SEEN: Sleep Hygiene Recommendations
When it comes to perfect sleep hygiene, there are a few rules you can follow to improve your sleep quality. Sleep is a vital part of your journey towards optimizing your health and well-being. Here are the rules that many of our patients use to go from difficulty sleeping, to a continuous pattern of restful sleep.
Stick to a consistent sleep schedule:
Try to go to bed and wake up at the same time every day, even on weekends. Evidence based science shows that between evidence-based research shows that 7-9 hours is the right amount of sleep for most people. This helps regulate your body's internal clock (circadian rhythms).
Create a comfortable sleeping environment:
Make sure your bedroom is cool, dark, and quiet. Remove any sources of light, including your alarm clock. If you do not use your phone to wake up, dim your alarm clock, or turn it away from you. Ensure that your phone is in airplane mode so that your sleep is not interrupted by a message or phone call, which can wait until tomorrow.
Avoid stimulating activities before bed:
Stay away from screens (phones, tablets, TVs) at least an hour before bedtime. The blue light emitted by these devices will interfere with your sleep.
Establish a relaxing bedtime routine:
Engage in activities that help you wind down, such as reading a book, taking a warm bath, or practicing relaxation techniques like deep breathing or meditation an hour before bedtime. If you have an overactive mind, like me, start reading (nothing that stimulates you) or put a notebook beside your bed to write down all the things that are repeating in your mind. I call this technique a release of information or an information dump. You will be amazed as you look at the list the next day that a large portion of the things you were ruminating about were not even important.
Limit caffeine and alcohol intake:
Avoid consuming caffeine (found in chocolate, coffee, tea, etc.) after 3pm and never drink alcohol close to bedtime. Caffeine and alcohol disrupt your sleep patterns and your natural circadian rhythm.
Exercise regularly:
Good sleep hygiene should begin the moment you wake up. Engaging in regular physical activity during the day; especially first thing in the morning, can promote better sleep. However, try to avoid intense exercise close to bedtime, as it will make it harder to fall asleep. We will discuss the type and duration of exercise in the next part of the SEEN method.
Avoid large meals and excessive fluids before bed:
Eating heavy meals or drinking too much liquid before bedtime can cause discomfort and disrupt your sleep. I recommend that you try not to eat anything at least 3-4 hours before bedtime.
Find healthy ways to manage stress:
Practicing mindfulness, journaling, or talking to a friend or therapist. High levels of stress can interfere with your ability to fall asleep and stay asleep.
Consider using a sleep tracker:
This is a great way to keep track of your progress and challenge yourself to get an optimal night’s sleep more consistently. Track what’s working for you and expand on that every night.
Sleep aids:
Melatonin, ashwagandha, glycine, and magnesium are vitamins/supplements that can all aid in an optimal night’s sleep. There are a variety of calming teas such as chamomile and ashwagandha that are great to drink before sleep.
It is important to find what works best for you because everyone's sleep needs are different. If you are not getting enough sleep on a daily basis, then every part of your emotional and physical health will never be optimal.