What Is Sleep Hygiene?

 9. Minimize Noise

Noise cancelling headphones playing calming sounds.

Similar to how light and temperature affect your ability to fall asleep, so does noise. If you live in the heart of a city or have been blessed with noisy neighbors, you may experience a variety of sounds and interruptions throughout the night. One study found that nocturnal noise disturbances directly correlate to impaired sleep — whether the noise wakes you up or not. To combat this, try using earplugs or listening to meditative music.

10. Resist the Midnight Munchies

A pint of chocolate chip ice cream next to a bag of chips and cookies.

Many of us have the habit of grabbing a sweet snack before hitting the hay. While this feels good at the moment, bedtime snacks have been proven to have negative effects on sleep quality and can result in things such as insomnia, weight gain, or nightmares. Make sure to put the fork down two to three hours before bedtime and only snack on foods that help you sleep.