When most people hear the word “hygiene” they think of things like making sure the bathroom is clean, washing your hands often, using disinfectants on frequently touched surfaces and even brushing and flossing. In other words, it suggests an activity related to preventing the spread of germs or the propagation of bacteria.

In that sense the term “sleep hygiene” may seem somewhat confusing to people. After all, what are you supposed to do, spray disinfectant on your sheets and pillows before you lay down? Fortunately not. You see, “hygiene” actually has a broader meaning, one that extends beyond the practice of killing germs.

Merriam Webster defines hygiene as “a science of the establishment and maintenance of health”. When looked at that way “sleep hygiene” can then be understood as a series of practices related to sleep that promote better overall health. And that’s just what it is. Below we are going to take an in-depth look at the topic and what you can do to improve your sleep hygiene.

What is Sleep Hygiene?

As we have just seen it’s not about spraying your pillows with disinfectant. Rather, it’s about creating and maintaining a bedroom environment that promotes restful sleep, as well as making sure you are not doing anything during your waking hours that is compromising your ability to get the kind of regular, restful sleep your body needs.

So the practice of good sleep hygiene extends beyond the bedroom door and encompasses myriad lifestyle choices, habits and routines. Everything from the food you eat to your choice of beverages to the places you go to relax potentially influence your ability to sleep. And while no one is suggesting you need to be a saint to sleep well, there are usually some common sense modifications people can make to their daily routines and choices that could help them sleep better.

Why Should I Care About Sleep Hygiene?

The quality of your sleep hygiene will have a profound influence on your ability to get the sleep you need. Regardless of age, sex or social status the average adult needs anywhere from 7-9 hours of restful sleep every night. While there are some people who can get by on less than that, they are the exceptions, not the rule. Here are some of the effects of not getting enough sleep:

A compromised immune system – People who don’t get the sleep they need undermine the strength and effectiveness of their immune system (1). For instance, getting 4 hours of sleep per night is said to reduce white blood cell counts by more than a quarter. Reduced sleep is also believed to open the door to inflammation (2). On a related note, there is evidence to suggest that better sleep can boost the effectiveness of vaccines (3), which is certainly something a lot of people these days would be interested in.

Cardiovascular problems – Your muscles need sleep to rest and regenerate, and your heart is the most important muscle in your body. Not getting the sleep you need can have a negative effect on the health of your heart, opening you up to the risk of high blood pressure (4), which itself can lead to an increased risk of cardiovascular disease and stroke.

Obesity – According to the Harvard School of Public health there is a pretty well defined link between a lack of sleep and obesity (5). That is the case for both children and adults. It is believed that when a person doesn’t get enough sleep, hormone production is affected creating a surplus of the hormones leptin and ghrelin that regulate appetite (6). As a result we feel hungry when we have no real need to eat. So if you want to maintain control over your weight, get enough sleep.

Compromised brain function – Some researchers now believe that the primary role of sleep is to provide our minds the time they need to correlate the information we took in the previous day and to allow the brain time to flush toxins (7). So, failing to give your brain the rest it needs could lead to reduced cognitive function and compromised short term memory (8). A lack of sleep is also believed to increase the risk of psychotic episodes (9) and may contribute to the development of psychiatric disorders.

Agitation, short-temper and impatience – When people don’t get enough sleep they tend to wake up feeling sluggish and grumpy. That can carry over into the day and cause them to be impatient and short-tempered with family, friends, co-workers and others. A lack of sleep can also contribute to depression, Seasonal Affective Disorder, anxiety and more (10). So if you want to improve your mood, make sure you get enough sleep.

Lack of productivity – Because a lack of sleep can compromise both mental and physical performance it’s safe to say that you are not going to be at your productive best if you don’t get the sleep you need. Whether you’re an athlete or a computer programmer you need to be at your physical or mental peak. Improving sleep hygiene is a great way to ensure you are.

Increased risk of accidents – Studies have concluded that people who don’t get enough sleep are more likely to be involved in car accidents. And the less sleep they get the greater the risk they will end up in a serious crash (11)(12). The reasons have to do with the mental and physical impairment we talked about above. If your brain is not as alert as it should be, and you’ve been dragging your body around all day, your reaction times will be compromised and you’ll be a danger to everyone around you on the road.

We could go on but hopefully you get the picture. Not getting enough sleep will have a negative impact on just about every aspect of your waking life. This fact points to the need to review your sleep hygiene practices to make sure you’re not undermining your physical, mental, emotional and professional well being.

