By 
It’s a tale as old as time. You slip into bed, shut your eyes, and still, you can’t sleep. The later it becomes, the more you toss and turn, dreading how exhausted you’ll be in the morning.
Sleep plays an essential role in our mental health. It can dictate our mood, memory, and basic functioning. If you haven’t already, I encourage you to click here and learn more about the relationship between mental health and sleep.
But how does one achieve good sleep? That has to do with something called sleep hygiene. This is a fancy term for the actions people take that help or hurt their sleep quality. While everybody is different, adding some general tips into your nightly schedule can help you feel better rested to take on your day.
Because everybody is different, the best way to know what most helps you sleep is to keep track of your sleep hygiene for a couple of weeks and see what patterns show up. I have a great way to do that toward the end of this post.
Anyway, sleep science can be pretty complicated, so I’ll try to explain the gist and highlight the take-home point. So grab your weighted blanket and favorite fuzzy slippers and read on to find eleven science-tested suggestions to improve your sleep, listed in no particular order.
Keep a Consistent Sleep Schedule
Ever wonder why you to get tired around the same time every night? It’s because your internal clock—called your circadian rhythm—is synced up to know that it’s getting close to bed time. It can be surprisingly accurate. Healthy circadian rhythms usually range from about 23 to 25 hours.
Notice it’s not a clean 24 hours, however. As sophisticated as our internal clocks are, they’re not perfectly matched to Earth’s orbit around the sun. Because of that, our circadian rhythm must repeatedly “sync up” to stay in time with the actual day.
When we wake up and when we go to sleep plays a major role in how our clock runs. Because of that, it’s important to keep your sleep as consistent as possible.
On weekends, when we’re free from worrying about work or school the next day, we may feel tempted to stay up longer. This is all good fun, but nights bring the damaging effect of confusing our internal clock. We’ll feel more tired for it.
Research also shows that our circadian rhythm gets most affected by the time we wake up. That means even if you stay up late into the night on YouTube rabbit-holes, try to wake up around the same time every day. You can catch up by going to bed earlier the next day, if needed. You may be exhausted and tempted to take a nap, but resist if you can. Naps feel good, but can throw your internal clock even further out of whack.
Build a Nightly Routine
Click here to read all about why and how building a nightly routine can help you go to sleep.
Humans are creatures of habit. Think about the value work or school’s structure brings to the day. You wake up because you must get to class. You go to bed to be rested for the next day. This structure can give a sense of direction and purpose, but it also affects sleep.
Try implementing a little structure into your nightly routine to get you moving toward sleep. This will look different for everybody. Think about adding in activities that may help you feel tired. For example, chamomile tea can be soothing after a stressful day. Some people drink warm milk before going to bed, which can act as a natural sleep-inducer. Others may take a warm shower. Bathing an hour or two before bedtime can be a great idea because it raises your body’s temperature. Research shows that when body temperatures drop, people typically get sleepier. So when you get out of the shower, your body will cool down and get you ready to conk out by the time you’re in bed.
Combine some combination of hygiene (tooth-brushing, face-washing, etc.) and calming activities (meditation, reading, drinking tea, prayer, etc.). Find a routine that works for you and practice it every night to teach your body when it’s bedtime.
Be Mindful of Light
Another way that the circadian rhythm resets is through exposure to light. When light touches against you, your body produces a chemical to make sure that it’s awake and ready to go for the day. Thinking back to the days without electricity and digital clocks, you can see how useful this process was for making sure your inner clock was synced up with the real world.
But now we do have electricity. Thanks to Mr. Edison, we have light bulbs that can run all hours of the night. More recently, we have television, computer, and smartphone screens. These incredible inventions can wreak havoc on our sleep if we’re not careful. Our body can’t reliably tell the difference between the electronic lights and the sun, and may often produce chemicals to try and wake you up in the dead of night.
