How Better Sleep Hygiene Supports Your Mind and Body—and Steps to Improve Yours

From realsimple.com

Sleep experts explain what sleep hygiene really means—and how small changes to your routine and environment can lead to better rest and better health 

KEY TAKEAWAYS

• Sleep hygiene is about daily habits and bedroom environment—not just how long you sleep.
• Consistent bedtimes, limiting screens, and reserving your bed for sleep can dramatically improve sleep quality.
• Small, gradual changes to your routine are more effective than overhauling everything at once.

When we think of having good hygiene, our first thoughts go to showering daily, flossing and brushing our teeth, and wearing clean clothes. Sleep hygiene, however, is a little bit different from the typical grooming and cleanliness of everyday hygiene. In other words, it has nothing to do with washing your sheets (which you should be doing weekly and is also very important!). 

What Is Sleep Hygiene?

Credit:

Emmanuel Faure/Getty Images

Sleep hygiene refers to a general set of practices, habits, and strategies aimed at promoting good quality sleep and preventing sleep problems, says licensed psychologist Luke Allen, PhD. “These practices include both behavioural and environmental factors that can impact sleep quality,” he explains.

How exactly does sleep hygiene work, and what actionable steps can you take to have better sleep hygiene, and therefore better nightly rest? Here’s what sleep experts have to say about what sleep hygiene actually means, and how to develop and maintain healthy sleep habits for life.

Why Sleep Hygiene Matters

Since we spend one-third of our lives sleeping (or attempting to do so), the steps we take to promote good, restorative rest are essential to overall wellness. “Up to one in three Americans experience insomnia at some point each year, and a third of them suffer on a nightly basis,” says Robert Satriale, MD, FAASM, a sleep medicine specialist at Temple University. “Good sleep habits are known to improve sleep quality, and sleep quality is important in regulation of blood pressure, maintaining cognitive function and control of blood sugar.”

Plus, Dr. Satriale says that getting good sleep reduces chronic pain and even risk of cancer. That’s why Allen believes sleep hygiene isn’t just about sleep. “I emphasize the importance of good sleep hygiene to virtually every client I work with,” he says. “It’s fundamental to physical and mental health.” 

Allen also says good sleep hygiene can make it much easier to fall asleep when you want to, and can help your body (and brain) learn how to associate your bed with sleep.

What Poor Sleep Hygiene Looks Like

Unfortunately, there seem to be more ways to have poor sleep hygiene than good sleep hygiene sometimes. Consuming caffeine or other stimulants before bed, sleeping in an uncomfortable or hot environment, having an irregular sleep schedule (going to bed and waking up at different times each day), working in bed, and eating heavy meals before bedtime are also considered poor sleep hygiene, Allen says. Even foods like chocolate, some sodas, and teas contain hidden caffeine. Spicy foods can exacerbate upper gastrointestinal discomfort; and high-fat, sugar-filled foods can disrupt sleep as well. 

Having devices that emit blue light in your bedroom, like smartphones, laptops, tablets, and e-readers, can disrupt your sleep cycle and are arguably the biggest culprits behind poor sleep hygiene. 

“Many adults may not consider the consequences of staying up late to watch a few extra episodes of a TV show, or indulging in a midnight snack or extra glass of wine, but these habits significantly detract from overall sleep quality,” says Dr. Satriale. “Falling asleep with the television on is another bad sleep habit, as studies show that even low levels of light and intermittent noise contribute to poor quality of sleep.”

And as great as it feels to sleep in, it’s another driving factor in poor sleep hygiene. “Sleeping in may seem like a privilege adults have earned, but our circadian rhythms become too fragile to tolerate such extravagances, making this poor sleep habit loaded with unfortunate consequences,” he says.

What Good Sleep Hygiene Looks Like

There are some widely agreed upon practices, habits, and strategies for following good sleep hygiene. The biggest guiding principle is to only use your bed for the three “S’s”: sleep, sickness, or sex. 

This means habits like eating, working, texting/scrolling, and watching TV should be done anywhere but your bed (the living room couch or kitchen table are much better choices). “The more you do other things [besides sleep] in bed, the harder it is for your body to associate bed with sleep,” Allen says. “In fact, most mental health professionals I know do not keep a TV in their bedrooms.”

In addition to practicing the three “S’s”, the number one thing you can do for good sleep hygiene is to go to bed and wake up at the same time every day of the week, according to Allen. 

