The One Where I Took Sleep Hygiene Seriously (And It Helped)
- Yew and Me
- Aug 13
- 6 min read
Updated: Sep 10
This is part of my Sleep Mini-Series. Read the introduction here.
When Sleep Feels Impossible - You’re not Alone
For years, I struggled with restless nights and groggy mornings—sometimes sleeping 12 hours straight, other times barely at all. Either way, I woke exhausted. I tried all the common sleep tips—cutting out caffeine, not sleeping in the day, getting to bed earlier, limiting screen time—and yet, nothing seemed to stick. Sound familiar? That’s why I decided to take a closer look at sleep hygiene and really take it seriously.
There’s a general consensus among experts about what matters for good sleep. Many of these tips you’ve probably heard before. But do you know why they matter? And are they actually helpful for you?
I’ve tried them all, and the results? Honestly, quite surprising.
Key Elements of Good Sleep Hygiene & What’s Coming in This Series
Some of these I’ll go into in more depth in this post. Others deserve a whole post to themselves—those are coming soon (and I’ll add links as each one is published!).
A restful sleep environment and a calm, wind-down routine — covered in this post
A consistent sleep schedule — covered in The One Where a Consistent Sleep Schedule Became My Superpower
Accessing early morning daylight and limiting bright and blue light in the evenings — coming up in The One Where I Catch Daylight and Ditch Screens for Better Sleep
Avoiding caffeine and heavy food late in the day — coming up in The One Where I Thought I Slept Well After Wine — Until My Heart Rate Told the Truth
Avoid daytime naps — napping gets a bad rep, but for me (living with chronic fatigue), short, good-quality naps have been a game changer. Coming up in The One About How Napping Improved My Energy and Sleep
Daytime exercise — this isn’t something I found helpful in managing sleep with chronic illness and fatigue, so I won’t be focusing on it in this series. I know exercise is often listed as a sleep hygiene essential, but for those of us living with chronic fatigue or pain, that kind of advice can feel unhelpful—even harmful. This series is about what’s actually worked for me—gently, realistically, and without pushing through. I will share more about my experience with mindful movement in a future post.
For now, I’m focusing on the smaller changes that helped me first—my sleep environment and bedtime routine. When starting any journey, it’s best to take the smaller steps first.
How Restful Is Your Sleep Environment?
When sleep feels elusive, the first place to look is your environment.
Ask yourself:
Is your bedroom clean and uncluttered?
Is it cool, dark, and quiet?
Is your mattress comfortable and not too old? (Experts suggest replacing it every 6–8 years)
Do you have the right bedding for how hot or cold you sleep, and is it washed regularly?
A dusty bedroom can increase allergens in the environment that will affect breathing, and too much clutter can make our minds feel busy, as our brain sees it as unfinished business, thus making switching off and relaxing that bit harder.
I can definitely notice that I feel more relaxed if my environment is clean and tidy, it dials my anxiety down a notch. So I do my best to at least keep my bedroom clean and tidy.
What’s the Ideal Bedroom Temperature?
Not everyone likes a cool bedroom, and complete darkness isn’t for everyone either. Sleep hygiene isn’t one-size-fits-all—it’s about what works for you.
Why cool? Your body’s core temperature naturally drops in the evening, triggering melatonin production (the hormone that helps you fall asleep) and lowering cortisol (the stress hormone). This is part of your circadian rhythm, the body’s natural sleep-wake cycle.
How cool is cool? Experts recommend 16–18°C (60–65°F). That’s often just a bit cooler than daytime home temperatures. You can achieve this by:
Lowering your thermostat or heater at night
Opening a window for an hour or two before bed
Using fans or air conditioning during warmer months
If you don’t like an open window, try opening it early in the evening and closing before bed. If you share a bed, consider separate blankets or duvets so each person can sleep at their preferred temperature.
