Sleep is extremely important. When our sleep quality or quantity is lacking, it can begin to affect our physical and mental health.

The practice of having great sleep habits is known as sleep hygiene. Improving your sleep hygiene is vital to your overall health and quality of life. The behaviors that contribute to sleep hygiene don’t just involve the things you do right before bed. They involve every aspect of your day.

From hiring a Denver bed bug heat treatment company to get rid of unwanted pests to creating a nightly relaxation routine, there are lots of great things that you can do to boost your sleep hygiene. It doesn’t need to be complicated and it’s all about finding what works best for you.

Here are some top things to try when you want to improve your sleep hygiene.

Create a Night Time Routine

One of the best ways to maintain a great sleeping practice is to keep a consistent bedtime routine.  When you start your routine each night, your body will recognize that it’s time for bed and will naturally begin to produce more melatonin, the ’sleep hormone’.

Some great things to include in your bedtime routine include:

• Taking a hot shower

• Meditation or meditation journaling

• Performing some gentle stretches

• Listening to some relaxing music

• Reading a paperback book

Things to avoid in your bed time routine include intense exercise, drinking caffeinated beverages, and using artificially lit electronic devices, such as your mobile, laptop, and TV.

Exercise Daily

Although experts recommend that you don’t perform any high-intensity exercise within the last few hours of the day, exercise is essential for good sleep hygiene.

Even just 30 minutes of movement each day can significantly improve your sleep quality. These benefits are amplified if you exercise outdoors where you can expose yourself to lots of sunlight and breathe in the fresh air.

Sunlight helps to regulate your natural sleep-wake cycle by stimulating or suppressing the production of certain hormones in your body.

If you can’t exercise outdoors, indoor exercise can still be effective in helping you to sleep better. Try to work out in the morning or afternoon. Avoid exercising late in the evening as it increases your core body temperature, which can make it more difficult for you to get to sleep.

Find the Perfect Room Temperature

The temperature of your room makes a significant difference to the quality of your sleep. It’s one of the most important factors when it comes to your ability to drift off to sleep.

For most people, a room temperature of around 60-67 degrees Fahrenheit for optimal sleep. You may need to adjust your thermostat or invest in a heater or fan for your bedroom to achieve the optimal room temperature.

Your bedroom should also be dark and quiet. Get some opaque curtains and blinds to block any incoming light from the window and avoid using any bright lights just before you go to bed.

If you do need to use light before bed, such as when you’re reading or stretching, use a sunset lamp that emits a soft glow and doesn’t disrupt your melatonin production