Better Nights Start Today: A Sleep Hygiene Reset
Feeling drowsy every afternoon? Before blaming stress or coffee, inspect your daily habits. According to Dr. Erin Flynn-Evans, advisor to the American Academy of Sleep Medicine, tiny choices you repeat each day add up to a powerful “personal sleep protocol” that either helps or hijacks your rest.
The Foundation: Three Pillars of Healthy Sleep
1. Engineer the Perfect Cave
- Cool: Set your thermostat in the mid-60s °F (≈18 °C).
- Dark: Install blackout liners or use a contoured eye mask.
- Quiet: A gentle fan, white-noise machine, or soft foam earplugs can neutralize street noise.
2. Anchor Your Internal Clock
Sleep isn’t just about logging 7-plus hours—it’s about hitting the same target at the same time. Consistent anchors:
- Sharper memory and focus on cognitive tasks.
- Lower risk of afternoon crashes.
- Reduced temptation for late-night doom-scrolling.
3. Reserve the Bed for Two Things Only
- Sleeping
- (And one other adult-only activity)
Typing, texting, snacking, or streaming on the mattress tells your brain that the bedroom is a multipurpose zone. Guard the mental link: pillows equal sleep.
Quick Wins to Try Tonight
- Dim overhead lights an hour before bed.
- Charge your phone in a hallway outlet.
- Swap tomorrow’s workout clothes for pajamas instead of wearing the same T-shirt to bed.
Master these small tweaks and the nights you toss and turn may become the exception, not the rule—without counting any sheep.
