AutoSleep. 
Sleep Hygiene

Sleep Hygiene refers to habits that help you have a good night's sleep. Sleep problems such as insomnia are often caused or made worse by bad habits. 

Sleep/Wake Consistency

Being consistent with the times you go to bed and wake up is one of the most important factors in healthy sleep. 

Your body's sleep/wake cycle is controlled by an 'internal clock' within your brain and many things such as mood, temperature and alertness are synchronised to this clock. 

AutoSleep helps make you aware of your sleep/wake patterns so you can easily notice if you are developing bad habits and address them. 

Note: If you are in sleep debt, you should aim to pay that back as this will greatly help you then achieve sleep consistency. 


Sleep Efficiency

Sleep efficiency is the ratio of time asleep versus time spent in bed. A sleep efficiency rating of 85% or higher is considered normal. Above 90% is good. However,  close to 100% can indicate that a person is not getting enough sleep for their sleep needs. 

Efficient sleep usually leads to a higher amount of quality sleep and deeper sleep. 

To get the most accurate sleep efficiency rating using AutoSleep it is recommended that you use the Lights Off feature to track the time that it takes you to fall asleep. 


Improving Sleep Efficiency

Aside from sleep/wake consistency, there a number of things you can do to improve your sleep efficiency. 
  • Try to exercise each day, but not too close to your bedtime. Being 'physically' tired and not just mentally tired can have tremendous benefits on your sleep quality. 
  • Avoid getting into sleep debt.
  • Limit screen time and bright lights just before going to sleep. 
  • Try to regulate the temperature of the bedroom.
  • Try to clear your mind of worry before attempting to go to sleep. Sometimes it is better to spend some time going through concerns earlier in the evening, and maybe even writing down a plan of action. This can help 'shelve' the thoughts. 
  • Alcohol may help you doze off, but it does disturb your sleep patterns. You'll notice the impact on your heart rate in AutoSleep's sleep analysis graph. 
  • Invest in a good bed. You spend a large portion of your life in it. 
  • Try to avoid doing mentally stimulating activities before bedtime. Try to mentally switch off for an hour before bedtime. AutoSleep's bedtime reminders are quite useful for this. 
  • Avoid stimulants such as coffee, tea and (sadly) chocolate close to bedtime. 
  • Try and get some early morning sunshine. Exposure to light helps reset your body clock.