10 basic principles for good sleep hygiene

Have you been having trouble sleeping lately? Well, think about all the factors that go into having a good night's sleep: pressure at work, the problems with your love relationship or drinking coffee after mid-afternoon, can be reasons that make it difficult for you to sleep well.

In this sense, it is very important to prioritize sleep hygiene when it comes to adopting habits that allow us to sleep well, both in quantity and quality. Here we will see what this concept consists of.

Sleep hygiene: what is it?

There is no doubt that sometimes controlling all the factors that influence the amount of sleep is difficult, but it is possible to adopt habits that allow you to sleep more and better. This is important for your health, but, in addition, it is also necessary to be clear and focused during the day.

The sleep hygiene it is a set of practices that are necessary to sleep well. When we talk about falling asleep at night it is not only a question of quantity, but also of quality. How you sleep will influence your performance during the day, your well-being and your clarity.

Difficulties sleeping are usually found in the daily routine: work hours, bedtime habits, lifestyle, etc. Therefore, it is important that you understand that the goal of sleep hygiene is for you to go to bed and wake up on a schedule throughout the week. In addition, maintaining good bedtime habits also predisposes us to live a healthy lifestyle in which it is more difficult to start having problems to take advantage of the hours of sleep: it is a situation similar to a fish that bites the tail.

Of course, the quantity is also important; It is essential that you spend the necessary time in bed, that is, neither less nor more. This can vary between individuals (it can be 6, 7 or 8 hours) for different reasons, such as age.

10 tips for better sleep

Tips presented below they can help you optimize your night's rest, so that your mental acuity does not suffer, maintain your emotional balance and have an ideal energy level during the day. So, pay attention, because these recommendations will positively affect your well-being.

1. Take care of the environment

It is necessary create a suitable environment to rest and not to interrupt sleep during the night, because environmental conditions will greatly affect the moment of rest and the ability to fall asleep. To make the most of your rest at night, you need to sleep on a comfortable mattress, with a suitable pillow, and in a room where you are comfortable. At the time of falling asleep it is advisable that there is little light, little noise and a comfortable temperature. It is highly recommended to have the TV turned off.

Also, you should use the bed only to sleep. what do I want to say with that? Well, the bed should not be used for other things, such as to play the console, to work on the computer or to eat. What you can do in bed is have sex, and also sex will allow you to sleep better: after reaching orgasm the body relaxes and favors the power to fall asleep.

2. Follow a ritual to sleep

If you have difficulty sleeping, you can try having a bedtime ritual. For example, take a hot bath with some music to relax, and then have a tea before going to bed.

It is also important that you are relaxed at bedtime. If you have just done an exciting activity, it is convenient to find that ideal state before going to sleep. Perform relaxation techniques It can be helpful in calming you down and relieving yourself of daily stresses.

3. Watch your diet

Diet can influence our sleep, since both what and when we eat can affect our general well-being and they can be a problem when it comes to going to bed. A balanced diet will always be beneficial for our body, but, in addition, it is also important to maintain a schedule regarding meals. Dinner should not be heavy, but neither should you go to sleep hungry because it can cause us to wake up during the night in search of food.

This is different from Night Eater Syndrome (NES), which may be caused by anxiety, depression or by a modification of endocrine patterns, among other reasons. If during the morning you have morning anorexia, that is, you practically do not eat; and during the rest of the day, until nightfall, you eat few calories, but then you gorge yourself on food, you should visit a specialist to treat this problem as soon as possible.

4. Don't take stimulants after mid-afternoon

Coffee consumption is widespread in our culture, but caffeine stimulates the brain and interferes with sleep. Consuming it in the morning can be a good option, but coffee, tea or cola should not be consumed after mid-afternoon, especially if you are sensitive to its effects.

It is important to note that, despite these indications, there are people who can consume products such as coffee even just before going to bed. Unfortunately, most of us may not be so lucky. Just in case, better to do without stimulants if we see that we do not get to sleep quite well.

5. Practice physical exercise

To do physical exercise regularly helps people sleep better. Its beneficial effects, however, depend on the time of day the exercise is performed and the general physical condition of the individual. Some experts warn that exercise done in the morning does not affect your night's sleep, and even helps you sleep better, but if it is carried out very close to bedtime and the intensity of exercise is high, it is likely to cause sleep disturbances.

