PsychUp Avenue: Sleep Hygiene

 Sleep Hygiene

In most cases, when someone hears the word "hygiene", they quickly associate it with cleanliness or being clean, but then how does a person make their sleep clean, neat and hygienic? Let's first rectify this, hygiene refers to practices that maintain good health and preventing diseases, especially through cleanliness. 

Have you ever had difficulty sleeping because the room was untidy? well these things happen and there are a lot of things that disturbs a person from enjoying that peaceful night sleep. Sleep Hygiene refers to  healthy habits that promote good and quality sleep. Sometimes you might sleep for eight whole hours and still wake up feeling tired as if you did not sleep enough. Let's take a look at some of these habits that might improve your quality of sleep and have you feeling fresh and rested in the morning. 

One of the most unhealthiest habit that most of us have is not having a "Lights Out" time. Sleep hygiene is mostly about a healthy and positive routine that you should have for your bedtime and having a constant or steady bedtime is one of them. As of today, practice having a steady time that you go to bed at and a steady time that  you wake up, unless if there is an issue of emergency. Your body will get used to the sleeping and waking times, your alarm won't bother you that much anymore. 

Another sleeping habit that you should practice is using the bedroom mainly for sleeping and s*x, but avoid doing a lot in your bedroom. As hard as it may be, avoid having electronics in your room, such as TV's, computers and other electronics that might disturb your routine. You should also limit the amount of time you spend on your phone when you go to bed, a cell phone is one of the biggest distractions in the bedroom. when you call "lights out" that also means that you should put your phone away and go to bed. 

Exercise is also a good practice of sleep hygiene. Remember that sleeping is resting, so exercise allows your body to have something to rest from. Avoid staying in bed for long periods, your body will have nothing to rest from when it's time to sleep and you'll probably have a hard time falling asleep. Keep your room dark and quiet during bedtime, the human brain a child that is high on sugar, it easily gets distracted. Make sure you eat a light meal an hour or two before going to bed and avoid alcohol and caffeine before going to bed. 

Try to have a clear mind when going to bed, be at ease. Trying to sleep while you are having racing thoughts does not really do you any justice. Keep your room neat and tidy, it really helps the body to relax. Maintain low temperatures in the room and make sure there is enough air circulation. Lastly, it is advisable to read a book before bedtime to calm you down. Instead of being on social media or playing that game, grab a novel and read a few pages. 

As long as you maintain the schedule and routine of healthy sleep habits, you will have better nights and improved quality of sleep...

Author: Shembiso Godi

Facebook: Mzansi Avenue

Twitter: @Mzansi_Avenue