Sleep Habits Test
I make an effort to keep my bedroom temperature low when I sleep.
I frequently rely on caffeine in the late afternoon to stay alert.
I seldom feel the urge to take naps during daylight hours.
I usually finish eating my last meal well before I go to sleep.
I aim to maintain a consistent bedtime schedule every night.
I get up from bed soon after I wake up in the morning.
My room often has disruptive sounds that disturb my sleep at night.
I engage in physical activity multiple times each week.
My sleeping space is completely dark during nighttime hours.
Overall, my eating habits include plenty of whole grains, vegetables, and lean proteins.
I avoid using my phone or other electronic devices while in bed.
When I struggle to fall asleep, I leave my bed rather than staying in it.
I follow a regular evening routine to help me relax before bed.
I make it a point to step outside each morning soon after waking.
I often handle tasks like checking emails while lying in bed.
I avoid consuming alcoholic beverages in the evening.
I almost never leave the television on when I fall asleep.
I begin to relax and prepare for bed at roughly the same time each night.
My bed provides a comfortable sleeping environment for me.
I often find myself thinking about tomorrow's tasks when trying to fall asleep.
20 questions remaining
What you should know
- Sleep is important for a lot of things besides just recharging our bodies. It's also important for making memories, controlling our moods, repairing our muscles, and a lot of other things that are thought to happen mostly while we sleep.
- Most adults need 7 to 9 hours of sleep each night, but it can be hard to make that a priority in a busy world. Sleep disorders, such as insomnia, which affect about 70 million Americans, make sleep deprivation even worse.
- Poor sleep can have both short-term effects, like feeling slow and foggy the next day, and long-term effects. Long-term effects may include a higher chance of getting heart disease, diabetes, and obesity.
- A lot of people use things like alcohol and over-the-counter drugs to help them fall asleep. But these often don't work; they can make you addicted to them or make your sleep worse.
- "Sleep hygiene" is a term for a group of habits and environmental factors that are known to help people sleep better. To have good sleep hygiene, you should turn off your TV or smartphone at night, work out regularly, and eat a diet full of whole foods.
- Improving your sleep hygiene can often make your sleep better, but it's not always enough. Cognitive behavioural therapy for insomnia (CBT-I) can be very helpful for people who have trouble sleeping all the time.
Make a change now
Put your phone away. The bright blue light from devices can keep you awake. At least an hour before bed, turn off your phone.
Find new ways to get energy. A cup of coffee in the late afternoon could come back to haunt you. Instead, go outside and take a walk.
Think about getting professional help. If your sleep doesn't get better even after you improve your sleep hygiene, a doctor or CBT-I therapist could help.