“You can receive the biggest return on investment by adopting this strategy,” he says. “If there are days you go to bed late or get little sleep, continuing to wake up at the same time every day regardless will help maintain your sleep schedule, as your sleep drive will naturally build throughout the day.” This means the next night, you’ll want to go to bed at a reasonable time. 

Other good sleep hygiene habits include avoiding taking too many naps, especially long ones or too late in the afternoon (which can make it harder to sleep at night), getting regular exercise during the day, get some natural light as soon as you can after waking up, daytime exercising and trying relaxing activities before bed, like bedtime yoga or taking a warm bath (which has been scientifically proven to help you get to sleep more quickly).

Allen also recommends investing in high-quality products that help you sleep well (everyone needs different things). “We spend a third of our life sleeping, so it’s wise to invest in a comfortable sleep environment that’s cool, dark, and quiet.” This includes comfortable bedding and pillows, maybe cooling bedding for hot sleepers, solid shades to block light, good earplugs or a sound machine for those with noisy neighbours.

How to Improve Your Sleep Hygiene

Worried you have less-than-stellar sleep hygiene? Don’t worry. Like any habit you’re trying to break and/or adopt, you can always turn things around with a little practice and patience. The key, Allen explains, is taking baby steps, especially if you’re used to, say, watching TV in bed or even snacking in bed. 

“Trying to make drastic changes to one’s sleep routine all at once can be challenging and overwhelming,” he says, “which can lead to frustration or giving up on the goal.” Instead, use a slow-and-steady approach to create change. Once you’ve started breaking these behaviours, you can then replace them with new, sleep-promoting habits. 

A great place to start? Choose one or two of your subpar sleep habits to work on. For example, if you always watch TV before bed, try turning it off 20 or 30 minutes earlier and opening up a book to read a few pages before lights-out. Once you’re used to cracking open a book as the last thing you do before bed, start turning the TV off a little bit earlier, and a little bit earlier, gradually. Do you drink caffeinated tea in the evenings or soda with dinner? Switch to more soothing, caffeine-free options—or just hit the water instead. 

“One key to success is monitoring and logging your progress daily,” Allen recommends. “You can use a habit tracker app, an Excel spreadsheet, or notes on your phone.”

https://www.realsimple.com/how-to-improve-your-sleep-hygiene-12035777

Waking up exhausted? A hidden sleep disorder may be hijacking your rest

From businesstimes.com.sg

Experts tell us why women with insomnia should be screened for upper airway resistance syndrome 

[SINGAPORE] Despite getting sufficient hours of shut-eye every night, LT would wake up feeling tired and with a mild headache. During sleep, the 29-year-old software engineer would also grind her teeth.

She tried to improve her sleep by wearing mouth tape, nasal strips and has even had a masseter Botox injection, which delivered the drug into the large chewing muscle on the jaw to relieve clenching and teeth grinding, or bruxism.

But nothing worked until she saw a sleep specialist who diagnosed her with upper airway resistance syndrome (UARS).

Many are familiar with obstructive sleep apnoea (OSA), a medical condition in which the airway is completely blocked and breathing repeatedly stops and starts during sleep.

But few are aware of UARS, a form of sleep disorder involving mild airway narrowing and micro-awakenings driven by extra breathing effort.

Dr Lee Chuen Peng, a pulmonologist, sleep physician and intensivist consultant at O2 Lung Centre and medical director of O2 SleepWell Laboratory, says: “Your brain notices the struggle and wakes you up just enough to fix it, over and over throughout the night.

“You rarely remember these wake-ups, but they stop you from getting a deep, restful sleep. Your oxygen level stays fine, and your airway never fully blocks – which is why it so often gets missed.”

Upper airway resistance syndrome is more common in women than men. PHOTO: PEXELS

Dr Leow Leong Chai, senior consultant at Singapore General Hospital’s Department of Respiratory & Critical Care Medicine and director of its sleep centre, says UARS is much less common than OSA.

“Data from a local study showed the prevalence of moderate to severe OSA in about one in three adults,” he says. “UARS is thought to be about 10 times less common.”

While OSA patients are predominantly male in the ratio of three or four to one, UARS is about three times more prevalent in women. “Because it’s so often misdiagnosed or missed entirely, the real number is probably higher,” adds Dr Lee.

