Just as personal hygiene involves maintaining the health of our body and dental hygiene involves maintaining the health of our mouths, sleep hygiene means practicing behaviors that will yield healthy sleep. The Everyday Health and SAMHSA articles suggest the following practices be adopted to promote good sleep hygiene:
Have a consistent schedule during the day
Wake up at the same time every day, even if you didn’t sleep
Use your bed for sleep and sex only
Go to bed only when you are tired
Avoid naps, especially close to bedtime
Exercise during the day, but not within three hours of bedtime
Create a bedtime ritual that involves reading, a bath, or some other relaxing activity
Reduce intake of caffeine, stimulant diet pills, energy drinks, and tobacco, for up to 8 hours before desired bedtime
If there is a need to use electronics shortly before bedtime, the Psychology Today article suggests the use of blue light blocking glasses at night, as this is the sort of light that tells people to be wakeful and is given off by phones, computers, and televisions.