Basically, sleep hygiene refers to cleaning up your sleep habits, not to brushing your teeth before bed!  Sleep hygiene refers to the things you do to establish and maintain sleep habits that keep you healthy.  Sleep hygiene is aimed at building habits that enhance sleep, help you fall asleep, help you sleep more deeply, and help you stay asleep.  

Sleep is affected by:

• General health (hormonal upset, pain, allergies)

• Life habits (diet, smoking, alcohol intake)

• Psychological problems (depression, anxiety)

• Personality style

• Stress

• Reaction to medications or withdrawal from medications

• Conditioned poor sleep

Our bodies tend to operate on a 24-hour or circadian cycle.  Sleep, body temperature, and alertness are all part of a daily rhythm or cycle that is regulated by our brains. What we do during the day affects how well we will sleep at night.  Research suggests poor sleep may either cause pain or lower pain thresholds, thus intensifying pain.  Sleep hygiene techniques can help you establish and maintain healthy sleep/wake patterns.

People who have trouble sleeping should:

•  Reduce caffeine intake

• Quit smoking 

• Limit alcohol consumption

• Limit naps to less than one hour, preferably less

• Make sure your day is active and interesting

• Beware of staying in bed too long; spending time in bed without sleeping leads to more shallow sleep

• Keep a regular daily schedule including going to bed and getting up at the same time

• Follow a regular exercise program and complete exercise several hours before bedtime

• Make your sleep environment conducive to sleep

• Comfortable sleep wear, mattress, and sheets

• Comfortable room temperature

• Proper darkness

• Limit noise

• Do something relaxing before bed

•  Listen to music

• Practice relaxation techniques, such as meditation or guided imagery

• Read

• Watch TV
  

• Turn alarm clock around so it is not facing you; do not look at the clock during the night as this can cause more stress and anxiety about your sleep

• Keep a notepad and pencil by your bed to write down any thoughts that may wake you up at night so you can put them to rest

• Reserve your bedroom for sleep; do not use the bedroom for worrying, studying, discussing problems, arguing or paying bills

• Do not take a hot bath or shower right before bed; the body needs to cool a degree before getting into deep sleep

• It may take three to four weeks of trying these techniques before you begin to see a noticeable improvement in your sleep.  During the first two weeks, your sleep may actually worsen before it improves.