WHY IS SLEEP HYGIENE IMPORTANT?

We get asked a lot, “Why is sleep hygiene important?”

The kind of person who asks this question typically struggles with sleep issues, but can’t figure out what specific problems are behind their lack of sleep.

Sleep hygiene is actually a lot of different habits and behaviors that you follow to maintain good sleep health.

The reason it’s important is simple: if you don’t have good sleep hygiene, your sleep will suffer. If you do have good sleep hygiene, you’ll sleep well.

Simple, right?

Below, we’ll look at the question “Why is sleep hygiene important?” in greater detail, taking a closer look at what sleep hygiene is, how you can improve it, and what will happen when you do.

By the end of this post, you’ll know exactly why you should make good sleep hygiene a priority in your life!

Why Is Sleep Hygiene Important? Sleep Hygiene 101

Before we get into the “why”, we need to understand the “what”. What is sleep hygiene?

Scientific study ^[1] has defined sleep hygiene as “a set of behavioral and environmental recommendations intended to promote healthy sleep”.

This term is actually quite fascinating once you learn that it was created as a means of treating insomnia (mild to moderate). In cases where medical intervention wasn’t necessary, addressing “poor sleep hygiene” was a means of improving sleep quality—which led to better overall health, in the long run.

What’s interesting is that there are really only a few factors that determine whether your sleep hygiene is good or bad. It comes down to:

• Sleep environment – This means a bedroom that is dark, cool, and quiet, with no outside noise or lights that could wake you up. Also, no inside lights—such as alarm clock, TV, or night light—or sounds (coming from inside the home), either.

• Relaxing bedtime routine – Following the same process of getting ready for bed every night (changing into PJs, taking a shower/bath, brushing your teeth, etc.) actually trains your brain that it’s time to “shut down” for the night.

• Exercise during the day – This encourages better metabolic health, burns through excess energy, and helps to push your body toward tiredness and sleepiness. After exercise, your body needs to make repairs to damaged muscle, joints, and other tissues, which can only happen during the stages of deep sleep. So exercise helps your body to sleep more deeply, which in turn improves your health for exercise the next day.

• Regular sleep schedule – Going to bed and waking up at the same time is another way to train your brain and body both to “shut down” and “start up” properly. It will also prevent daytime fatigue and maximize your concentration and focus during work hours.

• Avoiding stimulants -- Nicotine, caffeine, and alcohol can all impair or interfere with sleep. Have your last cup of coffee no later than 12 hours before going to sleep. Limit yourself to one drink a night, no more than 2-3 times a week. Quit smoking. All of these habits will help to improve your sleep quality.

• Eating right – Spicy, fatty, fried, and very “heavy” foods will interfere with your sleep by not only stimulating more activity in your digestive system, but also increasing the risk of digestive upset and indigestion. Eating smaller meals in the evening will ensure your digestive system can properly shut down when it’s time to sleep.

• Spending more time in the sun – Natural light is critical for the production of melatonin, the hormone that regulates your sleep cycle. Spending at least 30 minutes a day exposed to sunlight will help to improve sleep quality and balance out all of your hormones.

• Reducing stress – Stress can increase your levels of cortisol and adrenaline, which will keep your body “revved up” and make it harder to fall asleep. You’ll toss and turn when trying to sleep, or even wake up throughout the night because of stressful or anxious thoughts. Managing stress is critical for a good night’s rest.

As you can see, there aren’t a lot of factors at play in your sleep hygiene, but each one of them is absolutely essential for proper rest.

By taking your sleep hygiene important and really making sure you’ve got each of these factors properly “on lock”, you’ll improve your sleep quality, help your body relax, and encourage deeper, more restorative sleep. 

But that’s not all!

Improving your sleep hygiene will translate into better overall health, too.

Think about it: reducing stimulants will help you avoid the side effects of nicotine, caffeine, and alcohol. Reducing stress will decrease anxiety and stress levels throughout your entire day, not just at night. Eating better will help you lose weight and improve your digestive health. Spending more time in the sun will translate into better skin, nail, hair, organ, immune, and brain health. Exercise is obviously amazing for your health.

And, because you’re sleeping better, your life will improve exponentially. A good night’s rest helps to balance your hormones, boost your metabolism, sharpen your brain function, even burn fat. You’ll be so much healthier in every area of your life because you’re taking steps to improve your sleep hygiene.

You Know Why is Sleep Hygiene Important? Take it To the Next Level With PureSleep!

Take your sleep hygiene seriously, and it will benefit every aspect of your health.

We’ve created PureSleep to help you combat poor sleep hygiene and get your life back on track. Our supplement combines some of the most potent natural sleep-inducing ingredients—including melatonin, Ashwagandha, magnolia bark extract, calcium, magnesium, and Valerian root—all of which work together to help you fall asleep faster, sleep more deeply, and wake up less throughout the night.

PureSleep will get the ball rolling, and it will help to improve your sleep quality while you focus on maximizing your sleep hygiene. You know why is sleep hygiene important, so now it’s up to you to make sure you’re doing everything you can to have the best sleep hygiene possible!