Table of Contents
WHAT IS SLEEP HYGIENE?
In our minds, hygiene is often linked to soap and water routines in the bathroom. But in reality, hygiene is a whole science dedicated to studying how various external factors affect our bodies. One crucial aspect of this science is sleep hygiene, a set of practices aimed at improving sleep quality and making falling asleep easier.
Human sleep consists of two main phases: rapid eye movement (REM) and non-rapid eye movement (NREM). The NREM phase includes several stages:
- NREM1: Transition to sleep. It involves a gradual decrease in breathing rate, heart rate, muscle activity, and body temperature.
- NREM2: Light sleep stage. Biological activity continues to decrease.
- NREM3: Deep sleep stage. The body is nearly completely relaxed, beginning the restoration process.
- NREM4: Deep sleep.
These phases collectively form one sleep cycle, lasting about 1.5 hours. For healthy sleep, several complete cycles of this pattern are needed, typically averaging 7-8 hours.
Despite many of us sacrificing sleep due to busy schedules, it’s important to remember that sleep is as crucial as waking hours. Sacrificing sleep can significantly reduce daily productivity and lead to various health issues, including cognitive-behavioral disorders, depression, cardiovascular diseases, diabetes, Alzheimer’s disease, and even cancer.
Healthy sleep contributes to:
- Brain function and the removal of toxins.
- Proper immune system function.
- Blood cell production.
- Metabolism regulation by restoring insulin and glucose balance.
- Maintaining cardiovascular health and lowering blood pressure.
10 RULES FOR HEALTHY SLEEP
Establish a consistent sleep schedule.
Set an alarm not only for waking up but also for going to bed. This helps form a consistent habit, aligning biological rhythms with your lifestyle.
Develop a bedtime routine.
Engage in calming activities before sleep, such as meditation, listening to classical music, or reading a book. Avoid stimulating activities that may hinder sleep.
Take a warm bath or shower before bedtime.
Avoid sudden temperature changes, as they can energize rather than relax you.
Minimize screen time before bed.
The blue light emitted by screens disrupts melatonin production, making it harder to fall asleep. If avoiding screens entirely isn’t feasible, consider using warm, yellow lighting during evening screen use.
Spend at least 30 minutes outdoors during the day.
Natural sunlight increases melatonin precursor production, positively impacting sleep depth and duration.
Reserve your bed for sleep only.
Avoid eating, reading, or working in bed. The only exception might be sex, which promotes the release of hormones beneficial for sleep and overall health.
Be mindful of your dinner.
Avoid heavy meals and excessive fluid intake before bedtime, as they can disrupt sleep quality and duration.
Limit caffeine and alcohol intake in the afternoon and evening.
Avoid high-caffeine products like tea, coffee, chocolate, energy bars, and drinks in the latter part of the day. While alcohol may induce sleep initially, it disrupts rapid eye movement (REM) sleep, leading to fragmented sleep patterns.
Aim for significant sleep between 10:00 PM and 2:00 AM.
This period is crucial for the body’s repair and restoration processes.
Practice mental relaxation techniques.
If worries keep you awake, jot them down in a journal before bed. Engage in a calming activity that doesn’t require intense mental effort. If sleep doesn’t come within half an hour, get up and do something else until you feel drowsy again.
SLEEP HYGIENE ACROSS THE LIFESPAN.
Average sleep duration is influenced by many factors: gender, age, lifestyle, occupation, and place of residence – all of these matter. If a person leads a sedentary lifestyle or lives in a rural area with fewer external stimuli (such as noise and light), leading to a calmer pace of life, then the normal sleep duration is 5-6 hours. However, education, intensive work, or night shifts may require up to 12 hours for recovery. Disrupted sleep patterns or sleep durations of less than 5 hours (hypersomnia) can lead to insomnia.
Sleep duration gradually decreases with age until stabilizing at around 6 hours per day. On average, tracking sleep needs from adolescence onward, it amounts to 7-8 hours. Here’s a more detailed breakdown of the relationship between age and sleep duration:
Age Sleep Duration
0–3 months 14–17 hours
4–11 months 12–15 hours
1–2 years 11–14 hours
3–5 years 10–13 hours
6–13 years 9–11 hours
14–17 years 8–10 hours
18–25 years 7–9 hours
26–64 years 7–9 hours
65+ years 6–8 hours
Whether you’re studying or working, living in a bustling city or a small town, or whether you’re a morning person or a night owl – sleep is essential for everyone. And it should be quality sleep. Eight hours, in a comfortable bed, with a light dinner in your stomach and without heavy thoughts in your mind. So, to all those heading to bed – here’s to a peaceful sleep.