SleepHealth > Sleep Health > 10 Commandments of Healthy Sleep

10 Commandments of Healthy Sleep

  1. Fix regular times for going to bed and for getting up.
  2. If you nap during the day, don’t allow yourself more than 45 minutes of sleeping time.
  3. Stop consuming alcoholic beverages four hours before bedtime and don’t smoke at all.
  4. Avoid caffeine beginning six hours before bedtime. This includes not only coffee and tea, but many soft drinks and chocolate as well.
  5. Avoid heavy, spicy, or sugary foods starting four hours before bedtime. A light snack just before retiring is okay.
  6. Exercise regularly, but not right before bed.
  7. Use comfortable bedding.
  8. Find a comfortable temperature setting for your bedroom, and keep the room well ventilated.
  9. Block out all distracting noise and eliminate as much light as possible.
  10. Reserve your bed for sleep and sex. It is not an office, a workroom, a movie theater, or TV viewing venue.