The latest expression to be thrown around to describe a poor night’s rest is ‘junk-sleep‘. It was coined by a British organization called The Sleep Council, which describes it as sleep that is neither long enough nor of good enough quality, to restore the body and brain for the day to come.
Sleep hygiene is a concept that refers to the habits, behaviors, and environmental factors that affect the quality of sleep. It was developed as a way to help insomniacs and others suffering from poor sleep cycles. it helps people to evaluate such things as:
- Imbibing alcohol in the evening
- Drinking coffee late in the day
- Excessive napping or sedentary lifestyle
- Screen time before bed
People have been dealing with sleep issues since the first catnap was taken and there has been a lot of wisdom passed down, aimed at helping. Today, in the new information technology revolution, much of that wisdom, along with some fabulous technology, has been put into apps, designed to help people sleep better. Take a look at how these apps are promoting healthy sleep habits.
- Twilight
If reading about low code doesn’t help induce sleep, perhaps Twilight can. This handy app addresses an issue that many people encounter when they have trouble disconnecting before they close their eyes. It reduces exposure to blue light, which is the light that is emitted from computers and other devices. This light can suppress the body’s production of the sleep-inducing hormone melatonin. Twilight shifts from the blue light to a softer red light that’s easier on the eyes and won’t interfere with melatonin. Free, Google Play.
- Sleep Cycle
This app taps into the physiology of your sleep in a way that other apps do not, and it is aimed at helping you to emerge from your sleep at the most fortuitous moment. It does this by analyzing some of the important metrics of your sleep during a given cycle and then helping you to wake up during a light sleep phase so that waking up feels gentle and easy. Free or $30/year for an optimal premium subscription, iOS and Google Play.
- Noisli
This app provides users with a gentle auditory experience that can help them drift into sleep, so it’s perfect for anybody who likes falling asleep to sounds or music. Noisli allows users to create a signature soundscape by mixing and matching different sounds, such as cafe noise, wind, rain and fire. It also features premade playlists so that you don’t have to fiddle with it if you don’t want to. Noisli costs $2 to download, then free, or $10 per month for an optional premium subscription. iOS and Google Play.
- Calm
Calm is another sleep aid that offers people gentle auditory experiences that help facilitate tranquility in the brain. It features guided meditations, nature sounds and music, as well as sleep stories that aim to reflect the classic tones and rhythms of bedtime stories. As a bonus, loads of these stories are read by celebrities like Matthew McConaughey, Harry Styles and Laura Dern. Calm costs $70/year for iOS and Google Play.
- Sleeptown
This app puts the fun in functional sleep. It makes a game out of generating good sleep habits. For every sleep-oriented goal that is set and achieved, such as waking up by a certain hour, you add a bit of construction to the town that you’re creating in the app. For every goal you miss, though, one of your buildings gets destroyed. $2, iOS and Google Play
Sleep hygiene needs to be promoted so that ‘junk sleep’ can be avoided. Today, there are loads of apps designed to help accentuate good sleep hygiene, in many creative and intelligent ways. Taking the time and effort to generate good sleep hygiene and tapping into the potential of some of these apps could be a serious difference-maker for your slumber.
What Is Sleep Hygiene?
This involves following certain daily routines and creating a bedroom environment that can help you get better sleep more often. There are various steps you can take to achieve this goal. They include following a pre-bedtime routine, creating a comfy bedroom environment, and even following certain daytime habits.
Keep in mind that there’s no one-size-fits-all approach to sleep hygiene. It’s important to customize it, so it suits your particular needs. It can help you to fall asleep faster and wake up fully recharged like a smartphone battery.
The Importance of Sleep Hygiene
Studies show that using good sleep hygiene habits is important for good health, according to the National Institutes of Health (NIH). Sleepers can experience benefits such as positive reinforcement and making a healthy lifestyle more automatic. Meanwhile, bad habits can have the opposite effect and trigger negative results.
Bad Sleep Hygiene
There are several signs that you’re experiencing bad sleep hygiene:
● Many sleep disturbances
● Difficulty falling asleep
● Daytime sleepiness
● Lack of consistent sleep quality
These are some of the various signs that you should make tweaks to improve sleep hygiene. If you’re experiencing one or more of them, then you should definitely consider tweaking your sleep environment and/or schedule.
Summary
If you’re tossing and turning at night instead of getting a good night’s sleep, then you should consider some sleep resources. They can help you get into a sleep schedule, create a sleep-friendly environment, and even follow a daytime schedule for better nighttime slumber.
If you believe you have difficulty sleeping due to physical aches and pains, or have PTSD or other similar mental health conditions, it is best to personally consult a medical or psychological health professional. This article will only provide general information and should not be used for self-diagnosis and self-treatment.
Alaska Sleep Clinic is the most comprehensive sleep center in Alaska and has one of the most visited sleep-education websites in the World. Subscribe to our blogs and check out our CBT link to better sleep called Somnus Therapy.
Improve Your Sleep. Improve Your Life.
