Are you practising good sleep hygiene?

Step 1

First things first – work out how much sleep you need per night. While your sleep needs can fluctuate depending on your daily activities, experts recommend that most adults should clock up 7 to 9 hours sleep each night for optimal sleep health. Older people (over 65) may get by on a bit less.²

Do the math. Not receiving at least seven hours? Perhaps it's time to start setting a reminder at least an hour before you're supposed to start winding down for the day.

Try to keep to a regular bedtime and avoid daytime napping — you might find it harder to fall asleep at night if you're sneaking in a few ZZZs during the day.

Step 2

Have you ever tried to fall asleep straight after eating a big bowl of rice or drinking a caffeinated beverage?

You might think that what you eat and drink just affects your physical health, but it can also affect the quality of your sleep.

To make sure you set yourself up for a restful night, try to avoid eating a heavy meal at least 3 hours before you call it a night. Spicy and acidic foods are also ones to avoid — no-one wants to endure heartburn at bedtime! ³

While many people wind down with a nightcap, it's wise to give alcohol a miss in the evening. An alcoholic drink might help you relax and fall asleep in the short-term, but it's actually considered to be a poor sleep aid and can reduce your sleep quality.⁴

Step 3

It might sound simple and make logical sense, but step number 3 is often easier said than done: Try to avoid stressful situations before bedtime.

If you're racing around the house late at night to get lunch and clothes prepared for the next day, doing the laundry, ironing, or stacking the dishwasher, chances are you'll find it hard to switch off straight away when you climb into bed.

Create a buffer between your preferred bedtime and tasks, technology and other time-zappers — even if it's just half an hour to read a book, take a bath, or reduce the ambient light, and just relax.

Decreasing the ambient light helps promote the production of melatonin, a sleep-inducing hormone triggered by darkness.

Quality sleep is vital for your overall health and well-being and it all begins with proper sleep hygiene.

If you're searching for more ways to help you sleep, try downloading this free eBook full of proven tips and tricks.

You can download your free copy of the '8 Ways to Sleep Better Tonight' eBook here.