Getting between 7 and 9 hours of sleep every night is intrinsic to a healthy lifestyle. During the day, particularly before sleeping, what we do has a significant impact on our sleeping patterns. 

Forming steadfast sleeping habits is an excellent way to curtail sleeplessness and increase your chances of achieving a healthy night's sleep, and at Hiccups and Buttercups we know how important this is for you. 

Healthy sleep habits can create the right atmosphere to abstain from certain substances throughout the day. Read on to find out how to organize a routine for better sleep patterns. 

Healthy sleep habits for Adults

Healthy sleep habits can be incorporated into your daily life easily. Making a habit makes them easier to abide by and will help you become a better sleeper. 

On a side note, if you're looking for healthy sleep habits for babies and toddlers, click here for our article on this age group.

Cut down on caffeine

If possible, avoid caffeine - whether it be in coffee or another stimulating drink - for no less than five hours before sleeping. 

No matter how tired you are, caffeine will prevent you from sleeping due to its stimulating properties. Even 5 hours after consuming, caffeine is still active and may cause you to wake up once asleep. 

A healthy sleep habit would be to abstain from Caffeine from the afternoon onwards. 

Exercise Regularly 

It’s essential to exercise once every few days to get in a healthy sleeping rhythm. Exercise can help reset your body clock and get you sleeping at the same time each evening. 

Try to complete your workouts during the day; it may stimulate you and keep you from falling asleep if you do them late at night. 

There are several recommended exercises that have been proven to help improve sleeping habits, which you can find on the Sleep Foundation website. 

Reduce pre-sleep water intake

Drinking plenty of water is another crucial point to improving your health and wellbeing - but not before bed! Drinking lots of water - or any other fluid - before bed will break up your sleep. 

There’s nothing worse than having a broken sleep caused by making frequent visits to the toilet. 

Reduce alcohol intake

Especially before bed. Like other fluids, consuming alcohol before bed will break up your sleep. Not only that, it will leave you dehydrated and can cause you to experience bad dreams. 

Plus, it’s tough to get back to sleep once you’ve woken up. 

Read a book

Reading a book before bed is the perfect way to get yourself in the right mindset for sleep. It can also tire your eyes out and generally prepare your body for slumber. 

Reading a book is also an excellent way to reduce pre-bed screen time. It is recommendable to avoid looking at your phone for at least 30 minutes before attempting to sleep. 

Cell phone screen lights stunt your melatonin production, which will cause you to stay awake. Books, on the other hand, do not. 

Keep your bedroom at a consistent temperature

You know yourself what temperature you prefer sleeping at, so make sure to keep your bedroom set to that temperature before going to bed. 

Doctors recommend between 60 and 67 degrees Fahrenheit as being a healthy temperature to fall asleep to. 

Make sure to use appropriate bed sheets depending on the weather and the time of year. Don’t risk waking up overheating due to the fact that your bedsheets are too thick. 

Avoid napping during the day

A nap should only be a rare addition to your daily schedule and not be a long-term habit. Perpetually napping will only work to upset your nighttime sleeping habits and keep you awake for longer than usual. 

Of course, naps are recommendable if you have a particularly broken sleep at night or feel otherwise lethargic. 

If you are the kind of person that needs to take naps daily, be sure to make them as regular and as organized as you would your nighttime sleep. Frequent napping requires a steadfast pattern, too. 

Block out noise and light 

Even if you can sleep with a light on or hear a noise outside, it is essential to block out as many external sleep distractions as possible. 

Leaving a light on or a loud noise from outside your bedroom may wake you up in the middle of the night. To avoid this, get black-out blinds, and make sure your windows are shut. Avoid sleeping with a light on if possible. 

Stick to a schedule 

This will become easier once you incorporate the above points into your daily routine. Have a set bedtime and a set time for waking up. Sleeping in can ruin your sleep the following night. 

This can be difficult, to begin with, but after a while, your body will become accustomed to the routine. 

How can I improve my sleep habits? 

It can be challenging to make a habit out of some of the advice listed above. Try the following tips to make it easier. 

Invest in your sleep habits

Sleep is arguably the most critical component to living healthily. Without sleep, your body cannot grow, repair, and generally function in the day-to-day. 

Investing in your sleep habits - buying a gym membership, purchasing a more comfortable bed, books, etc. - is worthwhile if it means organizing your sleeping habits. 

Sleep is often neglected and disregarded as being non-important. It’s important to distance yourself from this conviction and start investing in the improvement of your sleep. 

Set a screen time limit on your phone 

As we’ve mentioned, you should aim to limit your screen time before bed as much as possible. You could achieve this by limiting the amount of screen time you’re allowed per day. 

Android users can limit their screen time using the Google app, Digital Wellbeing. This helps you reduce your phone time by lowering your daily limit for each app. These apps will lock you out after the time you set has been reached. 

iOS users can access the ‘Screen Time’ setting on their phones, where they can similarly limit daily screen times for each app. 

People using other types of phones can check this article to find out the best means of reducing time spent on their devices. 

Final Thoughts 

Achieving a healthy sleep pattern doesn’t come naturally. 

You’ve got to put the effort in by establishing and committing to sleep habits to become an expert sleeper. 

Become a master sleeper by following a combination of the recommendations found in this article.