Sleep Hygiene - Dr. Sangeetha Madhu

 Sleep is an essential part of one’s life, responsible for our healthy functioning. It allows the body and the mind to recharge themselves, helping us to become more alert and refreshed. It also helps us to remain healthy and fight away diseases. Consequently, lack of sleep can lead to reduced productivity, low motivation, emotional problems, impaired cognitive functioning, decreased quality of work, and increased risk of chronic and serious medical conditions, such as diabetes, cancer, and cardiovascular diseases. 

It is important for most individuals to get around seven to nine hours of night sleep regularly in order to function properly on a regular basis. This can be introduced into one’s schedule by practicing healthy sleeping habits or sleep hygiene, which can be defined as “a set of behavioural and environmental recommendations intended to promote healthy sleep”.

Sleep Hygiene Practices

·         Have a proper sleep schedule, sleep and wake up at the same time – even on weekends, and stick to this consistent schedule. This would reinforce the bodies internal clock.

·         Follow a relaxing bedtime routine before going to sleep, for example – gentle stretches, a little meditation, listening to soothing music, focused breathing, reading a book etc.

·         Avoid using electronic devices at least an hour before bedtime and keep them away.

·         Avoid or anything that is stressful or overly stimulating, including holding emotional conversations.

·         Exercising regularly can improve sleep quality, and health, but avoid heavy exercise around bedtime.

·         Cut down on caffeine, especially nearing bedtime. Caffeine’s impact can stay for over 3-7 hours after consuming it.

·         A cool, dark, and quite room helps falling and staying asleep. Earplugs, blackout curtains, and eye masks would be helpful in doing so.

·         Try to restrain the use of your bed only for sleep. This would help the brain to associate bed to sleep.

·         Go to bed only when you are tired and feeling sleepy. If you do not fall asleep within 20 minutes, try doing something else.

·         Avoid napping during the day, especially later in the afternoon. Limit the naps to not more than 30 mins.

References

Hersh, E. (2020, August 17). 10 Healthy Sleep Hygiene Habits. Healthline. https://www.healthline.com/health/sleep-hygiene#limit-naps

Irish, L. A., Kline, C. E., Gunn, H. E., Buysse, D. J., & Hall, M. H. (2015). The role of sleep hygiene in promoting public health: A review of empirical evidence. Sleep Medicine Reviews, 22, 23–36. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.smrv.2014.10.001

Pacheco, D. (2021, December 9). Why Do We Need Sleep? Sleep Foundation. https://www.sleepfoundation.org/how-sleep-works/why-do-we-need-sleep

U.S. Department of Health & Human Services. (2016, July 15). CDC - Sleep Hygiene Tips - Sleep and Sleep Disorders. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Retrieved February 10, 2022, from https://www.cdc.gov/sleep/about_sleep/sleep_hygiene.html