If you've struggled to get the restful sleep you need, you might be interested in learning about sleep hygiene. The term sleep hygiene describes many healthy sleep habit recommendations that research shows may lead to sleep improvement. Experts view sleep hygiene as an important way to improve the sleep of people both with and without sleep disorders.
Improving sleep is important, because, as the American Academy of Sleep Medicine (AASM) says in a recent position statement, “sleep is essential to health.” When a person doesn't get adequate sleep, they are more likely to develop physical and mental health problems and face a higher risk of car crashes and work accidents.
With about one-third of U.S. adults routinely not getting enough sleep, improving both sleep quantity and quality is a current public health priority. Sleep hygiene is an evidence-based approach to help people sleep better.
The Power of Healthy Habits
Unhealthy sleep habits lead to a higher risk of physical and mental health problems. Conversely, practicing healthy sleep habits can potentially improve sleep health, which in turn could improve overall health outcomes.
Healthy sleep behaviors can be very powerful, but a person needs to actually implement and consistently maintain them as habits to see benefit. A habit describes an action that has become routine or automatic — something a person engages in in certain situations without having to think about it.
For example, washing hands after going to the bathroom or putting a seatbelt on after getting into a vehicle are healthy habits many people already have. They provide benefits, but because they are habits, they do not require mental effort.
When trying to improve your sleep hygiene, you may want to begin by focusing on just one simple habit until it becomes routine, then adding another one. Pick a habit that you think would feel fairly easy and provide a positive impact for you, then practice it until it becomes an automatic behavior.
Note that the oft-repeated idea that a habit takes 21 days to form has been debunked as a myth. For most people, a habit requires effort for two to three months before it becomes second nature, although you should find it gets gradually easier and easier.
We explore the many evidence-based healthy habits that could improve your sleep and, as a result, your greater health and wellness.
Sleep Schedules and Sleep Timing
Before figuring out your ideal sleep schedule, it's important to be aware of how much sleep you need.
According to the AASM, the majority of adults need seven or more hours of sleep each night. However, different people require different amounts of sleep and seven hours is considered the average minimum. That means you personally may require eight or nine hours of sleep each night to be well rested.
The amount of sleep you need can be determined by observing how much sleep you must get in order to feel rested and stay energized throughout the day. If you haven't been sleeping enough recently, you may need to sleep more than normal to “catch up” on sleep for a while. Then, once you are caught up on sleep, you can more accurately identify your true sleep need.
Once you have an idea of how much sleep you need each night, you can work backward from your required wake time to identify your ideal bedtime. Many people have to wake up at a certain time most days in order to work, take care of children, or attend to other obligations.
If you must wake up at 7 a.m., for example, and you require eight hours of sleep to feel rested, you would need to be asleep before 11 p.m. to get enough sleep. In this case, you would want to turn the lights out 10 or 20 minutes before your desired sleep time, depending on how long it usually takes you to fall asleep.
After you've established the bedtime that allows you to get adequate sleep given your individual needs and usual wake time, it's ideal to maintain a consistent sleep schedule as much as possible.
Many people are in the habit of only waking up early when they are required to by work or other external circumstances, then sleeping more on their days off. Research on “catch-up sleep” during days off has returned mixed results), and experts generally recommend trying to get adequate sleep every night, if possible. This means going to sleep and waking up at the same time every day, even on vacation and days off of work.
Napping
Many sleep hygiene articles advise against taking naps, but the idea that a daytime nap will interfere with nighttime sleep isn't necessarily true for everyone.
Some studies suggest that naps 30 minutes or shorter are ideal, but other research has found that longer naps might not disrupt nighttime sleep, either. Some experts suspect evening naps may be most likely to interfere with nighttime sleep, but not all research supports this idea.
If you feel tired in the afternoons and have the opportunity to nap, you may want to experiment with naps to see if they appear to provide you benefits or negatively impact your nighttime sleep. The National Sleep Foundation has suggested that naps can help people make up for lost sleep, for example when working shifts that don’t allow for a single sleep period. If naps work well for you, there's no need to avoid them.
Sleep Environment
Creating a calm and soothing sleep environment may help you get more restorative sleep. When preparing your environment for sleep, consider temperature, light, and sound, as well as your mattress and bedding.
Temperature
The human body naturally prefers a cooler temperature during sleep, so sleep hygiene tips often mention keeping your bedroom cool. However, being exposed to warmth in the hours before bed may also promote sleep.
Often, the best bedroom setup for sleep is one that involves a cooler room temperature paired with bedding that allows the sleeper to regulate temperature as needed throughout the night.
People living in hot climates may have to put the most effort into creating a cool sleeping space. For most people, the ideal room temperature for sleep falls between about 66 and 70 degrees Fahrenheit.
Light
Avoiding light exposure before and during sleep is another common sleep hygiene recommendation, because darkness is necessary for the human body to create melatonin, a sleep hormone. Exposure to both indoor lighting and brighter light from digital screens has been found to suppress melatonin and disrupt sleep.
Experts recommend reducing your light exposure for at least three hours before bedtime. This may involve switching from overhead lights to lamps, as well as avoiding digital devices. While asleep, experts recommend a space that is as dark as can be. You may want to use blackout curtains to keep light from coming in through windows, or a sleep mask to block indoor lights.
Sound
Noises can also make it difficult to fall or stay asleep. If there are sounds that you cannot eliminate from your sleep environment, wearing earplugs can help block them out, and white noise or other sound machines can help muffle them.
