If you are a regular listener to wellness podcasts, you have probably heard the term sleep hygiene bandied about. The more we learn about deep sleep, the more we realize its importance for brain function, mental health, immunity, cell repair, and hormone balance. Many people have adopted the Oura ring or other measurement tools to track light, deep, REM, and awake stages, tracked in 5-minute intervals, to map out their sleep cycle. Some find this helpful to understand patterns and what might need improvement. However, not everyone wants another gadget in their lives, and there are some simple steps you can follow to ensure your best night’s rest.
Having good sleep hygiene basically means adopting a set of rituals and habits that promote restful, consistent sleep, including your ability to fall asleep easily and wake up feeling restored and refreshed.
The first key is to be active during the day. Exercise and physical activity greatly aid in falling asleep faster and staying asleep longer. In the evening, establish a relaxing pre-sleep routine that relaxes your mind. Read a book, take a warm bath, or do some breath work or meditation. Stimulants don’t help: limit caffeine, especially in the afternoon and evening. Also, avoid eating or drinking lots of fluids right before bed. In addition to these fundamentals, here are some more tips:
Go to bed and wake up at the same time every day, even on weekends. Consistency is key. Sleep isn’t a luxury—it's a biological necessity. Consistently getting 7–9 hours a night protects your overall health. Even partial sleep loss (e.g., 5–6 hours per night) can have serious consequences over time.
Make it hygge: Keep your bedroom dark, cool, and quiet.
Use a comfortable mattress and pillows. Splurge on linens that call to you like sirens. So worth it.
Try to minimize noise and light in your bedroom when you sleep. Blackout blinds!
Limit exposure to screens before bed. Turn it all off an hour before sleeping. Blue light can suppress melatonin production and make it harder to fall asleep.
Use the bed only for sleep and sex. Avoid working, eating, or watching TV in bed to reinforce the connection between bed and sleep.
One of the paradoxes of modern life is that our obsession with tracking can sometimes make us more anxious, thereby defeating the very purpose it was intended to serve in the first place. This phenomenon, known as orthosomnis, is a term coined to describe insomnia caused by anxiety about sleep quality, often fueled by sleep trackers. Don’t obsess, it certainly won’t help. The goal is the same as it has always been to live fully during the day, tire yourself out on the trails, at the pool, in the garden, and then wind down the evening and fall into your delightful bed to dream the night away.
If you are a tea person (iced or hot), swing by Rebecca’s Herbal Apothecary downtown and grab some soporifics: chamomile, passionflower, lavender, and lemon balm make a dreamy brew.