Different people have different sensitivities to light. For some, they’ll be able to read a bright iPad just before going to sleep. If you’re having trouble getting to sleep, consider turning off the lights and all devices around 15 minutes before trying to sleep. Also try blocking off any other ambient light like street lamps outside your window or night lights unless you really need it.
If you’re interested in learning more about light’s effect on our sleep, read my full breakdown here.
But Beware Blue Light
Science shows that blue light in particular severely disrupts sleep. Blue light comes from our screens, and carries so much energy in its tight wavelengths that it actually contributes to addiction to phones and computers. In terms of sleep, blue light can block the creation of melatonin in our body. Melatonin, as you may know, is a crucial ingredient to good restful sleep.
This makes it even more important to turn off all computers and smartphones before trying to sleep. I’d also recommend you go into your phone’s settings and turn on the blue light filter. Most devices should have that option at this point.
Eat Well, Sleep Well
There are worlds of research about the connection between food and sleep, and I ain’t a nutritionist, so I’ll be brief. Eating a balanced meal is important not only for weight loss, but also the quality of your sleep. There’s no set menu for a better night’s sleep, but eat healthfully to make sure your body has what it needs throughout the day.
Amazingly, while poor nutrition and obesity can affect the quality of sleep, the opposite is true, too. Sleep deprivation slows down the metabolism and promotes weight gain. Researchers have shown that poor sleep can also lead to bigger appetites. Finally, to complete this awful trifecta, fatigue, sleep, and hunger often feel very similar, leading to misinterpretations of our body’s signals. Somebody might want to microwave a slice of pizza when they really should be going to bed.
The timing is important. Try not to eat big meals before going to bed. As tempting as it might be to gorge one’s self before sleeping, we can often have our sweet dreams interrupted by digestive issues like heartburn. Learn your gastrointestinal triggers and stay away from foods with spice, gluten, or cheese if you have an intolerance. If you find it difficult to sleep on an empty stomach, a light snack can be okay.
Avoid Self-Medicating
What about substances? Many of us consume legal (or illegal) drugs throughout the day, but it’s not always clear what effect this has on our sleep quality. Let’s go through some of the big ones.
Caffeine
Caffeine is a stimulant found in everything from coffee and tea to chocolate and some medication. I myself visit the coffee maker altar once per day and pay homage to the caffeine gods. In limited amounts, caffeine can help us feel more alert. However, over-caffeination brings a whole smorgasbord of discomfort with things like anxiety, elevated heart-rate, and digestive problems. Depending on your body, consuming more than three 8 ounce cups of coffee in a day can be disruptive. A bit of caffeine in the morning isn’t bad for sleep, but it takes time to leave your boy. Experts generally agree you should cut the caffeine at least 4-6 hours before going to bed.
Nicotine
Nicotine, found in tobacco, carries a similar recommendation. Cigarettes and e-cigarettes pose serious health risks. Still, people continue to use them for the short-term boosts in mood they provide. Understand that nicotine disrupts sleep, though. Researchers recommend users to avoid nicotine at least 4-6 hours before bed.
Alcohol
Alcohol is a particularly deceptive substance when it comes to sleep. For people suffering chronic sleep issues, they may begin drinking believing it will help them. It’s a bit of an illusion. True enough, alcohol can act as a downer and help people start to get some shut-eye. The problem is that alcohol severely disrupts the quality of sleep. Here’s a good article showing the science why. Long story short, drinking suppresses sleep waves. Studies show that after consuming alcohol, people experience shorter sleep and worse quality. Generally, try to not drink alcohol at least 4-6 hours before going to bed.
Marijuana
This one gets complicated. Of course, weed remains illegal in many parts of the United States as I write this article. Hopefully this changes soon to match public opinion and scientific consensus.
Marijuana can temporarily help people get to sleep. Don’t try this without consulting a physician, though. Everybody’s body works differently. Furthermore, while cannabis may help ease people into sleep, it’s just a short-term fix. Relying on weed over the long-term can hurt the brain’s ability to form memories, or inadvertently create addiction. Try to find other, more sustainable sleeping strategies.
