is Ancient Mineral Magnesium Bath Flakes.
Ancient Minerals Magnesium Bath Flakes are great to soak in before bed + magnesium absorbed transdermal is faster than with supplements or chews.
Something that helped me a lot was incorporating positive, active routines during my day. Some examples that are extremely easy to do are:
Get some Vitamin D – go for a walk outside to soak up as much sun as possible.
Doing physical activity as regular exercise makes it easier to sleep at night (just don’t do it too late in the night as you will be too wired to sleep).
Reduce alcohol consumption – this is one tip I don’t agree with as I have drank red wine at night time to aid in better sleep. This is a concept I have grown up with, whether it was advice from an uncle, 90 year old grandma, my father, friends or doctors; the message was all the same – red wine is healthy and aids in falling asleep. Once again, everyone will have their own unique routine that works for them - it may not work for everyone.
Cutting down on caffeine later in the day has been recommended – I feel this falls into the ‘everyone is different’ category as it does not apply to everyone. As mentioned previously, some of these practices will not affect some as they do to others. Trial and error, folks.
Dining late can also be a cause for disrupting sleep; however, this concept can be argued extensively as there are many countries in the world that do not eat dinner until 10-11pm.
I don’t have a TV in my room as it should only be a place for sleep and in-bed activities. This helps me differentiate my spaces for activity and sleep.
Botanica Lavender Moon Mylk — mix with water and sip before bed to calm and relax your body. Yum!
The atmosphere and feng-shui of the bedroom plays a key factor in tranquility to fall asleep easily. The following tips may help you make a calm and disruption free bedroom:
Comfortable mattress and pillow(s) is vital.
Quality bedding and blankets.
Set the room at a cool, comfortable temperature.
Blackout curtains or use of an eye mask.
Drown out noise to keep you from staying awake.
Experiment with scents, like the Health First Calming Mist – it may induce a restful state of mind.
Health First Calming Mist to prepare your environment before sleep, spray it in the air or on your pillows.
Establishing a set routine every night works. I speak from experience. Every night, I get my son ready for bed: shower, dress, brush teeth, floss, moisturize, pick out a book or two to read, drink some water, read the book(s) and sing one song. By 8:00pm, I am zonked out and ready for bedtime, at times I fall asleep mid-song. I have to fight myself to stay awake a few hours longer; however, according to the best practices of sleep hygiene, I should not force my body to stay awake. I should go to bed.
The clear message is: Every person will have their own routine. The key to figuring out what works is to make it a priority to experiment. Some tactics will work and others won’t. Keep in mind, it is for your benefit to practice good sleep hygiene – for your body, mind and soul.