Mattress and Bedding
Researchers haven't deeply studied how your mattress and bedding affect your sleep, but many people report that they sleep better on a mattress they find more comfortable.
A review of 39 research studies focused on people with back pain found that medium -firm mattresses can improve sleep quality among this group. Another review of people both with and without back pain also found that medium -firm mattresses promote the best sleep.
The best mattress for you depends on your body weight, typical sleep position, and individual needs and preferences when it comes to mattress feel.
If you're not sleeping well and you don't find your current bed comfortable, it might be time to shop for a new one that better fits your needs. Choosing a pillow that feels comfortable and helps keep your spine aligned may also improve your sleep quality. As far as bedding goes, opt for what feels comfortable and keeps you warm, but not too hot.
Pre-Bed Routines
Bedtime routines have been most widely studied among families with children, and they have been found to benefit both children and adults. Engaging in a predictable routine each night in the hour before sleep has been linked to improved child development, sleep quality, daytime performance, overall health, and mood.
Ideally, your bedtime routine will feel calming and prepare you for sleep. You may want to take a warm bath or read an enjoyable but relaxing book before bed each night.
Avoid activities that may interfere with your sleep during this nightly routine, such as eating a large meal, consuming caffeine or alcohol, exercising, and using digital devices. If you are feeling tense or stressed near bedtime, consider practicing relaxation exercises, meditating, or writing in a journal, so you can stop thinking about your worries.
Diet and Sleep
Many research studies have found that what and when you eat and drink can impact your sleep.
A healthy and balanced diet that contains adequate protein, fruits, vegetables, and whole grains has been found to support better sleep. By contrast, eating too many sweets, sugary drinks, or simple carbohydrates, like white bread and pasta, has been linked to worse sleep. Similarly, eating too much or too little protein negatively impacts sleep.
When you eat may also impact your sleep. Skipping breakfast or eating meals at irregular times might negatively affect sleep. Large meals close to bedtime may also disrupt sleep for some people.
Certain foods may excel at promoting good sleep. Fatty fish, like salmon and trout, have been found to benefit sleep, perhaps because of the omega-3 fatty acids they contain. Other sources of omega-3 fatty acids, like walnuts, avocados, and olive oil, may also improve sleep quality.
Foods that contain tryptophan may also benefit sleep, since tryptophan promotes the production of the sleep hormone melatonin. Foods high in tryptophan include poultry, eggs, dairy, fish, beans, cheese, and some seeds, like pumpkin seeds.
When it comes to drinks, sleep hygiene recommendations commonly stress the importance of avoiding caffeine and alcohol near bedtime. Caffeine is a stimulant that can disrupt sleep, so you may want to limit your caffeine consumption to morning or early afternoon hours, depending on your sensitivity to it.
While many people have found that drinking alcohol helps them initially fall asleep faster, alcoholic drinks ultimately disrupt sleep. Drinking alcohol is also linked to insomnia, snoring, and sleep apnea symptoms.
Exercise and Sleep
Sleep hygiene recommendations often mention exercise, because exercising regularly has been found to improve sleep.
Some research suggests that exercising in the evening can interfere with melatonin production, but not all research shows that exercising later in the day disrupts sleep. You may want to experiment with exercising at different times of day, to see what feels best for you and results in the soundest sleep.
For exercise to positively affect your sleep, you'll want to engage in it regularly and avoid being sedentary. If you aren't currently accustomed to being physically active, it's okay to start small.
Even relatively gentle activities like moderately-paced walking can improve sleep. However, higher-intensity exercises have been found to have a greater positive effect on sleep, so increasing the intensity of your physical activity over time may provide increased benefits.
There is no single type of exercise that is best for sleep. Both strength training and aerobic exercises may help promote sleep. Choose the types of exercise that you most enjoy, as those are most likely to become long-term habits.
Aerobic exercise includes brisk walking, jogging, water aerobics, bicycling, swimming, and playing tennis or basketball. Strength training includes weight lifting, resistance band exercises, body weight exercises such as sit-ups, and certain types of yoga. Some regular movements you might make around the house, like mowing the lawn and digging in a garden, also provide physical activity.
The Intersection of Sleep Hygiene and Sleep Apnea
People with obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) are commonly prescribed treatments such as continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) therapy. That said, experts also recommend certain healthy sleep habits to positively complement these treatments by addressing the risk factors that contribute to OSA. In some instances, lifestyle changes may allow a person with OSA to discontinue CPAP therapy, but this should only be done under the supervision of a sleep specialist.
Many people who have OSA also have insomnia, and may need treatment for both. Sleep hygiene education is also a common part of insomnia treatment.
The sleep hygiene practices that may be most valuable for people with OSA include exercising regularly and reducing alcohol consumption. While exercise benefits sleep overall, regular movement may provide additional benefits for people with OSA. Research show that exercising regularly may reduce OSA symptoms, whether or not the exercise leads to weight loss.
Research has also found that consuming alcohol increases symptoms of OSA, even among people who don't have the disorder. For this reason, experts recommend that people with OSA avoid drinking alcohol for two to four hours before going to sleep. Alcohol can increase the disruptions in breathing during sleep as well as worsen daytime sleepiness.
Written by
Jay Summer, Staff Writer & EditorJay Summer is a health writer and editor, as well as a Mayo Clinic-certified wellness coach. She holds a B.S. in psychology and master's degrees in writing and public policy.
