Give Your Sleep Routine A Makeover With Better Sleep Hygiene Tips

If you’re struggling to get enough sleep, there could be a variety of factors behind your restlessness. It could be poor sleep habits or an inability to set a consistent sleep routine that’s throwing you off. These are common issues that make it tough for people to get the rest they need - and they’re problems that you have likely already heard about.

But did you know that your hygiene could be playing a role as well?

When we talk about hygiene in relation to sleep habits, there are two basic categories to consider. There’s sleep hygiene, which refers to your sleep routine and things like the use of technology before bedtime, along with regular hygiene - how you care for yourself during the entire day plays a big role in how well you sleep at night.

If you’re ready to give your sleep routine a makeover, consider these sleep tips for better hygiene and overall rest.

Why Good Sleep is Essential

If you want to stay healthy, developing good hygiene habits is key - but so, too, is getting enough sleep.

Without sleep, your body won’t be able to function at its best. Poor sleep has immediate and negative effects on exercise performance, brain function, and hormones. It can lead to weight gain and increased risk of a medley of diseases.

On the flip side, good sleep will help you exercise more and perform better, eat less, and be healthier overall.

Unfortunately, as a whole, our sleep quality and quantity have both declined over the last few decades. Many people regularly get poor or inadequate sleep.

Clean Surfaces

Maintaining a clean, tidy home won’t necessarily put your insomnia to bed (no pun intended). However, you may sleep better when you have reduced anxiety over the germs that may be lurking in your home - so keeping a clean home is part and parcel with better sleep.

It’s important to clean both to remove clutter and distractions that can make you more agitated (which in turn, makes it harder to drift off). Of course, you should also focus your cleaning efforts on disinfecting. Use a cleaner that has the ability to kill viruses lingering on hard surfaces - those that contain alcohol, hydrogen peroxide, or chlorine are best for this.

When using these products, bear in mind that you need to heed instructions. A quick spritz of a disinfecting spray usually won’t be enough to thoroughly disinfect a surface. In most cases, you’ll need to let the product remain on the surface, staying visibly wet while the surface dries.

That’s bad news for those of us who like to wipe a surface down until it appears dry. Don’t do this! You’ll just be spreading germs around (and making more work for yourself).

You don’t have to rely on store-bought disinfecting wipes to get the job done, either. In fact, you can use things like diluted household bleach or rubbing alcohol to get things clean.

Use Disposable Products

Consider using disposable products to get your home clean rather than relying on reusable options like cloth rags. Although these can be more affordable (and in many cases, more environmentally friendly) they just aren't going to cut it when it comes to overall cleanliness.

Think about it - you’re increasing the risk of spreading germs around.

Instead, use disposable paper towels or disinfecting wipes. Set yourself up on a solid cleaning routine. In the morning, you can replace your hand towels and wipes down germy areas like drawer knobs, microwaves, stove knobs, and the refrigerator door. It’s also a good time to disinfect sponges and faucets.

In the evening, you can go around and disinfect light switches, faucets, and toilet handles. Surfaces that get a lot of use during the day also should be disinfected - think things like phones, television remote, and tablets. Don’t forget areas outside the home, like inside your car, either.

Use A Targeted Hygiene Approach

Be very specific in your approach to hygiene. Create a routine that you can follow on a daily, weekly, or monthly basis. It can be overwhelming to think about the massive task of disinfecting your entire home, so using a routine will help you streamline everything you need to do while also making it easy to reach all the high-touch areas in your home.

Be sure to address the “germiest” areas of the home, such as your house keys, television remote, light switches, doorknobs, kitchen cabinet handles or knobs, refrigerator door handles, and faucet handles.

Depending on how your home is laid out and which areas you tend to use the most, you may want to target other areas in your cleaning routine, too.

Increase Natural Lighting

Increasing natural lighting in your home isn’t just good for your cleaning regimen (we’re looking at you, grimy countertops that are revealed when exposed to full lighting!) but it’s also essential for our health.

Opening up a few curtains can be super helpful when it comes to making over your sleep routine. That’s because your body has a natural clock known as a circadian rhythm that affects your hormones, body, and your brain, telling it when it’s time to sleep as well as when you need to stay awake.

Natural sunlight during the day will help keep your circadian rhythm healthy, boosting your daytime energy as well as your nighttime sleep duration and quality.

If you have insomnia, getting bright light during the day will reduce the amount of time it takes you to fall asleep and can increase the amount of sleep you get overall.

Getting enough natural light is essential but so, too, is reducing blue light exposure. Blue light exposure is emitted from devices like computers and smartphones. These devices emit light that make your brain think that it is still daytime. They also reduce hormones like melatonin that naturally help you drift off to dreamland.

Try to reduce your exposure to blue light at night. Powering these devices off a few hours before you want to hit the sheets is ideal but if that’s not an option, you might try wearing blue-light-blocking glasses or downloading an app like f.lux to block the light that is emitted from your computer.

