Sleep Hygiene

Sleep hygiene means the daily habits and environment that help you get consistent, quality sleep — like keeping a regular bedtime, avoiding screens before bed, and keeping your bedroom cool and dark. Poor sleep disrupts the hormones that control hunger and fullness, making you more likely to overeat and crave unhealthy foods. Good sleep hygiene is a simple but powerful tool for weight management.

Sleep hygiene encompasses behavioural and environmental practices that promote sustained, restorative sleep. Key components include maintaining a consistent sleep-wake schedule, limiting evening light exposure (especially blue-spectrum light from screens), avoiding caffeine and alcohol within 4–6 hours of bedtime, and ensuring a cool, dark sleep environment. Short sleep duration (< 7 hours/night) is associated with elevated ghrelin, suppressed leptin, and increased cortisol — a hormonal profile that drives appetite and fat storage.

Sleep is often overlooked in weight management, yet poor sleep is a known risk factor for obesity. At Accord Medical, Dr Joseph Wang addresses sleep as part of a holistic weight management assessment, because improving sleep quality can directly enhance the effectiveness of diet and exercise interventions.