Sleep hygiene

What is sleep hygiene?

Sleep hygiene refers to the recommended practices and habits that promote continuous and restful sleep. Getting adequate sleep is extremely important for both physical and mental health. Practicing good sleep hygiene helps ensure you get enough high-quality sleep on a regular basis.

Some key components of sleep hygiene include:

• Sleep environment - Your bedrooms should be cool, quiet, and dark. Things like light, noise, and uncomfortable temperatures can disrupt sleep.
• Schedule - Try to go to bed and wake up at consistent times, even on weekends. This helps regulate your body's internal clock for sleep.
• Bedtime routine - Engaging in relaxing activities before bed like reading, meditating, or taking a bath cues your body that it's time for sleep.
• Diet - Avoid heavy meals, caffeine, alcohol, and nicotine too close to bedtime as they can interfere with sleep. Staying hydrated is important too.
• Exercise - Regular physical activity helps promote better sleep, but vigorous workouts close to bedtime can have the opposite effect.
• Electronics - Power down TVs, phones, and other electronics well before bed, as the blue light from screens can make falling asleep more difficult.

Improving your sleep hygiene takes some adjustment but can truly pay off. I struggled with insomnia for years until I made changes like sticking to a rigid sleep schedule, limiting evening screen time, and taking magnesium supplements to wind down. Now I fall asleep quickly and wake up feeling refreshed. The difference in my energy levels, productivity and happiness has been huge!

For those still struggling to sleep, checking your hormone levels may provide additional insights. Hormonal imbalances can disrupt sleep in myriad ways. The expert physicians at Harmony Hormone Therapy specialize in customized bioidentical hormone therapy to help patients correct imbalances related to sleep and other health concerns. I'd recommend Harmony Hormone Therapy to anyone still feeling fatigued or restless even after focusing on sleep hygiene.