The quality of your sleep affects your day in profound ways — it can make you feel as if you can take on the world or like you can’t do the simplest tasks. If you’re having a “down” day, there’s a good chance you didn’t sleep well the night before. Here are 10 tips you can use to develop regular healthy sleep hygiene this year. Are you practicing these sleep basics?

1. Be consistent. Aim to go to bed and wake up at about the same times every day, including weekends and vacations, so that you get at least seven hours of sleep. If you’re tossing and turning for 20 minutes, get up. Worrying about not sleeping can trigger a vicious cycle.
2. Control your environment. Quiet and darkness are critical for sound sleep. Use blackout curtains, eye shades, ear plugs, fans or white noise machines to create your ideal environment. Keep the room within a comfortable range of 60 to 67° F. Sound chilly? Read about the science of sleep temperature.
3. Power down. Turn off electronic devices at least a half-hour before bedtime. Artificial blue light affects your circadian rhythms and suppresses the release of melatonin, a sleep-inducing hormone. Likewise, keep lights dim around you before bedtime.
4. Watch what you consume. Drinking caffeine and alcohol late at night can wreak havoc on sleep. So can eating heavy meals within two hours of bedtime. When your stomach is rumbling, though, a light, healthy snack may help you fall asleep.
5. Develop a bedtime routine. Doing a daily practice like having a warm bath, doing gentle yoga, listening to soft music, reading a calming book or curling up with a cup of herbal tea can tell your body that it’s time to wind down for the night — just like when you were a kid.
6. Exercise. Daily moderate physical activity has been shown to increase deep sleep, which promotes the rejuvenation of brains and bodies. Moderate aerobic exercise increases the amount of deep sleep you get. Timing is important: Exercising raises your body temperature and raises endorphin levels, which may be counterproductive to winding down in time for bed.
7. Sleep on a good mattress. If your mattress is more than eight to 10 years old or is not adequately supportive or large enough (especially if you share a bed), it will interfere with ideal sleep. When it’s time to purchase a new mattress, consider it an investment in your health. If the price of the mattress seems too good to be true, it probably is. Avoid chemicals of concern and improve indoor air quality by choosing a mattress made with CertiPUR-US® certified foam, which meets strict standards for content and emissions. Check the directory to ensure the mattress brand is using CertiPUR-US® certified foam.
8. Limit naps. Daytime naps too close to bedtime or longer than 30 minutes can interfere with a nighttime sleep rhythm.
9. Don’t bring anxieties to bed. If worries plague you at bedtime, there are a few strategies you can try to clear your mind. Set a time to write down concerns and work out possible solutions. Make to-do lists throughout the day and put them away at night. Incorporate meditation into your nightly routine. If you still have troublesome thoughts while trying to drift off, playing distracting mind games can help, like reciting the alphabet backward; listing historical figures, dog breeds or something else in alphabetical order; or counting backward from 300 by sevens.
10. Know when to see a doctor. Chronic insomnia, frequent nighttime awakening, snoring and falling asleep during the day can be signs of a serious sleep disorder. If any of these issues are affecting your day-to-day life, it might be time to seek the help of a medical professional who specializes in sleep.