Is My Sleep Quality Good Enough?
Let’s Talk About Sleep Hygiene
Sleep Quality & Hygiene
You wake up in the morning, but you do not feel rested. It feels like you just closed your eyes for a few minutes. You ask yourself, “Is my sleep quality actually good enough?”
To answer that, we have to look at your sleep hygiene.
I know that sounds like washing your sheets. You should do that too. But sleep hygiene actually means the habits and environment you create before your head hits the pillow.
We have already talked about light. Using blue light blocking glasses at night and a Happy Light in the morning. But there are two other critical factors you need to address.
Number One: Temperature
Your body needs to cool down to drop into deep sleep. If your room is too warm, your body struggles to shut down. In my experience, the magic number is usually around 68 degrees.
Think of your bedroom like a cave. Dark, quiet, and cool.
Number Two: Consistency
This is the one people hate hearing. If you are struggling with insomnia, the most important thing you can do is get up at the exact same time every day. Yes, even on weekends.
You cannot force yourself to fall asleep. But you can force yourself to wake up at the same time. This sets the timer for your melatonin release at night. It anchors your circadian rhythm.
I had a patient who was at her wits’ end. She kept waking up at 3 AM every single night. We made small changes. She cooled her room down. She wore a simple sleep mask to block out street lights. And she committed to a strict 7 AM wake-up time.
Within two weeks, she was sleeping through the night.
So here is your question. What is one change you could make tonight to improve your sleep? Cool down the room? Set that alarm for tomorrow morning? Small steps add up fast.
Authored by Gerard Guillory, MD
Gerard Guillory, MD, is a board-certified internist who practiced for nearly four decades with a focus on functional, root-cause medicine. He is the author of three books on irritable bowel syndrome and the founder of It’s My Health, where he and his team put current health news in context and help members understand the underlying causes of chronic symptoms.
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