Sleep hygiene Advice for taking care of a built up need for sleep (homeostatic factor) Exercise regularly, but finish at least 3 hours before bedtime. Avoid sleeping during the day (if needed, allow an afternoon nap for under 20 minutes). Do not stay in bed longer than the expected hours of sleep. Advice to preserve good circadian rhythms (cirkadian factor) Stand up at about the same time every day, including weekends. Get at least 30 minutes of daylight daily, preferably early in the morning (within 2 hours of getting up ). Avoid exposure to bright light if you need to get up at night. Advice to reduce activation in the evening and night (habits and behavioral factors) Avoid coffee, tea and other caffeinated drinks after 17:00. Smoke also disrupts sleep. Use of alcohol to induce sleep is discouraged. Alcohol may facilitate sleep, but gives restless sleep with many awakenings and poor sleep quality. Avoid vigorous exercise during the last hours before bedtime. Avoid being hungry or consuming heavy meals at bedtime. Use the bedroom to sleep in, not to work. Make yourself a bed time ritual. Provide dark, calm and moderate temperature in the bedroom. If neede, use a mask and earplugs. Do not look at the clock if you wake up at night. Learn a relaxation technique, use it during awakenings. Set a "problem hour" after dinner or early evening, where you think through your worries and problems. Avoid taking with you concerns and issues to bed. Advice about sleep restriction and stimulus control 1 Limit the time you spend in bed to the time you actually sleeping, i.e. ____ hours. 2 Go to bed only when you are sleepy. 3 If you do not fall asleep during a short time (15-30 minutes): Get up and do something else until you again become sleepy. It also applies awakenings at night. This is repeated as often as necessary throughout the night. 4 Arise at the same time each morning, regardless of the number of hours of sleep. 5 The bed / bedroom is used for sleep and sex. Do not read, eat or watch TV in bed. 6 Do not sleep during the day. It disrupts the circadian rhythm and reduces the need for sleep.