Other cooling tips:
Wear cotton nightwear to wick away sweat
Tie hair up if it gets warm
Use a flat sheet instead of a duvet in summer, or take your duvet out of the cover and just use the cover
Try ice packs near your feet or chilled socks—cooling your feet can help lower overall body temperature
Blocking Out Light and Noise
Light control: Darkness encourages melatonin production. Blackout curtains or blinds help, but if those aren’t possible, try a comfortable eye mask. My personal favourite is this bluetooth eye mask with padded earphones, which lets me listen to calming sounds, like gentle waves lapping on a beach, while also blocking light.
Sound control: Some people find gentle background noise helps them relax—white, pink, or brown noise, ASMR, gentle waves, calming music, or bedtime stories. These can also help to block out any unwelcome noise that is out of your control. Many apps offer free options to try.
Use Your Bedroom Only for Sleep (and Sex)
It’s tempting to work, watch TV, or scroll on phones in bed, especially if you work from home. And it’s all too easy to get into that difficult conversation with your spouse as you’re both getting ready for bed. But these activities stimulate your brain and can create an anxious association with your bedroom.
Try to reserve your bedroom for:
Sleeping
Getting dressed/undressed
Intimacy
I know from experience that taking work or arguments to bed is not conducive to a restful night's sleep, trust me, I’ve tried!
If possible, I’d also suggest keeping work devices out of your bedroom—even if they’re turned off, their presence can keep your brain alert. For me, simply removing my laptop from the bedroom helped my mind switch off that little bit better.
Keep your bedroom as a place of calm and relaxation.
Calming Your Busy Mind Before Bed
A stressed, stimulated brain doesn’t rest easy. To help quiet your mind:
Keep a notepad by your bed for jotting down random thoughts or tomorrow’s to-dos
Journal emotions or worries before bed to “offload” your mind (think of it like a pensieve from Harry Potter!)
Try meditation or gentle breath work in the evening or once in bed
Avoid difficult conversations before sleep — postpone until after a good rest
If you can’t sleep, experts suggest getting out of bed and doing something boring in dim light until you feel sleepy again. But for those with chronic illness or pain, this may not be feasible. I’ve found reading a book or listening to audiobooks, sleep meditations, or calming music can help.
Word of caution: Using a phone for calming sounds risks distraction. I’ve accidentally ended up scrolling instead of relaxing more times than I’d like to admit!
Relearn the Art of a Wind-Down Routine
As adults, we often forget how to wind down. Children have calming bedtime routines to help them settle quickly—why shouldn’t we? We knew how to wind down once—we can relearn it.
Your wind-down doesn’t need to be complicated or scented with lavender. Mine looks like:
A calming nighttime tea
Gentle yoga stretches
Flossing, brushing teeth, washing and moisturising my face
Reading a book with a dim light in bed
What matters most is that it’s relaxing and signals to your nervous system that sleep is next.
What Worked for Me
Restful sleep environment: keeping my bedroom clean and tidy, with no work, study, TV or screens.
Blackout curtains and a cool bedroom: My preference is even cooler than 16°C! I live with someone who prefers 20+°C—we keep bedroom doors closed in winter so each of us can have our ideal temperature.
A loose bedtime routine: I do the basics most nights — bathroom, teeth, skincare, reading — but what leads up to that can vary. Sometimes yoga, sometimes TV, sometimes meditation, occasionally I’m even out with friends!
Next in my Sleep Series: The One Where the Consistent Sleep Schedule Became My Superpower. I didn’t expect this to make such a huge difference — but it turned out to be the change that transformed my sleep the most. I’ll share why (and how I made it work in real life) in the next post.
Improving Sleep Takes Time and Patience
One night of “doing everything right” won’t magically fix your sleep. It takes consistency, trial and error, and a lot of patience.
Our 21st Century lives promote exactly the opposite of restful sleep. We spend evenings in warm, brightly lit rooms, with screens bombarding our eyes with blue light. We stimulate our brains more than ever, sending our bodies the message: stay awake, stay alert.
Now that I understand the science behind sleep, it’s no wonder so many of us struggle.
Habit change is hard. So take it one step, one night at a time. Change one thing this week and see how it feels. Once it becomes a habit, try another.
Over to You
What sleep hygiene tips have you tried that work for you?
What is one small tweak you will make this week?
Share your story in the comments below👇🏻 I’d love to hear!
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