How to create healthy sleeping habits, and why it’s important

BY BRENNA DEMPSEY

Executive Producer

Healthy sleep habits offer many benefits, and it can be pretty straightforward when it comes to building them.

Forming better sleeping habits can improve your overall health and regulate your emotions.

The National Sleep Foundation (NSF) focuses on improving health and well-being through sleep education and advocacy.

“Having a regular sleep schedule can positively affect key areas in your life, including your mental and physical health, as well as performance. Getting enough sleep from a regular sleep schedule can make it easier for you to cope with daily stress and less likely to be impacted by minor negative things that can come up,” the NSF provided on its website.

This can be highly beneficial because it increases mental clarity and long-term memory retention, which helps to increase productivity for school and work.

In turn, this can prevent excess stress and exhaustion from working while sleep deprived.

These healthy habits can impact us in ways we might not often associate with sleep.

According to the Office of Disease Prevention and Health Promotion, some of the positive effects can include boosting the immune system, reducing serious health problems and maintaining a healthy weight.

A good sleep schedule and healthy sleep habits have a domino effect of benefits.

Forming these habits may take time and consistency, but it is well worth the effort.

Napping is something that should be reserved for special occasions, and they should be kept short at around 20 or 30 minutes. Any longer, and you risk waking up groggy and throwing your nighttime sleep schedule out of whack.

According to the Mayo Clinic, you should be intentional about when and why you are napping.

“Take naps in the early afternoon. Napping after 3 p.m. can make it harder for you to sleep soundly at night,” the Mayo Clinic provided on its website.

You should plan ahead for a nap if you know your schedule will leave you deprived of sleep.

Although it can be different for some people, the average adult needs seven to nine hours of sleep.

Getting enough sleep can help you to feel the aforementioned benefits.

Making sure to go to bed with enough time to get those precious hours of sleep before you need to wake up is important.

If you need to be up at 6 a.m., go to bed at 10 p.m. so you are still getting enough sleep.

If you are not getting the right amount of sleep, it is important to make it a priority.

This will set you up to be more successful and have a greater ability to complete what you might be sacrificing your sleep for.

Even if your schedule has you waking up at different times, picking a consistent time to wake up and go to sleep is key to creating a healthy sleep schedule.

The National Institutes of Health (NIH) has an article on “Sleep Deprivation and Deficiency and Healthy Sleep Habits.”

“Try to keep the same sleep schedule on weeknights and weekends. Limit the difference to no more than about an hour. Staying up late and sleeping in late on weekends can disrupt your body clock’s sleep-wake rhythm,” the NIH provided on its website.

Having a wind-down routine can help build your sleep schedule and allow you to go to sleep quicker.

“A wind-down routine is a simple plan to let your mind and body prepare for sleep every night. Each person’s approach is different but could include relaxing activities like reading a book, meditating, journaling or listening to calming music before bed. Staying consistent night after night leads to the best results,” the NSF provided on its website.

An important thing to add to your wind-down routine is limiting phone or other screen use before bed.

The Cleveland Clinic, a nonprofit academic medical center, lists three reasons to ditch your phone before bed.

It keeps your mind engaged

“Your mind can stay active and engaged long after you’ve scrolled through social media or responded to a few work emails,” the Cleveland Clinic provided on its website. “And it’s not just the alertness you get from late-night social media sessions either. It’s thinking about or feeling your phone going off under your pillow. It’s listening for that email chime letting you know a project is moving along.”

The light from your phone screen can have an impact

“Exposure to blue light can affect your internal body clock and throw off your circadian rhythm. This rhythm is in tune with light and dark. It’s why you feel more tired at night when the sun starts to set and why you feel more energized in the morning when it’s light,” the Cleveland Clinic provided on its website.

You may encounter content that causes intense emotions

“Unsurprisingly, stress and anxiety are often two major reasons for disrupted sleep,” the Cleveland Clinic provided on its website. “Even seeing something right before bed that makes you happy can trigger a response that prolongs falling asleep, which consequently delays REM sleep.”

Your phone is still a tool you can use, though. Setting reminders and alarms is a good way to keep you on track with your desired bedtime.

Setting it a little while before when you would like to go to sleep can allow you to finish up whatever you are working on and start your wind-down routine.

Though the steps are straightforward, the execution can be tricky, especially since life can be busy and keep people on the move. With time, the routine becomes natural to your body.

Forming a good sleeping habit will be of benefit to you throughout your life.