Sleep Hygiene Tips & Checklist for Sleep Awareness Month

sleep-hygiene-tips-sleep-hygiene-checklist

March is Sleep Awareness Month and the perfect time to highlight the importance of getting enough high-quality rest. As we are a few months into the year, it’s an opportunity to check in on your health goals for the year and adjust to get you back on track if things have slipped. Sleep is directly tied to your overall health, affecting everything from how your brain functions and your emotional well-being, to the strength of your immune system and heart health.

Unfortunately, too many of us experience poor sleep quality and don’t get enough. An estimated 1 in 3 adults don’t get the recommended amount of uninterrupted sleep on a regular basis1. This can be caused by stress, inconsistent schedules, or bad habits that make getting to sleep (and staying asleep) harder than it should be. That’s where good sleep hygiene comes in—by adopting simple, consistent sleep-friendly habits, you can set yourself up for better rest every night.

In this guide, we’re discussing what good sleep hygiene is, why it matters, and how you can improve your sleep habits with an easy-to-follow sleep hygiene checklist. Learn how these impact your overall health, and get some sleep hygiene tips that’ll make it easier to implement in your daily routine. Whether you’re looking to wake up feeling more refreshed, fall asleep faster, or improve your sleep quality, these strategies can help.

What Is Good Sleep Hygiene and Why Is It Important?

For Sleep Awareness Month this year, take the time to learn what good sleep hygiene really is, and ways you can improve it to impact your well-being positively. Having a good strategy for sleep hygiene tips will complement your other health goals. 

First of all, what is good sleep hygiene? Good sleep hygiene is a term that references your daily habits and environment that affect how you sleep. Following a consistent bedtime routine, maintaining a comfortable sleep space, and limiting things that disrupt sleep like blue light exposure can help you get more restorative sleep and wake up feeling refreshed and re-energized.

Why does this matter? It matters because sleep quality has an effect on so many functions and systems in your body. When you’re getting poor sleep on a regular basis, it can have negative impacts on cognitive function, mood, metabolism, and how your body fights off illness. Chronic sleep deprivation has been associated with more serious health conditions like heart disease, diabetes, anxiety, and depression. Following good sleep hygiene tips supports your body and mind getting the rest they need.

Additional Info: Want to read more on the importance of sleep hygiene tips and practices? Learn about how you heal while you sleep after this article.

Sleep Hygiene Checklist

The good news? Good sleep hygiene doesn’t have to be complicated. It’s all about making minor, simple adjustments to your daily routine and bedroom environment that help with how to improve sleep quality. Whether you struggle with falling asleep, staying asleep, or just feeling rested when you wake up, this easy-to-follow sleep hygiene checklist can help improve your sleep quality.

Our sleep hygiene checklist suggests that you:

✅ Stick to a consistent sleep schedule (even on weekends).

✅ Limit screen time before bed to avoid blue light exposure.

✅ Create a relaxing night time routine to tell your body it's time to wind down.

✅ Keep your bedroom cool, dark, and quiet for optimal sleep conditions.

✅ Avoid caffeine and heavy meals too close to bedtime.

Now, let’s break down why each of these sleep hygiene checklist items is so important.

1. Stick to a Consistent Sleep Schedule

Your body has an internal clock that’s referred to as your circadian rhythm. This kind of internal clock is responsible for dictating when you feel sleepy and when you feel awake. When you start going to bed and waking up at the same time every day, you’re reinforcing that natural rhythm and getting your body into a healthy habit. It makes it easier for you to fall asleep and wake up without feeling groggy.

Irregular sleep patterns (like staying up late on weekends) can throw off this cycle, leading to difficulty sleeping and daytime fatigue. That’s why good sleep hygiene depends partially on consistency.

2. Limit Screen Time Before Bed

We spend more time on electronic devices than we realize. The blue light emitted from phones, tablets, and TVs reduce melatonin levels in your body, which is the hormone that helps you feel sleepy.

