Craving Better Sleep? The Science Behind Sleep Hygiene

Everyone knows how important a good night’s sleep is. When you don’t sleep well, you can feel tired, irritable, and groggy the next day. And when this happens regularly, it can turn into a cycle of sleep anxiety that can be hard to break. 

If you struggle to get regular, quality sleep — you’re not alone. Estimates show that 30% of people have chronic insomnia. Many factors play into how well you sleep, including your routines (or lack of them), diet, lifestyle, and relationships. 

But there’s a science to getting a good night’s sleep. It’s called “sleep hygiene.” 

What is sleep hygiene?

According to Lauren Broch, PhD, a psychologist at the Northwell Health Sleep Disorders Center, “Sleep hygiene is a set of evidence-based principles that help people sleep better.”

Sleep hygiene refers to the habits and behaviors that lead to high-quality sleep. It includes when you go to bed, what you do before bed, what you do in bed, and how you set up your bedroom environment. 

But it’s not just bedtime and your bedroom that affect sleep. Good sleep hygiene also includes daytime behaviors, like what you eat and drink, where you spend your waking hours, and when you exercise.

Good sleep hygiene habits can help you: 

• Feel tired when you need to sleep

• Fall asleep faster

• Stay asleep throughout the night

And for many, even small changes make a big difference. 

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Practicing good sleep hygiene

You can practice good sleep hygiene by identifying habits and making changes in your own environment that lead to better sleep. The best sleep hygiene practices for you will be unique and personal to your lifestyle, preferences, and health history. 

Broch says the main components of sleep hygiene are:

• A consistent bedtime and wake time every day of the week

• A comfortable bedroom environment that supports good sleep

• Daytime habits, including what you eat and drink, your physical activity, and how much natural daylight you get

Sleep hygiene works best when it is consistent and part of your everyday routine. That’s because your body follows a circadian rhythm — an internal clock. A regular daily routine is important to keeping your circadian rhythm regular, too. 

But know this: Everyone’s circadian rhythm is different. The best time for you to go to sleep and wake up is unique to you. And people need different amounts of sleep, too. The ideal sleeping pattern is one that lets you fall asleep quickly when you’re tired and to wake up naturally, feeling refreshed. 

17 tips to improve your sleep hygiene

Science-backed tips for sleep hygiene fit into three main categories: your schedule, your sleep environment, and your diet and lifestyle. We’ll go through each of these categories below and talk about some evidence-based, actionable steps you can take to improve your sleep hygiene.

Remember, everyone has unique needs and circadian clocks. It’s a good idea to try out a few techniques and approaches as you figure out what works best for you.

Schedule and routine

When and how consistently you do certain activities makes a big difference. Here are some tips on scheduling:

1. Go to bed and wake up around the same time every day.

2. Eat around the same time every day, with your last meal at least a few hours before your bedtime.

3. Exercise in the morning. 

4. Get outside in direct sunlight during the morning.

5. Avoid electronics and screens (blue light) an hour or more before bedtime. You can also try blue-light glasses before bed.

Sleep environment

Here are some ways to optimize the conditions of your sleep environment, or where you sleep: 

1. Make sure your bedroom is dark, and consider blackout curtains.

2. Encourage a quiet sleeping environment. If there are high noise levels, a white noise machine can help.

3. Use a supportive mattress and pillow. 

4. Keep your bedroom cool, ideally between 60°F to 67°F degrees.

5. Stop using your bedroom for any activities that aren’t directly related to sleep and intimacy. Specifically, consider making your bedroom a tech-free zone. 

Diet and lifestyle

What you do right before bed and in bed are key to quality sleep. But the things you consume and do throughout the day also make a difference in how well you sleep. Here are some lifestyle tips for better sleep:

1. Avoid caffeine in the afternoon or evening. Try these natural ways to stay alert without caffeine.

2. Cut back on or avoid alcohol in the evening. While it might make you feel sleepy, it can affect the quality of your sleep.

3. Avoid eating and drinking anything late at night.

4. Avoid smoking, since this can also disrupt sleep.

5. Avoid napping frequently or napping too late in the day.

6. Take steps to lower stress levels, like relaxation techniques and mindfulness practice.

7. Exercise regularly. And remember, morning exercise is better for sleep than evening exercise. But exercise at any time is better than none at all.

How do you stick to a sleep hygiene routine?

You’re on the right track if you’ve found some steps you can take to improve your sleep hygiene. Next, you’ll need to turn them into habits you can stick to. 

Here are some tips to help you follow good sleep hygiene habits:

• Write down your goals.

• Start with small steps that feel manageable.

• Set reminders, such as alarms for when to start your bedtime routine.

• Track your progress. This can be in a journal or with a health tracker, like a sleep app. 

• Celebrate your improvements.

• Find a partner to make changes with and stay accountable together.

Troubleshooting

Tried all of the above and it’s still not working? 

In Broch’s experience, “the most common pitfall that people make is they spend too much time in bed awake, both before going to bed and after waking in the morning.” Often people use their phones or other electronic devices, and these can be damaging for a variety of reasons, she told us.

If you’re finding it hard to make changes, or the changes you’re making aren’t improving your sleep, it may be time to talk with your healthcare provider. Broch recommends getting advice from an accredited sleep center, which she told us are often affiliated with hospitals. Trained psychologists can also help to work with you on improving your sleep and well-being — sometimes using cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT). 

And you may need further testing. An underlying sleep disorder or other medical condition might be affecting your sleep. 

What are the benefits of sleep hygiene?

Improved sleep quality will quickly lead to noticeable benefits, including more energy and more focus. You’ll likely also start to see improvements in your mood and mental health.

And that’s not all. Better sleep has long-lasting physical health benefits, too. Poor sleep and insomnia increases the risk for medical problems like obesity, Type 2 diabetes, and heart disease. So, by improving sleep hygiene, you can improve your heart and metabolic health, too.

Who should practice sleep hygiene?

You’re never too old or too young to practice good sleep hygiene. And, no matter how well you think you’re sleeping, enhancing your sleep hygiene is a good life habit. 

Sleep hygiene may be especially important for certain groups of people, including:

• Children and teenagers: Sleep for kids is important for growth and development as well as physical and mental health.

• Shift workers: Working overnight can disrupt sleep, and so setting healthy sleep habits and routines are especially important for people working night shifts.

• People with sleep disorders: If you already suffer from insomnia or other sleep problems, developing good sleep hygiene is important to help improve this.

• People with chronic health conditions: If you have Type 2 diabetes or high blood pressure, good sleep habits are especially important. That’s because there are links between disturbed sleep and metabolic health. Sleeping better can help you manage these health conditions.

• People with mental health conditions: Sleep problems are also associated with mental health conditions, like depression or anxiety. So good sleep hygiene also plays a part in promoting good mental health. 

• Older adults: Older people often have difficulty falling asleep and staying asleep. Better sleep can lead to better energy levels and cognitive (brain) function.

Why trust our experts?

Written by:

Christina Palmer, MD

Christina Palmer, MD, is a board-certified family physician with a focus on chronic care management, women’s health, and mental health. She’s the co-author of “Open Heart: When Open-Heart Surgery Becomes Your Best Option.”.

Edited by:

Sophie Vergnaud, MD

Sophie Vergnaud, MD, is the Senior Medical Director for GoodRx Health. A pulmonologist and hospitalist, she practiced and taught clinical medicine at hospitals in London for a decade before entering a career in health education and technology.

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