Sleep Hygiene
You have seen it before, but sometimes it takes reading it a different way to really get it to sink in.
Your brain loves to learn, and it learns things quickly. Good sleep hygiene teaches your brain that your bed is for sleeping. This means you will need to use your bed only for sleeping. No TV. No reading. No arts and crafts. Just sleep and intimacy.
BUT WAIT! What if you wake up in the middle of the night? Do the same then. If you cannot get back to sleep within about 30 minutes, get out of bed until you feel sleepy and ready to sleep.
Melatonin is a naturally produced hormone in the body and brain. Once your eyes get a break from white or blue light, it sends signals to your body to start producing melatonin so you begin to feel sleepy. This means avoiding sunlight or bright lights at night, and limiting or eliminating exposure to TV, cell phones, overhead lights, etc.
Once your eyes are away from bright lights, it takes 30–60 minutes for your body to start producing melatonin, and 2–3 hours to reach peak levels. So if you want to asleep at 10 PM, you should definitely start dimming lights by 9:30 PM—but ideally, even earlier, around 7 PM. Many screens now a days have an orange light/anti blue light setting you can turn on at night.
Wow, this is not looking fun! I know—and there’s more!
Going to bed and waking up at the same time every day also helps your brain learn: “This is when we sleep.”
If you take naps, you’ll need to evaluate whether you are sleeping too much or napping too close to your nightly sleep.
Your body doesn’t stop functioning just because you are sleeping! So if you want a solid night’s sleep, you also need to think about eating and drinking (even water) too close to bedtime. And what about things that keep you awake? Caffeine, nicotine, and other drugs can interfere with sleep.
Cool, dark, quiet room. Why cool? Your body temperature naturally drops as part of your sleep cycle, and a cooler bedroom helps your body do this more efficiently.
Disclaimer: This blog is for educational and informational purposes only and is not a replacement for therapy, counseling, or mental health treatment. If you are interested in working with me, please sign up for counseling through the New Client tab.