Sleep hygiene - What do we mean? A bibliographic review.
Level 1 - systematic review of randomized trials
Systematic review of 548 published intervention and observational studies.
PubMed 38761649 · doi:10.1016/j.smrv.2024.101930
What was done
A systematic bibliographic review searched four databases (Medline, EMBASE, PsycINFO, and CINAHL) from inception to December 31, 2021, for studies with the phrase 'sleep hygiene' in the title or abstract. The review identified and analyzed 548 adult studies (250 observational and 298 intervention studies) to evaluate how sleep hygiene and its components are defined.
What was found
A definition of sleep hygiene was provided in only 44% of studies, converging on three themes: behavioural factors, environmental factors, and an aspect of control. Sleep hygiene components were explicitly defined in up to 70% of observational studies, but in only 35% of intervention studies. The most frequently examined components were caffeine (51%), alcohol (46%), exercise (46%), sleep timing (45%), light (42%), napping (39%), smoking (38%), noise (37%), temperature (34%), wind-down routine (33%), stress (32%), and stimulus control (32%), with varying specific details.
Why it matters
Inconsistent definitions and operationalizations of sleep hygiene hinder communication across clinical and research settings and limit the evaluation of sleep hygiene as a standardized intervention.
Limits
The search was restricted to papers containing the exact term 'sleep hygiene' in the title or abstract, which may exclude relevant behavioral sleep interventions using alternative wording. The analysis was restricted to adult populations and assessed definitions rather than clinical efficacy.
Cited by
- supports Sleep studies show that the ideal sleeping environment is quiet, dark, and cold.