🛁 Sleep Hygiene: 10 Habits for Better Sleep

10 habits for better sleep

1. Maintain a consistent schedule

Go to bed and wake up at the same time every day, including weekends. Your biological clock needs consistency to function well.

2. Create a pre-sleep routine

30–60 minutes before bed, do relaxing activities: reading, meditation, gentle stretching. Your brain learns to associate this routine with "it's time to sleep."

3. Optimize your bedroom

• Temperature: between 18–20°C (65–68°F)
• Darkness: use blackout curtains or a sleep mask
• Silence: earplugs or white noise if there is outside noise

4. Avoid screens

The blue light from phones, tablets, and computers suppresses melatonin production. Avoid screens at least 30 minutes before sleeping, or use night mode.

5. Watch what you eat and drink

Do not eat a heavy dinner. Avoid alcohol (it fragments sleep) and caffeine at least 6 hours before bed. A light snack with tryptophan (banana, warm milk) can help.

6. Exercise (but not too late)

Regular exercise improves sleep quality, but avoid intense exercise 3–4 hours before bed because it raises body temperature and endorphin levels.

7. Limit naps

If you need a nap, keep it to a maximum of 20 minutes and take it before 3 PM. Long or late naps steal from nighttime sleep.

8. Use your bed only for sleeping

Do not work, eat, or watch television in bed. Your brain must associate the bed exclusively with sleep.

9. Manage anxiety

If thoughts are keeping you awake, write them down in a notebook before bed. "Dumping" your worries onto paper gets them out of your head.

10. Get morning sunlight

15–30 minutes of natural light when you wake up resets your circadian clock and improves melatonin production at night.

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