What’s going on?

Women with UARS are typically younger than the average OSA patient, slim or of average weight, and may have a smaller jaw or narrower airway.

They tend to grind their teeth, suffer from headaches and brain fog and may also be described as anxious, depressed, or having fibromyalgia or irritable bowel syndrome (IBS).

In general, these patients – mostly women – feel very exhausted, says Dr Kenny Pang, who treated LT. He is an ear, nose and throat (ENT) specialist who focuses on sleep medicine and surgery at Asia Sleep Centre.

“The paradox is that while most of them are tired and exhausted, many have insomnia or sleeplessness.”

Dr Leow adds that not infrequently, these patients have sought medical attention before, and their symptoms have been dismissed as insomnia or stress-related.

The cause

The primary problem is nasal obstruction, says Dr Pang, whose UARS patients make up 20 to 25 per cent of his sleep practice.

The narrowing of the upper airway during sleep can have anatomical reasons such as facial structure, jaw positioning or a deviated nasal septum.

There may also be physiological causes, including the relaxation of throat muscles during sleep, inflammation or swelling of airway tissues, enlarged tonsils or adenoids and chronic nasal congestion.

Dr Kenny Pang of the Asia Sleep Centre says the primary problem behind UARS is nasal obstruction. He is pictured conducting a naso-endoscopy. PHOTO: ASIA SLEEP CENTRE

Unlike OSA patients – many of whom are able to sleep through pauses in breathing – UARS sufferers have low arousal thresholds. This means their brains detect even a little collapsing of their airways, causing them to bite down or clench their jaws, says Dr Pang.

This reflex mechanism keeps the upper airway muscles open, but leaves the patient with neckaches and headaches from biting down hard every night.

The patient also becomes tired and exhausted because of the broken sleep. “Moreover, because of the frequent biting and teeth grinding, the patient develops jaw joint problems,” he says, referring to the temporomandibular joint disorder.

The health risks

Unlike OSA, which carries a risk of hypertension, strokes, heart attacks and sudden death, UARS causes impairment to sleep quality, mood and daytime functioning, notes Dr Leow.

Sufferers are also at a higher risk of depression.

This is because chronic broken sleep feeds anxiety and low mood, says Dr Lee. The lack of deep sleep also robs the sufferer of the ability to consolidate memory, so thinking becomes foggy and slow.

Fragmented sleep also worsens other conditions, including pain, chronic fatigue and IBS.

In women, the health risks are amplified during perimenopause and menopause as hormone levels fall.

Drops in progesterone – which naturally helps keep the airway open and breathing steady – makes the throat more likely to narrow during sleep. A fall in oestrogen, which supports airway health and reduces inflammation, can also lead to nasal congestion and airway irritation, making snoring and breathing problems during sleep more likely.

Hot flushes and night sweats break sleep further, while the heart and blood vessel risks from poor sleep become more serious with age, says Dr Lee.

“A woman who was managing okay with UARS in her 30s may suddenly feel dramatically worse in her 40s and 50s, and no one connects it to her breathing.”

Indeed, Dr Leow points out that studies have shown a stark increase in prevalence of sleep disordered breathing – from snoring to UARS and OSA – after menopause.

“That’s why we must be vigilant about screening for this condition in women who present with poor sleep quality or insomnia, instead of blaming it on hormonal changes or stress.”

The diagnosis

The gold standard for diagnosing UARS is by having the patient undergo an overnight sleep study in a clinical setting that monitors and records physiological parameters to analyse sleep patterns, says Dr Leow.

In UARS patients, their Apnoea-Hypopnea Index – which measures the average number of breathing pauses (apnoeas) and shallow breathing events (hypopnoeas) in each hour of sleep – remain normal.

So sleep specialists look specifically for the tiny wake-up moments caused by increased breathing effort, called respiratory related arousals (RERAs).

“The key findings are normal oxygen levels all night and a low or normal standard breathing score, but repeated micro-arousals tied to breathing effort plus daytime symptoms such as exhaustion and brain fog,” says Dr Lee.

Dr Pang, however, has been using the WatchPat – a wristwatch-like sleep test used at home – to measure patients’ respiratory disturbance index (RDI). High RDI readings are indicative of high RERAs, which cause tiredness, sleep fragmentation and sleep disruption.

