Sleep Hygiene Guidelines

Simple Steps to a Better Night's Sleep

Sleep hygiene is the practice of following simple guidelines in an attempt to have more restful, effective sleep. It's your personal collection of habits that determine the quality of your sleep.

All of us have trouble sleeping sometimes. We may toss and turn, look nervously at the clock and end up red-eyed and sluggish the next day. But when this happen more often than not, it could be just a simple reminder that we all need good sleep hygiene, or a warning sign that you may have a serious sleep disorder.

Try to follow the sleep hygiene guidelines listed below. If your problem still persists, get an evaluation from your primary care physician and/or the High Desert Sleep Center.

De-emphasize sleep.   

Quit thinking, worrying and dwelling on sleep. It only builds anxiety and pushes sleep further away.
Establish a regular sleep/wake schedule. You will help solidify your sleep by going to bed and getting up at the same time each day.
Learn to accept your individual sleep need and abilities. Not everyone needs eight hours of sleep. Some people can get by with only four hours, while others need as much as ten.

Do not try to make up for lost sleep.

Get up at your regular time regardless of how little you slept during the night. Sleeping in late disrupts your body's natural sleep/wake cycle and may lead to insomnia the next night.

Be careful about naps.

An afternoon nap may be beneficial, but taking a nap is like having a snack before dinner. It can "spoil" your appetite for sleep later.

Create a comfortable sleeping environment.

Make sure you room is not too hot or too cold or noisy. Sometimes a constant low sound, such as a fan, is actually better than absolute quiet. It may be soothing to you or help mask traffic noise or other sounds that can disrupt your sleep.

Reserve you bedroom for sleep.

Do not use it for other activities such as working and watching TV. It is helpful to associate your bedroom only with sleep so you can fall and stay asleep better.

Do not try to hard to fall asleep.

Instead, let it come to you naturally. If you become frustrated or restless because you cannot sleep, get up and occupy yourself with a quite activity until you feel sleepy.

Have a light snack.

Eating a little something before you go to bed can help but don't overeat.

Do not use alcohol to help you fall asleep.

Alcohol can make you feel drowsy, but it will result in fragmented, lower quality sleep. Chronic alcohol use can be damaging to your sleep patterns as cause irregular breathing.

Avoid caffeine.

The stimulating effects of caffeine may last for up to 12 hours in some people. Caffeine is found not only in coffee and tea, but in many soft drinks and in some medications.

Many different factors can contribute to poor sleep, including stress, physical ailments, use of certain medications (including sleeping pills) and a variety of other physical, psychological and environmental conditions which require medical attention.