Signs of Poor Sleep Hygiene

People aren’t always aware that their sleep hygiene is not all it could be. They tend to hit the sack about the same time every night and their bed is big and comfy. But if they toss and turn for an hour before they go to sleep that’s a sign there is something amiss with their sleep hygiene. Another sign is that they lie awake on their comfy bed staring at the alarm clock.

If you wake up frequently during the night for reasons that are unclear, that’s another sign something is amiss with your sleep hygiene. Other warning signs include waking up an hour before the alarm goes off and not being able to get back to sleep, or dozing off at work or school. If these things are happening to you it’s likely because there is something wrong with your sleep hygiene.

The Fundamentals of Good Sleep Hygiene

Now that we have a better idea of what sleep hygiene is, why sleep is so important, and what are some of the warning signs of poor sleep hygiene, it’s time to cover the fundamentals of good sleep hygiene.

Some people may already be practicing a few of these principles in their life and simply need to make some adjustments or change one or two additional things. While others will need to start from scratch and do a complete overhaul of their sleep hygiene. In either case, here we go.

Optimize Your Bedroom for Sleep

Before you address any of the other aspects of good sleep hygiene make sure your bedroom is configured and outfitted in a way that promotes sleep. This is crucial to any sleep hygiene program because, no matter how relaxed you are when you enter the bedroom, if it’s not set up to promote sleep all your outside prep work will be for naught. So, how do you optimize your bedroom for sleep?

Make sure the mattress is right for you – Some folks put very little thought into their mattress. They just accept whatever comes with the bed or whatever the sales person recommends without question. But if you really want a good night’s sleep it’s critical that your mattress provide the right kind of support and comfort. If you wake up feeling stiff and sore it’s time to replace the mattress. For the record, the same goes for pillows.

Invest in black out curtains – This is especially important if there are street lights outside your window that shine into your bedroom at night. Bright light interferes with the production of the sleep hormone melatonin (13), so it is essential that you eliminate as many light sources as possible. Black out curtains will eliminate virtually all the light from outdoors and help create an environment that promotes sleep.

Address noise problems – People who live in the city are often besieged by noise night and day. If that is the case where you are, consider using earplugs to help you get to sleep. If earplugs are not to your liking, keep in mind that heavy blackout curtains can help muffle noise. Or, if possible, consider changing the room you use as your bedroom to one in the back of the house where it’s quieter.

Use high quality bedding – Cheap beddings can irritate the skin and make it difficult to get comfortable. If your situation calls for it, consider spending a bit more to upgrade your sheets and blankets and make sure the bedding you get is properly aligned with your personal tastes.

Turn down the thermostat – There is a very real possibility that the temperature in your room may be causing, or at least contributing to, your sleepless nights. The ideal temperature for sleeping is considered to be around 65 degree fahrenheit (14), give or take a couple of degrees. If your thermostat is set to 70 or 72 it could be causing you to lose sleep.

Set a Sleep Schedule and Stick to It

One of the fundamental principles of good sleep hygiene is to set a sleep schedule that enables you to get enough sleep, and then stick to it. Here’s how you do that.

Wake up at the same time every day – For most people, the time they wake up will be determined in large part by the time they have to be at work. Give yourself enough time to shower and have some breakfast before heading out the door.

Go to sleep at the same time every night – This is second because the time you go to sleep will depend on the time you have to wake up. So if you need to wake up at 7 am, count back 7-9 hours from there and that will give you a go-to-bed time of between 10 pm and midnight. Don’t use that as an excuse to go to sleep sometime between 10 and 12 every night. Instead, pick a time (say, 11pm) and stick to it.

Make sleep a priority – Lots of people set a sleep schedule and soon abandon it because sleeping is not a priority. Other things, like the latest must-see TV show or hanging with friends at the cafe, or bar are the priorities. Prioritizing sleep doesn’t mean you have to give up your friends or favorite programs, but it might mean seeing your friends a little earlier in the evening, or recording your favorite late night show so you can watch it after you get home from work tomorrow.

Assess and adjust – If you set your sleep schedule to go to bed at midnight and wake up at 7am but you’re still a bit fuzzy at work, try going to sleep at 11pm instead and see how that works. Also if you’re used to going to sleep at 2am don’t try and shift suddenly to 10pm. You’ll probably just lie there awake for a couple of hours. Instead, shift first to midnight, and then to 11, and then if you need to, to 10pm.

Avoid naps – Naps can be tempting, and if you’re not getting enough sleep at night, they may seem necessary. The thing is, the naps may be the reason you’re not sleeping well at night. Try banishing naps from your routine and getting all the sleep you need in one fell swoop during the night.