After an intense training session the body takes up to four hours to fully recover: return to normal heart rate, recharge muscle energy stores, regain water balance and in general, return to a state of rest that allows us the correct break. On the other hand, practicing little physical exercise and lead a sedentary lifestyle it can cause insomnia.

6. Do not abuse the nap

There are many studies that seem to indicate that taking a nap after eating has many benefits for the health and the mind. Therefore, napping will have a beneficial effect on your well-being And it can increase your alertness, your concentration, your productivity, and it will improve your memory and your ability to learn.

But to prevent naps from affecting sleep patterns during the night and to avoid complications when it comes to falling asleep at night, it is preferable not to take a nap too late in the day. The ideal is a short nap, of about 20 or 30 minutes maximum. If you have trouble sleeping at night, you may need to avoid napping for a while.

7. Try not to drink alcohol before bed

Don't drink alcohol before bed, because Although it will help you fall asleep faster due to its depressive effect, it will alter the subsequent phases of sleep and it will cause you to wake up during the night, preventing you from the necessary rest and reducing the quality of your sleep.

8. If you can't get to sleep, get up

If at any time you can't get to sleep, get up and do an activity that induces you to sleep, such as doing a relaxation technique or reading a book. It is better that you do not stay in bed, as it will increase your anxiety as you watch the time go by. Do not over exert yourself in this period, as it could increase your level of wakefulness. It also avoids overhead lighting.

9. Go to bed and get up always at the same time

Have a schedule to fall asleep and to wake up allow your body to start the processes that will trigger sleep in advance, in addition to helping you optimize the internal clock and, therefore, the quality of sleep. If work hours allow, schedule your sleep hours realistically to improve your quality of life.

It is not about having a strict planning of the sleep schedule, but it is important that, for example, you do not go to bed late at night if you start work early.

10. Clear the head

Stress, worry, or anger about something that happened during the day can interrupt your sleep. If this happens to you, you should take time away from bed for self-reflection, well this can help you find out what is wrong with you and what you have to do to solve it.

If you can't stop worrying and you feel like you've lost control, you need to learn to manage your thoughts. For example, you should know that it is possible to evaluate your emotions and / or check how realistic your thoughts are. The Mindfulness can be of great help for the correct emotional management and self-knowledge, to improve your self esteem and to adopt a positive attitude in the face of problematic situations that can arise on a day-to-day basis.

It may be the stress of work or college that is making your sleep difficult. Learning to manage time can be effective in keeping you calm and relaxed at night. You still need to solve deeper issues, such as your self-esteem or your relationship with your partner. In these cases insomnia may be a sign of a more serious problem.

Important: insomnia can sometimes be a symptom of a psychological disorder

Sleep hygiene is effective when different habits are carried out at the same time. If you always go to bed at the same time, but consume coffee at night, do not eat lightly, and have a sedentary lifestyle, it is very likely that you will have difficulty sleeping.

This is interesting to prevent sleep disorders, but if the problem is already present, you may need to see a psychologist. Insomnia, sometimes, is a symptom of some psychopathology such as depression or anxiety. In these cases, in addition to following the 10 tips for good sleep hygiene, it is also necessary to attend sessions of psychotherapy.

It may interest you: "7 psychological signs that you are not getting enough sleep"

Bibliographic references:

• Freeman, D. et. to the. (2017). The effects of improving sleep on mental health (OASIS): a randomized controlled trial with mediation analysis. Lancet Psychiatry, 4 (10): pp. 749 - 758.
• Merino, M. et al. (2016). Healthy sleep: evidence and guidelines for action. Official document of the Spanish Sleep Society, 63 (2).
• Paavonen, E. J, Räikkönen, K., Lahti, J., Komsi, N., Heinonen, K., Pesonen, A-K., Järvenpää, A-L., Strandberg, L., Kajantie, E., Porkka-Heiskanen, T. (2009). Short Sleep Duration and Behavioral Symptoms of Attention-Deficit / Hyperactivity Disorder in Healthy 7- to 8-Year-Old Children. Pediatrics 123 (5) e857-e864.
• Taheri, S., Lin, L., Austin, D., Young, T., & Mignot, E. (2004). Short sleep duration is associated with reduced leptin, elevated ghrelin, and increased body mass index. PLoS medicine, 1 (3), e62.