If you’re scrolling through social media or watching TV right before bed, your body gets mixed signals and may stay more alert than it should. That makes it more challenging to fall asleep and reinforces habits that are counterproductive to good sleep hygiene. Instead of scrolling TikTok or Instagram, try switching to a book, dimming the lights, or listening to calming music before you go to bed.

3. Create a Relaxing Night Time Routine

Our brains love a routine. Having a relaxing night time routine can help train your body to recognize when it’s time for sleep. Doing things like stretching, reading, or taking a warm bath reduce stress levels naturally and help your body get into rest mode.

Just like with the timing, consistency is key here. If you do the same routine every night, your brain will start associating those actions with sleep. It’s one of the most straightforward sleep hygiene tips you can follow that could make a noticeable impact quickly.

4. Create an Environment for Good Sleep Hygiene

Factors like temperature, lighting, and noise all affect your sleep quality. Studies suggest that the ideal sleeping temperature is around 60-67°F2. A cooler environment tells your body that it's time to shut down for the night. A dark room helps with adequate melatonin production, as having too much light can disrupt it. Simple sleep hygiene tips for creating a better environment include using white noise machines, using earplugs, or adding blackout curtains to your room.

5. Avoid Caffeine and Eating Too Close to Bedtime

Last on our sleep hygiene checklist is avoiding caffeine or eating too close to your bedtime. Caffeine is a stimulant that can stay in your system for hours, making it harder for you to fall asleep. Try to cut off caffeine intake at least 6 hours before bedtime and see the impact it has.

Beyond just avoiding caffeine, try not to eat large or heavy meals right before bed since it can make it harder to relax and unwind. This is because it may lead to digestive discomfort or conditions like acid reflux. If you’re hungry later in the evening, go for a lighter snack like a banana or a handful of almonds, instead.

Sleep Hygiene Tips

Practicing good sleep hygiene isn’t just about what you do before bed, it’s about the choices you make throughout the day that impact how you sleep at night. Here are some additional tips to help you build better sleep habits:

  1. Get sunlight exposure in the morning: Sunlight helps regulate your body’s sleep/wake cycle, making it easier to feel alert during the day and sleepy at night.

  2. Exercise regularly: Physical activity can help you fall asleep faster, but intense workouts right before bed might keep you awake. Try low-impact exercises like walking or swimming to help regulate your energy levels and get better sleep.

  3. Limit naps to 20-30 minutes: Naps are healthy. A short nap can help you feel relaxed and recharged. However, long naps (especially in the late afternoon) can hurt your sleep routine.

  4. Use tools like zero gravity chairs for good sleep hygiene: The zero gravity sleep position may help your body recover faster, heal more efficiently, feel better, and even improve your mental health. Models like Motion Mastery zero gravity lounge chair even have lay-flat abilities that take the zero gravity sleep position a step further for even better potential results.

  5. Use your bed only for sleep and relaxation: Avoid working, eating, or watching TV in bed so that your brain associates it with rest. Furniture like zero gravity recliners serve as great options for ways to relax and unwind before you get into bed for the night.

  6. Reduce stress before bedtime: Try deep breathing exercises, meditating, or journaling to clear your mind and keep your mind from racing as you try to go to sleep for the night.

Bonus Info: Tools like zero gravity chairs can make a noticeable improvement to your sleep quality. Learn more ways sleeping in a zero gravity chair improves sleep quality after this article.

Follow Sleep Hygiene Tips and Get Better Sleep

Getting better sleep doesn’t have to be difficult. All it takes is a few changes to your routine to implement sleep hygiene tips. This year for Sleep Awareness Month, try integrating our sleep hygiene checklist to improve your habits and get yourself on track for healthier living. By sticking to a schedule, creating a sleep-friendly environment, and following other easy sleep hygiene tips and practices, you’re setting yourself up for more restful nights and more energetic days.

Disclaimer: This content is not medical advice. Please consult with your healthcare professional when considering implementing changes to your health or workout routines to ensure it’s compatible with your needs.

Additional Sources:

  1. https://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health-topics/education-and-awareness/sleep-health

  2. https://health.clevelandclinic.org/what-is-the-ideal-sleeping-temperature-for-my-bedroom

Back to Health & Wellness