Definition
Sleep Hygiene
The set of habits and environmental conditions that support consistent, restorative sleep, most of which are within an individual's direct control.
Sleep hygiene covers factors like consistent sleep and wake times, a dark and cool room, limiting screens and stimulants before bed, and reserving the bed for sleep. It is the foundational, non-medical layer of sleep improvement, addressed before other interventions.
Why it matters: poor sleep undermines nearly every other health and cognitive goal, and much of it responds to environmental and habit changes rather than requiring medical intervention.
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