Creating Healthy Sleep Habits
- Lisa Clarabut
- Mar 7, 2024
- 2 min read
With the time change approaching this weekend, I thought it would be a good time to talk about sleep.
Many of us struggle with sleep issues and this can have a great impact on our overall well-being and functioning. Poor sleep quality can affect our concentration, mood, anxiety levels, physical health, and have long term consequences. Which in turn can impact our work productivity, our relationships, and our self-worth.
Creating healthy sleep habits can increase the chances of getting a good night's sleep. Here are some suggestions for fostering helpful sleep habits:
avoid caffeine and alcohol in the evening
try not to exercise right before bed, but make time for it earlier in the day
limit liquid intake so you don’t need frequent bathroom breaks during sleep
avoid the use of screens an hour before bedtime (or adjust your screen settings so the blue light is less impactful)
make changes to your bedroom (try a white noise machine or fan to block out sounds, use a black out blind or a sleep mask, make sure your room is a cool temperature)
try listening to a meditation before bed or visualize a calm, peaceful place in your mind
try focusing on your breathing using 4-7-8 breathing (this is when you breath in for 4 seconds, hold for 7 seconds and exhale for 8 seconds)
create a nightly routine for yourself which includes self-care tasks and winding down activities
avoid taking naps during the day
try to go to bed and wake up at the same time each day, this will help set your internal body clock
get into bed when you are ready for sleep, this helps your brain associate your bed with sleeping, not reading or watching TV
A free resource that can be used for sleep support is the Insight Timer app:
I hope you've found this helpful and please reach out if you would like to connect further lisaclarabutrcc@gmail.com
Happy Zzzzzzs
Comments