Street Drugs
It might seem obvious that street drugs seriously impact a person’s quantity and quality of sleep. Nonetheless, users might not notice. Downers, such as heroin, often appear to push somebody into a sleep-like state, but the quality of rest seriously suffers. These highly addictive substances bring short-term effects that might feel good or relieving. Long-term, though, they usually carry major consequences. Steer clear.
Exercise Helps You Sleep
Like diet, exercise has the dual benefit of being good for physical health, mental health, and sleep. If you’re anything like me, you’ve probably had doctors urge you to exercise more often. The general recommendation is to get about 150 minutes of moderate to vigorous exercise per week. That works out to half an hour five days per week. Even short daily walks can be healthful.
Working out is good for burning excess energy that may also get in way of falling asleep. Folks who are more fidgety and restless may find it especially necessary to tire themselves out so they can catch some shut-eye. In a study by the Sleep Foundation, vigorous exercisers were nearly twice as likely to say that they had a good night’s sleep every night than non-exercises. They’re far less likely to report sleep problems, too.
When You Work Out Matters, Too
Exercising in the morning or afternoon has the great benefit of raising your body temperature, putting you in more of a position to be active throughout the day. Then later in the day, when your body temperature cools down, you’ll feel sleepier and more likely to pass out rather than tossing and turning in bed. Research shows that morning workouts are associated with longer and deeper sleep. Evening exercise is better than nothing, of course, but there won’t be enough time for that same drop in temperature to occur. In fact, working out too late might actually keep people awake longer thanks to a rush of adrenaline, although the science looks to be mixed on that.
For the best results, exercise regularly and earlier in the day if possible. Morning jogs are especially healthy because of the added exposure to light which, as described above, helps sync up your internal clock.
Consider What’s Associated With Your Bed
Patients starting chemotherapy often get told to stay away from their favorite foods while in treatment. Eating a rich fettuccini alfredo while experiencing the nauseating effects of chemo can trick our body into making a tragic association, and later feeling sick from even a whiff of pasta.
Our brains are always making connections. If we write reports and watch YouTube in bed all day, we will begin to subconsciously consider bed as a work and entertainment center. This is why it’s so important to be intentional about how you divvy up space in your home. Strongly consider reserving the bed for sleep and sex while doing everything else in other rooms. Sleep becomes easier when your bed’s sole purpose is for resting. Passive activities like reading in bed can be great if it’s part of your nightly routine, but if it’s during the day, think about finding another space. Reading nooks got popular for a reason!
I sympathize and recognize that space constraints are a real thing. For people renting out a room or living in a studio, it can be hard to reserve valuable space for sleep when there’s sixteen waking hours that need to be spent somewhere. If there’s other furniture or areas to sit in, prioritize spending time on those. At the end of the day, though, you’re the master of your life. You’ll know what works best.
Make Your Bed Into a Sleepy Paradise
As best as you can, craft your bed into as sleep-friendly of a space as possible. Remove distractions or stressful objects, like bills or homework, and place them into another room to deal with later. This is a time to focus on rest, not work. If you’re somebody who loves aesthetics, use your good eye to fashion an environment you’re comfortable in. Blue, green, pink, and white all have calming qualities, for example.
Don’t forget the other senses either. If you’re woken up by the sound of a garbage truck outside, you can turn on white noise to try and cancel out the banging and create a more peaceful environment. White noise can be useful in other ways too, but more on that in a bit. Use comfortable fabrics to layer and control the temperature as best as possible so your body feels at ease. Smell can be important, too. Perfumes, candles, and sprays can expel a scent that’s just right for creating a peaceful, slumber-friendly environment. If you go this route, use a smell that brings you comfort.
