13 healthy sleep habits | MD Anderson Cancer Center

1. Find your sleep schedule — and stick to it!

Even more important than being an early bird or a night owl? Consistency! Going to bed and waking up at the same time each day can help your body get into a routine. To find your ideal sleep schedule, think about what time you go to bed and wake up on the days you feel refreshed and energetic.

Most adults should aim for seven to eight hours of sleep each night. During the day, you should feel well-rested and able to function well, not sleepy or groggy.

Another method that can help you find your sleep schedule? Use a fitness device that tracks sleep to help you find out how many hours of sleep leave you feeling your best.

Once you find a schedule that works for you, stick with it.

2. Get regular exercise

There are many reasons to get enough exercise, and sleep hygiene is among them.

MD Anderson recommends aiming for at least 150 minutes of exercise each week.

Make sure you exercise at least two hours before bedtime, though, or it may be difficult to fall asleep.

3. Don’t eat a large meal right before bed

Eating a meal just before bedtime may make it difficult to fall and stay asleep. That’s why it’s recommended to eat dinner a few hours before bed versus right before bed.

But, for some, the time between dinner and bedtime can be quite a while. So, if you get hungry, a small snack before bedtime is generally OK.

4. Limit caffeine

Caffeine is a stimulant that interferes with sleep. Limit caffeine intake to less than two servings per day, and don’t drink caffeine after noon.

RELATED: How much caffeine is too much?

5. Avoid nicotine

Like caffeine, nicotine is a stimulant. Regular nicotine users may experience withdrawal symptoms at night, which can lead to restless sleep.

Tobacco users who break the habit usually fall asleep faster and sleep better once withdrawal symptoms subside.

6. Avoid alcohol

Alcohol is a sedative, which means it can induce sleep. But that doesn’t mean alcohol is the key to a good night’s sleep. As alcohol leaves your system, it causes an alerting effect that is responsible for wakeups in the second half of the night. Plus, because alcohol is a muscle relaxant, drinking relaxes your airway, which can cause snoring. It can also cause or worsen obstructive sleep apnea for some people.

Overall, alcohol can affect both your sleep quality and your sleep efficiency, or how much of the time you are in bed you spend sleeping. That’s why it’s best not to drink alcohol four to six hours before bedtime.

For cancer prevention, it’s best not to drink any alcohol. If you choose to drink, be aware of the risks, aim to drink less often and have fewer drinks.

RELATED: How does alcohol affect sleep?

7. Keep naps short

During the day, you build up a “sleep debt” that helps you fall asleep at night. Naps during the day pay off that debt, interfering with your night sleep.

If you need to nap, limit it to less than 30 minutes.

8. Create bedtime rituals

Choose relaxing pre-sleep activities to do every night before bedtime. These bedtime rituals can help your body wind down and know when it’s time to go to sleep. This could mean taking a warm bath, listening to music or unwinding with a book.

9. Keep your bedroom dark

Wonder why it feels easier to sleep when it’s dark? There’s a scientific reason. When your eyes’ retinal ganglion cells detect light, they tell the circadian clock in your brain to make less melatonin. That’s why it’s good to keep your bedroom dark when you sleep. If you have trouble keeping your bedroom dark when you sleep, consider options like blackout curtains or a sleep mask.

10. Avoid blue light before bed

Screentime before bed can impact your sleep by emitting blue or green wavelength light that activates the retinal ganglion cells. This is especially true of devices you hold close to your eyes, like phones, tablets and computers. To lessen this effect, some devices offer a night mode that uses more red-spectrum light. But still, it’s generally best to avoid all screens before bedtime.

11. Get light in the morning

Much like how darkness can help your body sleep, light can help you feel more awake and even sleep better at night.

Heading outside for a morning walk or even sitting near a window can help your body clock get set for the day — and night — ahead. Live somewhere that lacks natural light? Using a 10,000-lux lamp in the morning can help retrain your circadian rhythm.

12. Only use your bedroom for sleep

If you only use your bedroom for sleep, you’ll associate it with sleeping rather than activity or stress.

If possible, don’t eat, watch TV or use electronics in bed. Make sure your bedroom is dark, quiet and cool.

13. Don’t ignore sleep issues

If you aren’t sleeping well, don’t write it off. Instead, consider whether any of the tips above could be linked to your sleep issues, or if it could be due to medication or health issues, such as sleep apnea or limb movement disorder.

If you are struggling to resolve sleep issues on your own, talk to your doctor. A health care professional can help you figure out what is causing your sleep issues and how to resolve them so you can get back to having sweet dreams.  

Request an appointment at MD Anderson online or call 1-877-632-6789.