Clean sleeping: What is it and how can you do it?

Unlike the name may lead you to believe, clean sleeping or sleep hygiene has nothing to do with showering before bed or slipping into freshly laundered sheets! It's actually about the habits and behaviours that can improve your quality of sleep and help you feel well rested throughout the day.

There’s an ever-growing list of reasons as to why we may not be achieving a solid 8 hours sleep at night, such as stress from work, young children and too much screen time just to name a few.

Poor sleep quality not only makes us irritable and takes its toll on our looks (who wouldn’t want to be bag-free?), but it may lower memory function and immunity as well as cause weight gain; suddenly a good night’s rest has never sounded so good, right?!

Clean sleeping starts with the practice of prioritising sleep above everything else, which makes sense. Here are our top achievable tips for getting your bedtime routine scrubbed up:

Go to bed at the same time every night

Set your sleep and wake time and stick to it, seven days a week – that includes Sunday mornings! According to NHS guidance, going to bed and getting up at roughly the same time every day will programme your body to sleep better, helping you to improve your quality of sleep.

Get 7-9 hours of sleep every night

Most experts agree that this is the optimal amount of sleep an average adult should be getting, however if you don't sleep quite as much as this don't worry. Try to be consistent with the amount of sleep you get as everybody requires different amounts. The worst thing you can do is worry about the amount of sleep you're getting – as this will only keep you awake longer.

No screen time before bed

Ideally for an hour to an hour and a half before bed. It has been said that the light emitted from our phones, laptops, TVs and tablets stimulate our minds hence keeping us up at night. Try make your bedroom a tech-free zone!

Cut down on caffeine

A lot of us rely on tea, coffee, and fizzy drinks to stay alert throughout the day but it has been discovered that caffeine can mess with our sleep. Not only can it stop us from falling asleep, but it also prevents deep sleep. If you must have a hot drink opt for something decaf - especially in the evening.

Try to relax before bed

Whatever works best for you. Be it a soothing bath or calming breathing exercises such as a simple meditation, a warm milky drink or getting engrossed in a good book – it’s so important to calm the mind before bed.

Lights out

Good luck!