What is Sleep Hygiene?

Sleep hygiene are strategies that improve sleep. A study showed that people with migraines who used sleep hygiene strategies decreased how often and how intense their migraines were. People in the study were given these instructions.

• Go to bed at the same time every night (to allow for 8 hours in bed).
• Eat your evening meal at least 4 hours before bed.
• Use visualization (also called imagery) techniques to help fall asleep
• Don’t take naps.
• Don’t read, watch TV, or listen to music in bed.
• Don’t drink anything for at least 2 hours before you go to bed.

Have a Nightly Routine

Before you learn about sleep hygiene strategies, it's important to think about your night time routine. If you don’t have a routine at night, it can be hard to wind down and fall asleep. Make a routine and do it every night.

Here are some examples of nightly routines:

• Take a few minutes each night to make plans for the next day and finish chores. Do this as a reminder that your day is almost over.
• Try to wind down by listening to music, reading a book, or doing relaxation exercises. Try not to do wind-down activities in bed. Here is a sample Progressive Muscle Relaxation Track to try. You can also try an imagery relaxation track later in this section.
• Take a warm bath or shower close to bedtime—it raises your body temperature for a short time, which can help bring on sleep.
• If thoughts and worries make it hard to wind down, try a strategy called "putting the day to rest”. You can learn more about this in the next section called Sleep Busters.

Now that you've learned how important a nightly routine is, you're ready to learn about sleep hygiene strategies and controlling where you sleep.​​​​​​