Establish A Pre-Bedtime Routine

Setting a sleep schedule is one thing, but as we alluded to briefly above, sticking to it is often another thing altogether. The best way to ensure you get to sleep every night at the same time is to establish a pre-bedtime ritual/routine that helps calm your mind, relax your body and prepare you for shut-eye. Here are some recommendations on how to do that:

Put all work aside 30 minutes before bedtime – No buts. Whatever work you were doing for your career or around the house put it aside half an hour before bedtime. You may need to talk yourself into accepting this limit, but when you begin to sleep better you may find you get more done during the day and don’t have to be working right before you go to bed anyway.

Dim the lights in your house during the half hour before sleep – Melatonin is a hormone that plays a central role in preparing mind and body for sleep. As we mentioned earlier, bright lights interfere with melatonin production (15). Therefore, at the start of your pre-bedtime routine dim the lights in your home in order to trigger melatonin production.

Practice some relaxation techniques – There are numerous techniques available that can help you release the stress of the day and wind down before going to sleep (16). These include yoga, stretching, controlled breathing and meditation. You can also try some relaxing music or playing an internet video with relaxing sound effects such as gentle rain falling.

Don’t take your mobile device to bed with you – Everyone loves their smartphones and tablets but they are responsible for countless hours of lost sleep (17) because people take them to bed and spend time on social media or watching videos. If you feel you must have the phone in the bedroom with you in case of emergency, leave it face down on the nightstand.

Don’t lie in bed awake – If after all your preparation you still find yourself struggling to get to sleep don’t lie in bed awake for hours. Instead, if you haven’t drifted off after 15 – 20 minutes get up. Go into the kitchen and make a cup of chamomile tea (but keep the lights low). Take out a book and do some reading while you drink your tea. When you’re finished, return to bed and try again.

Address Other Aspects of Your Life That May be Interfering with Sleep

The ability to sleep well is influenced by more than your sheets and whether you nap. Many of the things you do, or don’t do, during the day can also influence your ability to get to sleep once you lay down. Consider the following:

Be active during the day – For many of us, working these days means spending long hours immobile in front of a computer screen. While this kind of immobility may be necessary for work it’s also dangerous to your health (18) and can interfere with your ability to get to sleep. Go for a vigorous walk at lunch time. Go for a jog after work. Join a health club and attend aerobics classes. Something. This will not only help you sleep better, it will help you live longer.

Cut back on or eliminate caffeine – Caffeine can produce a kind of negative feedback loop. You drink it because you didn’t sleep well and need the boost. The caffeine then interferes with your ability to get to sleep, which causes you to drink more the next day, which causes more sleeplessness which leads to more coffee drinking, etc, etc. Consider eliminating or drastically cutting back on coffee and other caffeinated drinks. At the very least, never drink coffee after dinner.

Get some sun during the day – Maintenance of your circadian rhythms (19) is highly dependent on the day/night, light/dark cycle. By getting some sun during the day you reinforce this natural cycle so that when you finally go to bed your biological clock is properly in sync.

Use the bed only for sleep or sex – It’s important that you train your mind to think of the bed exclusively as the place where you either sleep or have sex or do both. Stop working in bed, watching TV in bed, posting to social media in bed and doing other things that interfere with sleep. It will be easier to get to sleep when your mind equates bed with sleep.

Don’t eat big meals late in the day – If you have a big meal late in the evening your body will still be in digestion mode when you lay down. This can interfere with your ability to get to sleep. Also, eating late and then laying down can result in heartburn or reflux (20), or just a general sense of discomfort as you try to accommodate your full stomach.

Address those things that are causing you stress – No matter how dark the black out curtains, or how diligent you are at banning your phone from the bed, if you go to bed stressed out you may be in for a rough night. Part of good sleep hygiene is addressing those things that are causing you stress so that you can lay down at night with a calm mind.

When to See a Doctor

If, after all your efforts you still are unable to obtain the deep restful sleep you need, you should consult your doctor or a sleep specialist. Also, if your sleep disturbances are caused by more serious conditions like sleep apnea, better sleep hygiene alone is not going to be enough. You will still need to seek help from your doctor.

Be Patient, Don’t Expect Miracles Overnight

It probably took you years to mess up your sleep. You are not going to be able to turn things around 180 degrees overnight. You’ll have fits and starts, setbacks and disappointments. But if you stay the course you will get things straightened out and your new and improved sleep hygiene practices will pay handsome dividends in all aspects of your life.