BATON ROUGE — How much sleep a person needs varies from person to person, however, there are some simple ways to get better sleep that apply to everyone

"Different people need different amounts of sleep, and on average, we can say most people need seven to eight hours," Mayo Clinic’s Dr. Virend Somers said.

Dr. Somers says to consider the quality of sleep, not the quantity. He offers these ideas to help you have good sleep hygiene.

"In the bedroom, you want absolute darkness," Dr. Somers said.

And that means no screens. No TV. No laptops. No phones. And no ticking clocks or LED displays.

"Avoid bright lights, avoid looking at your phones because light from there can affect your melatonin," he said.

That's the hormone that regulates sleep. He says when it comes to quality sleep, less stimulation is best.

"Minimize alcohol, minimize exercise, minimize lights, minimize external inputs before about two hours or so before bedtime. The bedroom is for sex and sleep. It's not for spreadsheets," Dr. Somers said.

Exercise can help improve sleep, but working out near bedtime can raise arousal levels, making it harder to sleep.