The treatment

To treat the condition, nasal airflow must be optimised, so any nasal congestion has to be dealt with first. “Then UARS can be treated with continuous positive airway pressure therapy, oral appliances or positional sleep therapy devices,” says Dr Leow.

At Dr Pang’s practice, antihistamines and nasal sprays are first prescribed to see if they relieve nasal congestion and allergies.

If they do not, he opens the nasal passage by performing nasal turbinates reduction – a procedure to shrink enlarged bony structures (turbinates) inside the nose – and straighten the septum if it is deviated. These were the surgeries LT underwent.

A dentist can also give the patient a splint or mouth guard to protect her teeth and temporomandibular joint and administer masseter Botox.

Properly treated, patients feel they can breathe so much better through their nose and have less bruxism.

“My sleep quality has improved significantly,” says LT. “Now, I wake up feeling refreshed and the headaches are gone.”

Women also commonly report their energy returning and are able to get through the day “without crashing”, says Dr Lee.

In addition, better sleep lifts their mood, improves their memory and leads to clearer thinking, fewer headaches, less pain and calmer digestion.

“For many women, just getting the diagnosis after years of being dismissed is a turning point,” he says. “Treatment gives them their life back.”

https://www.businesstimes.com.sg/lifestyle/travel-wellness/waking-exhausted-hidden-sleep-disorder-may-be-hijacking-your-rest

5 differences between an insomniac and someone who gets 7+ hours sleep a night — and why sleep experts say it matters

From tomsguide.com

By Frances Daniels

Experts reveal the habits to adopt and the ones to drop if you want to get at least seven hours of good quality sleep a night 

We've all been there. You arrive at work feeling tired and bleary-eyed after a night plagued by insomnia, only to be greeted by your bright-eyed co-worker who's running on a full sleep. Pouring yourself an extra-strong black coffee, you ask yourself, "What's the difference between me and them?"

Turns out, there can be a number of key differences between an insomniac and someone who gets at least seven hours of sleep a night. "People who consistently sleep well don't necessarily have perfect routines, but they often share certain behaviours," says Sam Sadighi, a certified sleep practitioner at Get Laid Beds.

Although everyone's experience is different, Sadighi says that people with insomnia also "often share some common patterns" that can disrupt sleep.

Here Saighi and Mike Wakeman, a pharmacist and sleep researcher at Evera Nutrition, reveal the key habits that separate the sleep deprived from those getting plenty of rest. Here are the five habits of insomniacs vs the top three habits for better sleep...

Key takeaways

• Insomniacs often worry about not getting enough sleep and clock watch, which can exacerbate their sleep issues.
• Irregular betimes and wake-up times are also common among insomniacs.
• People who consistently get 7 hours+ sleep a night often get enough daylight and establish a consistent sleep schedule and relaxing night-time routine.
• However, good sleep habits aren't always enough to treat chronic insomnia. Anyone experiencing persistent sleep problems should speak to a doctor.

5 key differences: What insomniacs do

1. They try to force sleep

(Image credit: Future)

If you've ever found yourself, in the middle of the night, clock watching or calculating how much time you have left before you need to get up, then you're likely just making the problem worse.

2. They have irregular sleep patterns

One of the most common sleep habits associated with insomnia is going to bed and waking up at different times every day.

"Going to bed at 10 p.m. one night and 1 a.m. the next makes it difficult for the body's internal clock to establish a consistent rhythm," says Wakeman.

"Trying to grab sleep whenever they can (understandably), means that they disrupt their circadian rhythm, which has been shown to actually make it all harder," agrees Sadighi.

3. They skip the wind-down routine

Nighttime routines should help you to relax and prepare you for bed, but not all activities that help you relax should be part of yours.

"Many people work, scroll through social media or watch television until the moment they try to sleep," says Wakeman.

In fact, every hour of screen time in bed (be it doomscrolling, answering work email, or binge-watching a new show) has been shown increase the risk of insomnia by 59%.

4. They rely on alcohol and caffeine

(Image credit: Shutterstock)

According, to Sadighi, many insomniacs rely on unhealthy habits to help them fall asleep or manage their daytime fatigue, but they actually exacerbate their sleep issues. She says the two main sleep crutches people use are alcohol and caffeine.

"Alcohol helps them fall asleep fast, but actually messes with their sleep cycles, and caffeine helps power them through the day, but they often have so much it then impacts the next night, causing a vicious cycle," the sleep consultant explains.

