Don’t go to bed tossing and turning. Don’t stare up at the ceiling feeling like you’ll NEVER get to sleep. It just could be that you’ve exercised too close to bedtime, ate too late, maybe even took too long naps>> whatever the case>> why not try to see WHAT your sleep habits are?
What is sleep hygiene?
Sleep practices that help you maintain your health.
Why does it matter?
Sleep deprivation can cause the following:
–shortened life spans–
-increased risk of heart disease and stomach problems
–irritability, depression
–increased risk of automobile crashes
–decreased work performance and memory lapses
–marital, social and employment problems,
– difficulty learning
So, you might want to know, now that I’m aware of WHAT lack of sleep can cause, what can I do about it. You can first start off with good sleep habits.
Below I have a list of a few basics
Basics of Good Sleep Hygiene:
-protect your need for sleep
–ensure that you have 7.5-8 hours set aside for sleep every day
-keep regular sleep hours–
-an erratic sleep schedule messes up your biological clock and can make getting a full night’s sleep more difficult
–go to bed at the same time every night and get up at the same time every day
-avoid vigorous exercise before sleep
-avoid late afternoon or evening naps
-avoid eating large meals before bed
-do not allow yourself to lie in bed and worry
–get up and do something to alleviate the worry (like journaling)
-ensure a dark, quiet, cool environment
-avoid oversleeping or lying in bed for prolonged periods of time after your sleep is completed
There may be times when you just can’t fall asleep…… in case this happens
If you can’t sleep . . .
-try not to care whether you fall asleep or not
-sometimes worrying about falling asleep is enough to keep youawake
-do something relaxing to distract yourself from your inability to sleep
