Sleep Hygiene

Sleep hygiene is defined as the principles and practices that improve sleep quality. These principles and practices encompass the regulation and improvement of behavioral and environmental factors. Sleep hygiene includes daily practices, habits, and environmental adjustments necessary to enhance sleep quality throughout the night. Adequate sleep hygiene is associated with increased sleep satisfaction and quality, and a reduction in the frequency of sleep disturbances.

The Importance of Sleep Hygiene 

Sleep is a basic physiological need, like air, water, and food, and an important component of health. Sleep plays a significant role in regulating metabolic processes, emotional regulation, physical performance, memory, and learning. Sleep hygiene is important for maintaining sleep health. Inadequate sleep hygiene often leads to impairments in daily life activities due to the inability to achieve quality sleep and daytime alertness. Sleep hygiene practices are important for improving sleep quality.

Sleep Hygiene Strategies and Principles

Sleep hygiene strategies involve the regulation of behavioral and environmental factors that can be used in the treatment of some sleep disturbances. Sleep hygiene education is commonly used within strategies for coping with sleep disorders. These adjustments are an effective, inexpensive, and side-effect-free approach in the management of sleep disorders.

Sleep hygiene principles and practices are addressed in the following sub-dimensions:

Regulation of the Sleep Environment:

• Noise, Temperature, and Lighting: The main environmental factors affecting falling asleep and maintaining sleep are noise, room temperature, the presence of stimuli, and bright light. An excessively hot or cold room makes it difficult to fall asleep, increases wakefulness, and reduces REM sleep and slow-wave sleep. It is recommended that the room temperature be below 24°C. The bedroom should be kept dark (dim) and quiet.
• Bed and Bedroom Use: The bed should only be used for sleeping. Watching television, reading books, or using technology in bed can make it difficult to fall asleep. Technology use in bed should be avoided, and technology use should cease 30 minutes before bedtime.
• Other Environmental Factors: It is recommended that pets not be allowed in the bedroom.

Regulation of Sleep Timing:

• Regular Sleep Hours: Going to bed and waking up at the same time every day increases the synchronization of the circadian rhythm and helps maintain sleep.
• Sufficient Sleep Duration: Total sleep time should be planned differently for each age group. It is recommended that adults sleep an average of 7-8 hours a day.
• Daytime Napping: It is recommended to avoid napping during the day.
• Sleep Onset Latency: If it takes longer than 20 minutes to fall asleep, it is recommended to leave the bedroom and engage in a boring and calm activity until feeling sleepy.

Regulation of Daily Activities:

• Exercise: Regular exercise positively affects sleep health. It is recommended to engage in regular aerobic exercise for 20-30 minutes at least 4-5 times a week. However, exercising within 3 hours before bedtime should be avoided.

Regulation of Food and Drink Intake:

• Stimulants: Caffeinated beverages should be restricted 4-6 hours before bedtime or after 4:00 PM. Since nicotine has a stimulating effect, smoking can cause difficulty falling asleep and impair sleep quality. Smoking should be avoided before bedtime (if possible, during night hours, at least 2 hours before bed) and if awakened during the night.
• Alcohol: Alcohol consumption can make it difficult to fall asleep and lead to insufficient sleep. Alcohol, which causes sleep fragmentation, should not be consumed at night.
• Heavy Meals: Eating a heavy meal before bedtime at night can make it difficult to fall asleep. If an individual is hungry before bed, it is recommended to have a snack instead of a large meal.
• Milk and Dairy Products: Drinking milk or eating cheese has been stated to facilitate falling asleep. Drinking milk before bed is recommended.

Regulations Regarding Mental Control:

• Stress Management: Stress can lead to sleep disorders by causing the activation of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis.
• Relaxation Techniques: Mental activities that stimulate the mind should be avoided just before bedtime (e.g., watching action movies, engaging in stimulating conversations). Relaxation techniques such as listening to music, staying calm, using visual imagery, and doing relaxation exercises are recommended. Deep breathing exercises send signals to the nervous system, slowing down neuronal activity and heart rate, thus promoting sleep.

Situations Where Sleep Hygiene is Used 

Sleep hygiene adjustments are widely used for insomnia, circadian rhythm disorders, and sleep disorders such as obstructive sleep apnea. Furthermore, sleep hygiene programs play a key role in the treatment of insomnia and the reduction of excessive daytime sleepiness, increasing sleep satisfaction, the quality and nature of sleep, and reducing the frequency of sleep disorders. Sleep hygiene can be carried out 전쟁 with a multi-component behavioral therapy that includes sleep physiology, stimulus control therapy for dysfunctional beliefs, sleep restriction, and relaxation training.

Research and Findings 

Studies have shown that inadequate sleep hygiene is associated with poor sleep quality, especially in university students, nurses working in hospitals, and medical students. In a study conducted on university students, it was found that male students had poorer sleep hygiene than female students, and factors such as living away from parental supervision, poor perception of quality of life, smoking and alcohol use, excessive internet use, and inconsistencies in sleep hours negatively affected their sleep hygiene. Another study found that thinking, planning, or worrying in bed was the most common behavior among students that most negatively affected sleep hygiene. Sleep hygiene education provided to patients discharged from the coronary intensive care unit (CICU) was observed to improve their sleep quality in the third month after discharge. In a study conducted with psychiatric patients, sleep hygiene education was also found to provide a statistically significant improvement in patients' sleep status.

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