Sleep Hygiene
The Importance of Sleep Hygiene
Did you know that your behavior influences how well you sleep? Sleep hygiene is the foundation to a good night of rest. It is the combination of good habits that leads to restorative sleep and feeling rested in the morning.
What is Good Sleep Hygiene?
No matter what kind of schedule you have, you can always create helpful sleep habits. Here are four actions you can take that will encourage you to fall asleep and stay asleep.
- Pay attention to what you eat. Caffeine, heavy meals, and alcohol can delay when you fall asleep. Certain foods can also cause heartburn or acid reflux when you are in a reclined position (1).
- Be consistent with your schedule. Have the same bedtime and wakeup time. This helps train your body to be on a routine (1).
- Create a comfortable sleeping environment. This means a supportive mattress and pillow, a darkened room, and a cooler thermostat setting. Eliminate any distracting noises; you can always add a fan or white noise machine to create a blanket of comforting sound (1).
- Avoid electronic devices. The artificial light from LED screens can interfere with our circadian rhythm. One study found that when participants wore glasses that blocked short wavelength light, they experienced a 58% increase in nighttime melatonin production (2, 3). That’s better than taking an over-the-counter melatonin supplement.
Why Is a Traditional Alarm Clock Bad for Sleep Hygiene?
Modern humans are constantly surrounded by sound. Airplanes, road traffic, notification chimes, machines humming – our environment is noisy! A typical alarm clock is around 80 decibels (dB). How loud is that? By comparison, a vacuum cleaner is about 70 dB and a lawn mower is roughly 90 dB (4). While this noise won’t damage your ears, it’s still terrible for sleep hygiene.
That’s because a loud, sudden noise activates your body’s startle reflex. Yes, you are literally scaring yourself awake! The startle reflex is a defense mechanism, one of our “fight-or-flight” responses. We blink our eyes rapidly, jerk our limbs, have a jump in heart rate, and quicken our breathing. You don’t want to start your day in this anxious state!
Light Awake – The Calming Wakeup Experience
Light Awake uses pulsating light to gently rouse you from sleep. There are no sharp, piercing noises that startle you awake. Its flashing light is designed to stimulate your circadian system and comfortably move your mind from slumber to consciousness. This is the only wakeup system that is based on the physiology of our eyes and brain.
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Light Awake’s silent alarm clock is a natural way to rouse from your sleep. There are no sharp or piercing noises that startle you awake. Its gentle light stimulates your circadian system so you comfortably move from slumber to consciousness.