Did you know that good sleep hygiene can prevent depression or, if you suffer from it, relieve it? By applying good habits in your bedroom and in the hours before you go to bed, your night’s sleep improves. As soon as it’s bedtime, close your eyes and you’ll be off to dreamland in no time. In the morning you wake up rested and you have enough energy for the whole day. Does that sound like music to your ears, but you don’t know how to do that? Then these sleep hygiene advices are really something for you!

What is Sleep Hygiene?

Sleep hygiene is another word for good sleeping habits. Those things that ensure that you fall asleep quickly, sleep well and wake up rested. They relate to what you do in your bedroom and bed, but also how you organize your life outside of it. There are countless tips, and some habits are more useful than others. The five pieces of advice below will help most people sleep like babies.

Improve sleep hygiene? The five best pieces of advice!

1. Avoid blue light for better sleep hygiene

In the old days, when it was dark at night and we only had a little fire at most, our eyes and brains adjust that it’s time for bed. Due to the lack of daylight, our brains produced the hormone melatonin, which makes us sleepy. But with our busy lives in a world of artificial light, that is no longer so easy. By going outside during the day and avoiding a lot of light at night, you can recalibrate your internal clock. A light on in the living room is of course fine, but avoid large light shows and be sure to watch out for the last hour and a half before bedtime with the blue light of your smartphone, tablet or other screens, these are disastrous for your melatonin production.

2. Cool bedroom improves your sleep hygiene

You sleep better in a cooler room. On average, 18 degrees is the ideal temperature to lie in your bed, but that differs from person to person. Two degrees lower than the comfortable living room temperature is also a good guideline. However, extra heat does not necessarily have to be turned on; an extra blanket also works wonders. And of course, you can cool down a bedroom by opening the window. A crack is often enough for good ventilation. The air cools down slightly and the higher oxygen content is super healthy too.

3. Regular sleep rhythm to improve sleep hygiene

Your internal clock likes regularity! If you go to bed around the same time every day and get up around the same time every day, including on weekends, your body will get used to it quickly. This way you automatically get tired around bedtime and you fall into a deep sleep faster . When your bedtime changes often, your brain waits longer to produce melatonin, which means you fall asleep later. A regular bedtime routine can also help.

4. Turn your alarm clock

When you lie awake, you quickly tend to see what time it is. That is not a bad thing, but the stream of thoughts does get going for many people. ‘It is now almost 2 o’clock, the alarm goes off at 6.30 am, then I only have 4.5 hours left to sleep. I did go to bed at half past 11, but first lay awake until 12 o’clock, and now it’s already an hour. At most 6.5 hours sleep tonight, and I must be fit tomorrow, I hope I fall asleep now.’ And falling asleep is certainly not possible… Turn your alarm clock so that when you wake up you have no idea what time it is. Pretend it’s those wonderful 10 minutes before your alarm goes off, you turn around one more time and before you know it the alarm rings that it’s time to get up.

5. Get enough sleep and relaxation

Those who relax enough during the day benefit from it at night. Your body knows how to release the little bits of stress. This makes it easier to relax and fall asleep in your bed. A good mattress also helps with this, of course. Discover here the influence of a good mattress on your night’s sleep .