Sleep Hygiene (Good sleep habits)

This page has been written by Dr Eriksson and Prof Walker with the input from colleagues in the UCLH insomnia team to provide patients, their family or carers with information about sleep hygiene.  

“Sleep hygiene” is another term for good sleep habits that may help you fall asleep at night. Below are some suggestions that you may find helpful. The list is long and do not feel you need to do all of these strategies at the same time but choose a few to start with!  

• Try to have more regular sleep times. It is probably more important to have a fixed time of getting up in the morning than a fixed bed time to avoid going to bed when you are not sleepy as this may make it more difficult to fall asleep.   
• Switch off your mobile phone and leave it outside the bedroom as phones can be very distractive even when off. It is better to use a regular alarm clock to check time and for wakeup.   
• Avoid caffeine after 2pm. Remember, this includes many soft drinks and chocolate as well as tea and coffee.    
• Avoid alcohol in the four hours before going to bed. Even though alcohol may make it easier to fall asleep, the effect will wear off during the night making it more difficult to stay asleep resulting in disrupted overnight sleep and early awakening.   
• Exercise regularly, but not just before bedtime. Strenuous exercise within two hours of going to bed may make it more difficult to fall asleep. The benefit of exercise may take some time to kick in and may not be apparent until after some months.   
• Reserve the bed for sleep; do not use the bedroom as an office, workroom or recreational room.  
• Do not watch television in bed.    
• Try to establish a bedtime routine such as a warm bath or a few minutes' reading. 
• Practice relaxation techniques before bed such as deep breathing, progressive muscle relaxation, relaxation tapes or yoga.  
• Do not take your worries to bed. You may find it useful to assign a “worry period” during the evening to deal with problems or create a “worry diary” to write down problems which you can deal with later.
• Avoid napping during the day. Sleeping a lot during the day will affect your ability to go to sleep at night. If you do need a nap, try to limit it to 15 minutes. This should also prevent you going into deep sleep from which it is usually more difficult to wake up.   
• If you feel anxious, frustrated or uncomfortable when in bed, get up, do something relaxing and enjoyable and only go back to bed when you are struggling to keep your eyes open.