Sleep hygiene

Sleep hygiene is a set of practices aimed at promoting restorative sleep. Although it can’t cure physiological sleep disorders such as obstructive sleep apnea, it can significantly reduce their harmful effects on your health.

Here are a few examples of good sleep hygiene practices:

• Avoid stimulants such as caffeine, energy drinks, and nicotine before bedtime. Also avoid alcohol, heavy meals, and intense exercise.
• As your bedtime approaches, relax: read, listen to music, take a bath. Stop all interaction with your electronic devices (smartphone, computer, TV).
• Learn to recognize when you are getting sleepy (e.g. nighttime chills, heavy eyelids). If you are working the night shift, your eyes may feel gritty. These are signs that it is time to sleep. Going to bed as soon as you notice them makes it easier to fall asleep.
• Create a cool, quiet, dark, and comfortable bedroom environment. Reserve your bed for sleep or intimacy so that your brain associates it with rest.
• If you are still awake after 20 minutes, get up and do a monotonous or repetitive activity that doesn’t require physical effort but does require mental effort (reading, crossword puzzle, sudoku). These activities will tire your brain without physical stimulation. As soon as you feel the signs of sleep, go back to bed.
• Establish a sleep routine: go to sleep and wake up at the same time every day.
• Adopt healthy lifestyle habits, such as regular exercise, a healthy diet, and staying hydrated. However, limit your fluid intake about one to two hours before bedtime to avoid waking up during the night.

Everyone can benefit from good sleep hygiene, but it becomes crucial in certain situations:

• wanting to go back to sleep when the alarm rings or having difficulty getting up in the morning;
• an atypical work schedule, refer to shifts outside the period of 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. More than a quarter of all workers in Quebec work this type of schedule. Atypical work schedules increase the risk of developing cardiovascular and digestive disorders and obesity, among others. They are also associated with a higher incidence of depression and anxiety, alcohol abuse, and suicidal thoughts. Atypical work schedules also affect sleep quality and efficiency compared to a daytime shift [1].
• insufficient sleep duration. The National Sleep Foundation [2] recommends 7 to 9 hours of sleep per night for adults between the ages of 18 and 64, and 7 to 8 hours for seniors age 65 and over.
• difficulty adjusting to jet lag;
• seasonal depression;
• circadian rhythm disorder;
• a combination of sleep apnea and insomnia (condition called COMISA) [3].

If you are familiar with these symptoms, you’re not alone!

According to Statistics Canada [4]:

• 43% of men and 55% of women aged 18 to 64 report having trouble going to sleep or staying asleep “sometimes/most of the time/all of the time”;
• About one third (33% of people aged 18 to 64 and 30% of seniors) say they have difficulty staying awake during normal waking hours “sometimes/most of the time/all of the time.”

For professional support, we are here to help you.

We offer services that can assist your doctor in diagnosing sleep disorders and determining the appropriate treatment.

• Sleep care services
• Insomnia treatment
• Online store

Do you have a medical prescription for a sleep test? Book an appointment online or contact Biron Health Group’s customer service at 1 833 590-2713.