This should be your first port of call. Sleep hygiene is about ensuring that your behaviour and your environment is conducive to sleep. For instance you probably wouldn’t expect to sleep well in a mechanic’s shop: it’s neither quiet nor comfortable.

Your brain is a bit like a baby – it needs to know that it’s time to sleep. So a regular routine before bedtime signals to your brain that it will be time to go to sleep in a little while. This can include:

  • Switching off all your screens (PC, laptop, iPad or tablet, mobile phone) at least one hour before bed - this is essential, not optional

  • Taking a bath

  • Sitting quietly listening to music or perhaps watching something calming on TV

  • Meditating

Make your bedroom a calming place. Keep it clear of clutter.

If possible only use the bedroom for sleeping. If you need to use it as an office, make sure you keep the office part separate from the sleeping part. Even if you have to sit on your bed to work, you can make sure you remove anything work-related from the bedroom when you have finished work.

Timing

Stick to regular bedtime and wake-up time. Even at the weekends you should avoid a lie-in. It is better to make sure you’re getting enough sleep throughout the week.

If you struggle to fall asleep or stay asleep during the night, it is important not to spend a lot of time in bed not sleeping. The recommendation is to reduce the time you spend in bed by 15 minutes every day or so (you need to decide how often to make this change, but not too far apart or you’ll take all year to get there!). In the end you will be in bed for the number of hours you sleep, plus any time you take for reading or meditating.

Meditation and relaxation

There is more information about meditation and relaxation in the section on the recovery jigsaw. These are two of the four pillars of recovery and should form a regular part of your day regardless of the quality of your sleep!