Sleep Naturally Boosts Immune System

One of the frustrating (and ironic) realities of hygiene and sleep is that one naturally begets the other. If you don’t get enough sleep, your immune system will suffer - but if you are fighting a cold or worried about getting sick, you’re probably not going to sleep that great, either.

Try your best to get high-quality sleep on a consistent basis - but don’t get too down on yourself if you find yourself unable to get any shut-eye. Stressing about sleep is a surefire way to make sure you don’t get any!

However, it’s important to strive for quality sleep and to be aware of its benefits. Sleep helps your body produce and release cytokine, which is a protein that enables your immune system to tackle toxins that are foreign to your body. They also encourage your cells to communicate with each other and direct them to fight infections.

There are several supplements you can take that will not only boost your sleep quality but can also help you fight infections, too. These include ginkgo biloba, glycine, valerian root, magnesium, lavender, and l-theanine. Check with a doctor before consuming any of them, but do keep in mind that they can offer a multitude of health benefits (including improved sleep).

Why Is Sleep So Important For The Immune System?

Good sleep helps boost your immune system in so many ways. In addition to the release of cytokines, sleep helps foster T cell production. These beneficial (and highly necessary) white blood cells destroy cells that harbor viruses.

If you don’t get enough sleep (or get good quality sleep), the production of T cells and cytokines is blocked. This makes it much more difficult for your body to fight infections and recover from illnesses.

Your body simply needs good sleep in order to fight infectious diseases. How much sleep you need will vary depending on your age and health. Ideally, you should be getting around seven to eight hours of quality sleep per night. Teenagers need a bit more - around nine or ten hours - while younger children may need ten or more hours of sleep. 

More isn’t always better, though  - if you’re an adult sleeping more than nine to ten hours per night, it can backfire. While you might be in bed for longer, the quality of sleep you are receiving isn’t as high. This can make it more difficult for you to fall and stay asleep, causing ill effects in and of itself.

Try to reduce your daytime napping, too. While a quick power nap here or there isn't a bad thing, taking long naps throughout the day can seriously impact your sleep. It confuses your body’s clock and makes it harder to fall asleep at night. Stick to naps that are half an hour or less.

Incorporate These Sleep Tips for Better Hygiene

As you can see, good sleep is essential for better health - and better hygiene is essential for better sleep. It’s a circle that is absolutely essential to pay attention to!

If you want to start sleeping better to improve your health, you may need to makeover your routine.

There are several habits that can improve your sleep health.

For one, be consistent. Try to head to bed at approximately the same time each night and get up at the same time every morning - even on the weekends! Sleeping in too late to make up for a bad night’s sleep might sound like a good idea at the moment, but in reality, it will make it harder for your body to adjust and can lead to a never-ending cycle of insomnia.

Another way to improve your sleep hygiene is to ensure that your bedroom is dark, quiet, and cool. Get rid of any electronic devices, like computers, smartphones, and television that might be in the bedroom.

Your body and bedroom temperature play a big role in your overall health and sleep quality. In most cases, the cooler the better, both for your immune functioning and for your quality of sleep. Increased room temperatures can decrease your sleep quality and increase levels of wakefulness. 70 degrees Fahrenheit tends to be ideal for most adults, though this depends on your habits.

Try to avoid caffeine, large meals, and alcohol, too. These all have the potential to disrupt your sleep. Even if you fall asleep right away (which is often the case after that beloved nightcap you have each night to wind down!) you will likely find yourself waking more often during the night. 

Caffeine, in particular, can be detrimental late in the day. Although a single dose may help you focus and improve athletic performance, consuming too much caffeine within six hours before bedtime can dramatically reduce your sleep quality. Remember that it’s not just coffee that contains caffeine, either - you also need to watch out for things like tea and chocolate.

Do your best to relax in the hours before bed. You may want to take a long shower or bath - or you can simply unwind with a book or some relaxing music. Whatever it is that works for you, it doesn’t matter - just find something that works well and try to stick to it!

Last but not least, try to get some exercise. Being active during the day will help you fall asleep more easily at night - and it will give you more energy on the days you don’t get enough rest, too.

Better Sleep Habits and Hygiene Tips To Consider For Quality Sleep

The end of the day is a time for winding down and getting ready to sleep. A good night’s rest can replenish your energy, improve your mood, and help you get through tomorrow’s schedule with ease. These hygiene tips and sleep tips will make it easier for you to fall asleep tonight.

Follow these simple steps before bedtime so you wake up feeling refreshed in the morning.

Jessica Lauren is Founder, contributing Author and Owner of Citrus Sleep. Citrus Sleep is an online publication that highlights brands, sleep products, women’s fashion, subscription services and ideas creating positive social change and promoting a healthy lifestyle. After spending nearly a decade working in PR and marketing for several brands and startups, Jessica knows what truly drives conversions, sold-out launches and guest posts.

Follow Jessica at @jessicalaurencs | Jessica Lauren

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