What Is Sleep Hygiene?
Sleep hygiene refers to the collection of practices, habits, and environmental conditions that support consistent, restorative sleep. Sleep hygiene is the foundation of any sleep improvement programme — optimising sleep hygiene often produces significant improvement before medication or other interventions are needed. Sleep hygiene practices affect the circadian rhythm, sleep pressure (homeostatic sleep drive), and the stress response — the three physiological systems governing sleep quality.
Core Sleep Hygiene Practices
Consistent sleep and wake times are the most powerful sleep hygiene practice. Waking at the same time every day — including weekends — anchors the circadian rhythm. Light exposure is the primary circadian zeitgeber: morning bright light within 30 minutes of waking anchors sleep timing; evening screen avoidance supports melatonin production. Avoiding caffeine after 2pm prevents adenosine blockade that reduces sleep quality. A cool bedroom (16-18°C) facilitates the core body temperature drop that signals sleep readiness. A consistent pre-sleep routine — including SatKarya's sleep sounds and wind-down breathing — transitions the nervous system from alert to sleep-ready. Access sleep hygiene tools on SatKarya