Getting enough restful sleep supports your overall health and wellbeing. As we sleep, physical repair occurs, immune cells patrol our bodies, eliminating cancer cells, bacteria, viruses, and other harmful agents.  While we sleep, we enter rapid eye movement or REM and non-REM sleep, alternating between light and deep dream states. Adequate sleep is how we process mental and emotional events of the previous day and refresh our minds for the upcoming day.  Without sufficient sleep, the immune system cannot repair and creates an opportunity for disease.   Sleep experts recommend between seven to nine hours of sleep every night for optimal wellbeing.  Practicing good sleep hygiene is a simple and easy way to improve the quality of your sleep.  As stated by the National Sleep Foundation, sleep hygiene involves routines and practices that impart quality nighttime sleep.  These routines facilitate the body's natural circadian rhythm and reduce environmental stressors affecting quality sleep.  You can support your sleep by making simple and easy changes in your daily routine.

Ways to improve your sleep hygiene:

• Keep a consistent sleep schedule.  Do your best to go to bed and wake up around the same time every day, even on the weekends and holidays.  Waking up at the same time every day has positive effects on emotional state. Our immune system functions optimally if we go to sleep by 10 pm.
• Expose yourself to natural light during the daytime.  Daylight increases the 'awake' phase of your brain's sleep cycle. Spending time outside during the day can make it easier for you to fall asleep later on.  In the evening, avoid spending less time with electronics.  Blue light from electronics with screens like cell phones, computer monitors, and tablets mimic daylights and stimulate alertness in your brain's signaling.  Using electronics before bed tricks your body into thinking it's still daytime and can make it harder for you to fall asleep.  Limit your use of electronics at least 30 minutes to one hour before bedtime.  
• Increase movement during the day.  Exercising helps you feel alert and promotes better sleep at night.  However, strenuous activity at night can make it harder to fall asleep.  Give yourself about 3 hours between finishing your workout and winding down before bed. 
• It is best to avoid caffeine, heavy meals, and alcohol before bed. When and what you eat can affect quality sleep.  Avoid large meals before bed and limit your consumption of alcohol.  While alcohol may help you fall asleep, it can cause you to wake up more frequently during the night.  Caffeine may cause issues with sleep if consumed six hours before bedtime. 
• Take time to relax. Practice mindfulness meditation or engage in light yoga before bed to reduce stress or anxiety.
• Keep your room cool (60-67 degrees Fahrenheit).  Your body temperature naturally lowers at night.  A cool room will support your body's natural rhythm.
• Keep your room dark.  Use darkening curtains or an eye mask to keep out light.  Light stimulates your body to 'wake up,' which could disturb sleep.
• Keep your room quiet.  Limit noise pollution when possible.  Limit noises that have the potential to wake you from sleep.
• Create a calming environment. Surround yourself with calming colors and aromatherapy.  Blue and green colors have calming properties.  Aromatherapy can help relax the mind.  Scents like lavender, jasmine, sandalwood promote relaxation and peace.
• Make sure you are comfortable.  Choose a mattress and pillow that are the right firmness for you.
• Keep your room clean.  Keeping your room tidy and decluttered can help bring harmony into your space.  Sleep with clean sheets as they limit exposure to dust, germs, and allergens, disturbing your sleep. 

Everyone is different, and not all of these tips may work for your lifestyle.  Create a sleep routine that best fits your life.  It is normal to experience trouble sleeping now and then. However, chronic issues with sleep or insomnia could be caused by underlying health conditions that lead to other health concerns down the road.  If you are experiencing prolonged problems with your sleep, you may want to talk to your doctor. Some key things to look for would be waking up frequently through the night, not feeling rested in the morning, or if your partner complains of excessive snoring.

Resources

Kaku, Akiko et al. “Randomized controlled trial on the effects of a combined sleep hygiene education and behavioral approach program on sleep quality in workers with insomnia.” Industrial health vol. 50,1 (2012): 52-9. doi:10.2486/indhealth.ms1318

Kelley, George A, and Kristi Sharpe Kelley. “Exercise and sleep: a systematic review of previous meta-analyses.” Journal of evidence-based medicine vol. 10,1 (2017): 26-36. doi:10.1111/jebm.12236

Heo, Jung-Yoon et al. “Effects of smartphone use with and without blue light at night in healthy adults: A randomized, double-blind, cross-over, placebo-controlled comparison.” Journal of psychiatric research vol. 87 (2017): 61-70. doi:10.1016/j.jpsychires.2016.12.010