Improving Sleep Hygiene is Absolutely Crucial to Long-Term Health

Shawn. M 

Living on the go is one of the many unhealthy norms we have today. Waking up at six in the morning to leave for the office at eight. And then coming back home at nine at night to go to bed by one.

And that's not it.

The internet's got us all trapped and engaged. So, even after going to bed late at night, an average individual may spend at least about one good hour mindlessly scrolling through the feed. That'll take you to about 2 am or 3 am.

With that said, you may find yourself with a disturbed sleeping pattern. Sometimes sleeping at 12, sometimes at 2, or sometimes at three, or so.

Needless to say, such a disturbed sleeping pattern with bare minimum rest hours damages the health in the long run. And unfortunately, it causes permanent damage. How so, let's evaluate.

What is Sleep Hygiene?

To truly understand the intensity and potential of possible damage, let us first understand the concept of Sleep Hygiene.

By definition, sleep hygiene refers to a behavioral and environmental practice. It aims to assist people suffering from disturbed sleep patterns. Be it in the form of lack of sleep, excessive sleep, or insomnia. It aims to develop a healthy and punctual sleeping routine to ensure a good night's sleep. Also, improving sleep hygiene may require changes in multiple aspects of life, the details of which are discussed below. 

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Sleep's Impact on Health 

Okay, so we know what sleep hygiene happens to be. But, why are we paying any attention to the term? What's the point?

Well, we're considering this keenly because sleep has a direct relation to your health. Poor sleep means poor health. On the contrary, good sleep means good health, increased productivity, and a happy lifestyle.

To explain this phenomenon in greater detail:

Physical Impact 

• Sleeping insufficiently for inadequate hours can lead to weight gain. A study proved that 55 percent and 89 percent of adults and children are more likely to develop obesity due to short sleep duration.
• Poor sleep may increase the risk of cardiovascular diseases. Research, surveys, and experiments have proved over and over again that people who get less than 8 hours of sleep are at a higher risk of stroke.
• Along with obesity, unhealthy sleeping patterns may negatively impact metabolism. An experiment revealed that a constant pattern of four to six hours of sleep at night led to prediabetes symptoms. Thus, affecting the blood sugar level and increasing the risk of type 2 diabetes. 

Mental Impact 

• Sleeping helps restore the memories of the day. It lives it over again to store them safely. Hence, sleep deprivation may adversely impact memory function. And we may not be able to retain memories for long.
• Excessive or insufficient sleep also affects our emotional well-being. With too much or too little of it, we start developing an irritated mood, which eventually impacts our relationship with ourselves and others. We tend to mess up, unable to process and understand things. Thus, failing at different aspects of life and getting pushed into the pits of depression.
• As mentioned earlier, a disturbed sleeping routine impacts our ability to process. Now, this phenomenon does not only occur in our external environment but within our body as well. The internal coordination of organs gets disrupted, and we suffer from more disorders and diseases. For example, lack of sleep may lead to kidney disease, particularly in women. 

How to Improve Your Sleep Routine? 

The above are only a few glimpses into the long-term permanent damage that lack of sleep hygiene can cause. It can practically shorten our lifespan! Given that, what is it that you can do to improve your sleep routine? How can you keep yourself protected from the claws of diseases and disorders?

Well, the change should begin from within. First, you need to align your focus and firmly intend to set things right.

Next, set up a sleep schedule. Observe your circadian rhythm and determine when you feel the sleepiest. According to this, set up a schedule of going to bed and waking up. And follow this even on the weekends. Make sure you keep at least 8 hours. If you have trouble falling asleep, get out of bed. Do something relaxing, such as listening to soothing music. If that doesn't help either, consider herbal solutions like CBD oil. These can have calming effects. Get back to bed when you feel tired and drowsy.

Second, fix your eating and drinking schedule. Quit consuming alcohol or caffeinated drinks before bedtime and consume at least three meals at equal intervals.

Moreover, pay attention to your bedroom environment. Proper sleeping hygiene demands that you create a restful environment. Keep it dark and cool to soothe your nerves.

Final Words

Before signing off, let's shed light on one important factor. At times, people may be sleeping less than eight hours daily. Or may have their eight hours of sleep divided irregularly throughout the day. Despite having such a routine, they may not observe any adverse impacts.

Our advice to them would be to take their measures beforehand because the symptoms and effects are not visible only currently. The lack or excess may be causing internal damage that may not only be hard to detect but also hard to address if it's too late. So, better be careful than sorry!

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Author Bio:
Shawn Mack is a content writer who offers ghostwriting, copy-writing, and blogging services.His educational background in business and technical field has given him a broad base from which to approach many topics. He is also fond of writing interesting articles on technology & digital marketing related topics.  

NOTE: The views expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily represent or reflect the views of Nannocare. Nannocare is not affiliated, associated, authorized, endorsed by, or in any way officially connected with the author of this article, or any of its subsidiaries or its affiliates.