5. They stay indoors and sit too much

A 2024 study found that natural daylight, particularly in the morning, can improve sleep efficiency, while regular physical activity is consistently associated with better sleep quality.

"Spending little time outdoors and leading a sedentary lifestyle can make it harder to establish healthy sleep patterns" says Wakeman.

5 key differences: 3 things people who get 7+ hours sleep do

1. They get outside

(Image credit: Getty Images)

Catching some rays may seem totally irrelevant to your sleep, but the amount of sunlight we get – and when we get it – can help us sleep.

"Daylight in the mornings has been shown to signify to our brains that it’s time to be awake, and dim lighting in the evening tells it that it’s time to start winding down ready for sleep," explains Sadighi.

Research shows that our 24-hour body clock hinges on light to know that it's daytime, as light triggers the production of energy-boosting hormone cortisol, and cues your body to produce sleep-promoting hormone melatonin later in the day.

2. They have a consistent sleep and wake time

The gold-standard sleep habit is setting yourself a bedtime and sticking to it. "And this includes weekends and days off," asserts Sadighi.

"People who sleep well often wake at similar times each day, helping reinforce their natural body clock," says Wakeman.

In fact, having fixed wake-up times and consistent bedtimes is a core part of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Insomnia (CBT-I), with studies showing that consistent bedtimes and wake-up times can help prevent adverse heath outcomes.

3. They have a wind-down routine

(Image credit: Future)

We've already established that working late and doomscrolling is the ultimate don't at bedtime if you want to fall asleep fast.

However, freeing yourself from emails and social media in the posts allows you to create a cosy and relaxing atmosphere that prepares your mind and body for sleep.

"Good sleepers often develop a regular bedtime routine," Wakeman suggests. "This might include dimming lights, putting away electronic devices, reading, gentle stretching or taking a warm bath."

"Whether it's breathing exercises or another relaxing activity, they allow both mind and body to transition towards sleep," explains Sadighi.

What is insomnia?

(Image credit: Getty Images)

Sadighi defines insomnia as a sleep disorder that causes difficulty falling asleep, staying asleep, or waking up too early (or sometimes a combo of all three).

"Acute insomnia usually lasts for a few days or weeks and is usually triggered by something stressful or other life events," the founder of Easy Sleep Solutions says.

She goes on to say that acute insomnia often improves once the stress has reduced, but chronic insomnia can be trickier to treat.

"Chronic insomnia is where someone has difficulty falling asleep, staying asleep or waking too early for at least three nights a week for at least three months."

Why do we need 7+ hours of sleep?

(Image credit: Future)

Plenty of research now proves that getting at least seven hours of sleep a night is paramount for optimal health. In fact, a study reported that getting less than seven hours of sleep a night sleep decreases life expectancy more than a poor diet or lack of exercise.

Another study, which served as a springboard for the 7:1 sleep rule, found that getting at least seven hours of sleep (combined with consistently falling asleep within an hour window) five nights a week increases life expectancy.

“Typically most adults need around seven to nine hours of sleep each night for their body and brain to function at their best," says Wakeman.

"Research shows that during sleep, the brain consolidates memories, muscles recover, hormones are regulated and the immune system carries out important repair processes."

Can good sleep habits always cure insomnia?

While good sleep habits can improve sleep disorders, adopting these patterns won't cure all insomnia cases.

"Good sleep hygiene helpful for supporting healthy sleep, but on their own they are rarely enough to resolve chronic insomnia," warns Sadighi.

The sleep practitioner and psychologist says that the most effective first-line treatment for chronic insomnia is CBT-I, as it addresses the behaviours and thought patterns that maintain insomnia.

(Image credit: Getty Images)

Different approaches are also need if insomnia co-occurs with conditions such mental health issues, sleep apnea, or and restless leg syndrome.

"In these cases, both the insomnia and any underlying factors may need to be assessed and treated in tandem," she says.

"If someone has struggled with insomnia for a while despite practising good sleep habits, it's worth seeking assessment from a sleep specialist rather than continuing to rely solely on general sleep tips," she adds.

https://www.tomsguide.com/wellness/sleep/5-key-differences-between-an-insomniac-and-someone-who-gets-7-hours-sleep-a-night-and-why-it-matters