Just like any other habit that you practice throughout the day, sleep hygiene should be something that remains consistent as well. Below are five quick tips to help you improve your sleep quality and duration:
Modify your bedroom. Make your room dark, and cool it off prior to sleep. Reducing any ambient light, especially the one emitted by cell phones, will tell your body that it’s time for a snooze. Cooling the room sends a signal to the temperature-sensitive areas of your body to doze off as well.
Shut it down. TVs, computers, and mobile devices are useful during the day but shutting down these emitters of sleep-disrupting light at night will help you dose off quicker and stay asleep longer. Set a “screen free” alarm 60 minutes prior to bedtime.
No caffeine after 2pm. Coffee is a great way to wake up in the morning, but caffeine has a half-life of around 5 hours meaning that if you have a late afternoon coffee at 4 pm, you are likely to have 50% of it still in your system by 9 pm which is when you should start trying to wind down for the night.
Eat an early dinner. Eating your last big meal early in the night means that your body has more time to digest it before bedtime. While we do need proper nutrients to keep us energized, our body also needs time to figure out what to do with all that material. Even light snacks can disrupt sleep so make sure to not eat anything 2 hours prior to bedtime.
Make your bedtime and waketime a habit. Consistency is an important part of forming a habit. Sleep is no different. Set a consistent time for when you go to bed and wake up each day, allowing for at least 7 hours of sleep throughout the night.
Wellness Tip Source:
Mike McMahon
Lancer Recreation Assistant Fitness & Sport Conditioning Coordinator,
