Sleep is incredibly important for mental health. It enables for a more focused and de-fogged mind, better mood, and reduction of stress. Thus maintaining good sleep hygiene is incredibly important to ensure better sleep and subsequent good mental health.

What is Sleep Hygiene?

Essentially, sleep hygiene refers to practices that ensure repetitive quality sleep, similar to how having good oral hygiene reduces the risk of cavities or other dental problems. These practices involve both environmental and behavioral factors, as in where you are sleeping and what you are doing prior to bed to ensure a good night’s sleep. Here are some things that can be done to maintain good sleep hygiene:

1. Bed is for Sleeping: Limit using the bed and bedroom for only sleep or other sleep related activities; restrict from using the space for working, eating, or even watching TV as those are all mind-stimulating activities. Doing so will train your brain to regard the bedroom/bed for only sleep, which can help you to fall asleep faster.
2. Electronic Exposure: Limit electronic exposure, such as watching TV or scrolling through social media, directly before bed. Try winding down screen time 30 minutes or so before getting into bed to prevent eye strain and the mind from being stimulated.
3. Consistent Sleep Schedule: As much as possible, strive to go to sleep and wake up at around the same time every day. Those times should be not only consistent but reasonable too; restrict from going to sleep after midnight or waking up after 9 or 10 AM to ensure a better sleep schedule and even more productivity.
4. Physical Health: As for practically any health conflict or problem, maintaining a healthy diet and exercising frequently is also very important for sleep. In addition, avoid caffeine at least 4-6 hours before bed time, and avoid nicotine, alcohol, and tobacco before sleep as well (though those substances should definitely be avoided at all times nonetheless).
5. Limiting Naps: Although many experts suggest people should avoid naps in general, sometimes – understandably so – we need them to get through the day. Thus, it is advised to limit them to less than an hour, 20 minutes is a generally recommended length, and make sure napping occurs before 3 PM.
6. Consistent Nighttime Routine: Having a consistent bedtime/nighttime routine is important to signal to your brain that it is time to wind down, helping you fall asleep faster. As bedtime is nearing, getting pajamas on, doing skincare, taking a bath, or getting a cup of tea are all great practices to do daily around the same time to ensure better sleep.

Benefits for Mental Health

Sleep hygiene allows for consistent good quality sleep, a part of life that is extremely important for well-being, whether it be physical, emotional, or mental. Some benefits for mental health include:

1. Increased Motivation: No one can work well, be productive, or focus if they are just straight-up tired. Thus, better sleep gives you the energy to have motivation to work, no matter how simple or arduous the task may be.
2. Improved Mood: No one is happy if they’re tired, it’s as simple as that. Being happier and more relaxed creates a better version of yourself that you can give to others to create better relationships, experiences, and more. Not just happiness, but better sleep can
3. Reduced Mental Exhaustion: Burnout has become more and more common recently with students being given more pressure than ever and even adults feeling pressured to work more. Poor sleep can make this experience even worse, thus – no matter how busy you are – blocking some time in your day to maintain sleep hygiene is very important.In conclusion, taking some time every day to take care of your sleep hygiene to ensure a

good night’s sleep is incredibly important. Whether it be taking 5 minutes to do some skincare or shutting your phone off 30 minutes before bed daily, it is sure to be beneficial.

Written By: Nithya Rupavatharam, Mental H2O Youth Resource Writwe

Sources
Interventions, Centre for Clinical. “Sleep Hygiene.” Https://Cci.health.wa.gov.au/,

www.cci.health.wa.gov.au/~/media/CCI/Mental-Health-Professionals/Sleep/Sleep—Infor mation-Sheets/Sleep-Information-Sheet—04—Sleep-Hygiene.pdf. Accessed 21 June 2024.

Suni, Eric. “Mastering Sleep Hygiene: Your Path to Quality Sleep.” Sleep Foundation, 14 Aug. 2020, www.sleepfoundation.org/sleep-hygiene.