Sleep Hygiene Handout: Guide to a Good Night’s Rest

Getting enough sleep is one of the most important things you can do for yourself. It is the time for the body to rest and recover from the stress of the day.

Lack of sleep affects the other functions of the body, such as your metabolism, immunity, cell regeneration and affects the person’s mental acuity. It is no wonder that you need to get a good night’s rest as much as possible.

A good sleep hygiene handout will help remind you of the necessary things you must do to be able to achieve this. Primary on the list it to keep a regular sleep schedule, to train your body to fall asleep and wake up at the same time on a regular basis.

To do this, you shouldn’t stay up late at night nor should you try to sleep in on the weekends to make up for your sleep debt.

Also, you should physically and mentally prepare yourself to go to sleep. Don’t eat so close to bedtime, have only a light dinner and avoid consuming caffeine after 2pm and don’t exercise so close to bedtime or you’ll have a difficult time winding down.

Take a warm bath, change your clothes and avoid dealing with issues, problems or starting tasks when you are about to sleep. Calm down your thoughts and don’t dwell on negative issues.

Create a conducive environment to fall asleep. Your bedroom shouldn’t be your place of work. Prepare a nice, clean bed, make your room dark and ensure the temperature is comfortable for you.

Purchase the best quality sheets and pillows you can afford to make your bedroom as comfortable as possible.

Aromatherapy may help, such as lavender, to help you ease into sleep, you may want to use some linen spray on your sheets.  If you must, use a white noise machine, especially if you live in a noisy area to drown out any noise.

If you can’t sleep, try drinking a cup of warm chamomile tea. Don’t force yourself to fall asleep. You should gently ease into it. If you find yourself tossing and turning, try reading a book for a few minutes before trying again.

Keep the information found in your sleep hygiene handout at hand so you can get a good night’s rest.