Sleep Hygiene: Your Guide to Restful, Rejuvenating Sleep

Quality sleep is essential for mental clarity, emotional balance, and overall physical health. With modern lifestyles often disrupting and compromising our sleep, establishing habits that promote restorative sleep is more important than ever. Below, we explore the principles of effective sleep hygiene, from optimizing your bedroom environment to incorporating sleep-promoting supplements, so you can experience consistently deep and refreshing sleep.

Create an Optimal Bedroom Environment

Your bedroom environment is key to promoting restful sleep. Start by keeping the room cool, ideally between 60–67°F, to support a natural drop in core body temperature that encourages sleep onset.

Block out light using blackout curtains, and remove electronics that emit blue light to create a darkened space that promotes melatonin production.

To reduce interruptions from outside noise, consider earplugs or a calming white noise machine to create a steady, soothing sound environment.

Additionally, placing an air filter in your bedroom can improve air quality, reduce allergens, and promote easier breathing. For those with allergies, asthma, or respiratory sensitivities, an air purifier with a HEPA filter can be particularly beneficial. You’ll be spending around a third of your life in this space, breathing the whole time. The air quality there is by far the most important anywhere.

Establish a Relaxing Pre-Sleep Routine

Incorporating a relaxing pre-sleep routine is another essential part of effective sleep hygiene.

Magnesium glycinate can support relaxation and reduce muscle tension, making it easier to fall and stay asleep.

Ashwagandha, AKA Indian Ginseng, a time-tested adaptogenic herb, can be taken in the evening to help reduce cortisol levels, calming the mind in preparation for sleep.

Apigenin, a natural flavonoid found in chamomile, binds to GABA receptors in the brain, helping inhibit neurotransmission and calm the mind before bed. A primary mechanism of action of alcohol is to increase GABA in the brain. A warm cup of Traditional Medicinals’ Organic Nighty Night Tea, which contains chamomile, passionflower, and lemon balm, naturally promotes relaxation and reduces pre-sleep tension, easing the transition to rest. They also only use hemp-based tea bags as opposed to the all too common polypropylene coated tea bags.

Mind Your Pre-Sleep Activity and Diet

Pre-sleep activity and diet play a crucial role in supporting quality sleep. Regular exercise has been shown to improve both the quality and duration of sleep. Ideally, aim to work out earlier in the day, as evening exercise can increase adrenaline levels and delay sleep onset.

Avoid eating large meals within two hours of bedtime, as late-night eating can disrupt sleep, especially if the food is high in fat, sugar, or caffeine. If you need a snack before bed, keep it light, low in sugar and refined carbohydrates, and easy to digest.

Avoid Sleep-Disruptive Substances Before Bed

Avoiding sleep-disruptive substances before bed can further improve sleep hygiene. Many recreational drugs and stimulants, such as nicotine, interfere with the body’s ability to achieve deep, restful sleep. These substances may delay sleep onset, cause nighttime awakenings, or alter sleep cycles, making it harder to wake up feeling refreshed.

Similarly, caffeine, found in coffee, tea, energy drinks, and some medications, should ideally be avoided within 10-12 hours of bedtime to reduce its sleep-disrupting effects.

Although alcohol may initially make you feel drowsy, it disrupts sleep cycles, leading to frequent awakenings and diminished sleep quality.

While certain sedatives and sleep aids may be helpful in specific cases, regular reliance on them can interfere with natural sleep patterns and reduce overall sleep quality in the long term. Aim to work with your healthcare provider to establish natural sleep support strategies whenever possible.

Consistency is Key

Consistency is key when it comes to sleep hygiene. Aim to go to bed and wake up at the same time each day, even on weekends, to reinforce your body’s natural sleep-wake cycle.

Reducing screen time an hour before bed is also beneficial, as blue light emitted from electronic devices is known to interfere with melatonin production. Instead of using screens, consider relaxing activities like reading a book or practicing gentle relaxation techniques.

By creating a serene sleep environment, practicing mindful pre-sleep habits, and integrating sleep-supportive nutrients and herbs, you can unlock more restful and refreshing nights.

Prioritizing quality sleep is an investment not only in feeling well-rested each morning but also in fostering long-term health, vitality, and overall well-being.