You've heard of oral hygiene, personal hygiene and food hygiene, but did you know you there was something as simple as sleep hygiene, that ensures blissful, uninterrupted sleep? Sleep experts globally opine that little things like room temperature, room darkness, sound disturbance and colour comfort, are all boxes you need to tick off in order to pass the ‘sleep hygiene’ test.
"Quick, restful, deep sleep is something that comes from being in a peaceful state of mind. When you are free of any mental baggage you can sleep anywhere. However, it is important to have a comfortable environment tuned to your specific needs to be able to optimize sleep. If you're married, having a like-minded partner in terms of your lighting, temperature and decor helps immensely to nestle into oblivion for those 8 hours, before you begin another grueling day." stated Dr Sanjay Ghosh, a Kolkata-based general physician
These 10 tips can help you sleep like a baby.
You have to work that body up through the day, so it begs for sleep at night. Avoid taking naps in the afternoon or any other time in the day so you hit your bed exhausted at bedtime.
At bedtime, don’t stress about how many hours of sleep you'll get before you have to drag yourself to another long tiring day at work. Nothing works better than easing yourself to sleep with no negative thoughts.
Your bedroom should be your personal happy space, your cocoon. Make sure you have the lighting and decor done to your taste. The temperature should be right. If you’re married, make sure you sign a temperature treaty.
Your bed should allow you enough space to stretch and roll without being cramped. Get a pillow that fits your contours. Sleep with the right posture, without kicking your partner or kids out of the bed. If you’re single, enjoy the luxury of having the ‘whole’ bed to yourself and sleep on that thought.
There are some things you just can’t help. Are you a morning person or a night person? If you're a morning person, there is no way you are going to stay up with the owls — sleep hygiene or no hygiene. You’ll go to bed early and wake up early. Figure this one out.
No matter how hard a day you've had, you owe yourself an hour or two to wind down. Do what makes you happy before you go to bed. Read a book, paint, watch a movie, knit, work out, dance. A happy mind equals sound sleep.
When most of us follow a rigorous 9-5 workday, our food habits almost always go out the window. Don't eat dinner at 11 pm. You’re guaranteed to have heartburn leaving you tossing and turning through the night. Eat dinner by 8 p.m. You’ll starve the first few days of this, but you’ll survive if you follow through.
Sun your mattresses and pillows regularly. A damp, mouldy bed and pillow not only give your body aches, but also snatch your sleep away.
Warm milk before bed almost always works.
It helps if you sleep at the same time every day. When you start out on your schedule, it might not work, but our body clocks are little miracle time-keepers and adapt to everything, provided you follow habits.
(The writer is the CEO and co-founder of Sunday Mattresses. Views expressed are personal)