AIIMS-trained gastroenterologist reveals 10 habits to help sleep better: Explains why shower before bed helps

Quality sleep is essential to maintain mental and physical health, and Dr Sethi shares 10 daily habits that can help us get it every night.

Sleeping is one of the most important activities that an individual needs to perform to maintain good health. While the body appears to be at rest during sleep, it remains metabolically active, with the internal tissues undergoing repair after the day’s wear and tear.

Quality sleep is important to both mental and physical health. With our lives getting ever busier and our sleep schedules disrupted, many people have trouble falling asleep and staying asleep for long.

They often use medications and gadgets to solve the issue, but according to Dr Saurabh Sethi, a California-based gastroenterologist trained in AIIMS, Harvard, and Stanford Universities, there are everyday habits that one should follow first that help get better sleep naturally. Taking to Instagram on May 31, he shared what they are.

1. Stop eating at least 3 hours before bed

When we sleep at night, the gut and liver shift to repair mode. When we eat late, the food gets in the way, forcing the organs to work on digestion instead of restoration.

2. Keep your room temperature below 68°F (20°C)

The core body temperature needs to drop to initiate deep sleep. A warm room physically blocks this process, noted Dr Sethi.

3. Get outside light within 30 minutes of waking

Morning light sets your circadian clock for the entire day, shared the gastroenterologist. Without a properly set circadian clock, the melatonin timing of an individual drifts every single night.

4. Never lie in bed awake for more than 20 minutes

Lying on the bed awake can seem fun at other times, but it makes the brain start associating the bed with wakefulness, cautioned Dr Sethi. “Get up, do something calm, and return only when sleepy,” he advised.

5. Cut alcohol if sleep quality matters to you

While alcohol does help some people to fall asleep faster, it destroys the REM cycles. As a result, one wakes up exhausted without even knowing why.

6. Take a warm shower an hour before bed

Taking a warm shower before bed drops the body temperature. This mimics the natural sleep onset signal that the brain has been waiting for, noted Dr Sethi.

7. Dim every light in your home after sunset

Artificial bright light after dark suppresses the melatonin for hours. The body thinks it is still afternoon, and thus, sleep sets in late.

8. Write your to-do list for tomorrow before you sleep

The brain naturally keeps rehearsing unfinished tasks all night, noted Dr Sethi. Writing down the tasks offloads it from the brain to the paper, which shuts the loop down.

9. Never use your phone as an alarm clock

Keeping the phone on the nightstand somewhat guarantees late-night checking of the phone and exposure to blue light. According to Dr Sethi, “A real alarm clock costs less than your sleep does.”

10. Fix your wake time before you fix your bedtime

Waking up at the same time every day, including weekends, anchors the entire sleep architecture. Everything else, including the wake-up time, gets fixed over time.

Note to readers: This article is for informational purposes only and not a substitute for professional medical advice. Always seek the advice of your doctor with any questions about a medical condition.

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