Reserving your bed for sleep and building it into a slumbering paradise takes some thought. Still, if you stick with it, you might find you’re better able to catch z’s than ever before.
Use White Noise
For people who deal with chronic anxiety or depression before going to bed, these recommendations may help but not entirely solve the problem. Medication and psychotherapy can be helpful to resolving broader issues.
In the meantime, though, it is important to find ways to tolerate these racing thoughts and fall asleep. One way to do this is by using white noise. Ambient soundscapes of trickling raindrops are especially popular to listen, but there are a huge variety of different apps, YouTube videos, and CDs that your busy mind can latch onto. It can be fun experimenting with different sounds and seeing which one you enjoy the most!
Play these soundscapes from your device by your bed at a volume that’s not too loud to be disturbing. If you have a bedmate who is easily disturbed by noise, you can also consider putting on some comfortable headphones to still enjoy the white noise.
Some people really enjoy using the television for white noise. This can be totally fine, though it is possible that the light may impact the quality of your sleep, as mentioned earlier.
Don’t Obsess Over the Clock
With all this talk about how to improve your sleep, you might be tempted to glue your eyes to the clock while laying in bed. It’s easy to get twisted up focusing on the time and how long it is taking to enter that sweet slumber, but this is bad sleep hygiene, destined only to make you anxious and frustrated and, in turn, make it impossible to sleep.
Many people who struggle getting to sleep report they are clock-watchers. Checking the time can wake you up and trigger pressure-filled thoughts, like:
Oh God, I let the night get away from me and I’m getting to sleep too late again.
If I go to sleep now, I’ll get five hours of sleep before my alarm.
I have a big day tomorrow, I need to be well rested.
This kind of headspace doesn’t help us sleep. Instead of obsessing over the clock, avoid setting expectations and let sleep happen naturally.
Trouble Sleeping? Try a Reset
That said, you may complete your bedtime routine and keep your eye off the clock and still struggle falling asleep. Don’t force yourself to sleep if you don’t feel like it. It’s not going to end well. You may get frustrated and antsy, and find yourself wide awake.
If you’ve been lying in bed for half an hour and still can’t sleep, it’s time for a reset. Roll out of bed, and head into another room to occupy yourself with something boring. Listen to calming music. Check on emails. Read an assignment for work or school. Complete dull chores like organizing drawers or washing dishes. I’d encourage you to stay away from anything too stimulating, like an exciting television show, a gripping book, or, these days, political articles.
If it’s at possible, limit the amount of light during this reset. If you can find something to do in the dark in the other room, like listening to a podcast or meditating, great. You may need light, at which point, dim it if possible to reduce exposure. However, don’t get too bogged down in the details. Show yourself kindness and give yourself time to reset.
When you’re feeling sleepy, go back into the bedroom and try to sleep again.
Track Your Sleep with a Diary
I know, it sounds like I’m giving you homework, but our memory gets fuzzy or even biased to what we expect may help us. The best, most objective way to see what’s helping or hurting your sleep is keep a good record of it over a couple of weeks.
There are a bunch of ways to do this, but I would write out what you did the night before, then document how many hours you slept, how many times you woke up, and the general quality. One day is never going to evidence that something or doesn’t work, but you might be surprised about what patterns come up.
Once you have evidence showing how your sleep hygiene is working, you’ll be in a great position to make change. For example, you might see that the nights you ate a big meal an hour before bed resulted in you waking up a couple times and having overall pretty meh sleep. This will be a good sign to try eating earlier. On the other hand, if you see that your best nights sleeping were preceded by a hot bath and tea, then maybe it’s time to start making that a nightly routine.
Track yourself for two weeks, then take the time to see what you can do to better improve your sleep. Don’t do it any more than that, though, because we know how clock-watching can be counterproductive for sleep.
If you’re interested, I have a great worksheet you can use to track your sleep over time! You can use it either as an Excel spreadsheet or a PDF for you to print out and write on. To get this free resource, sign up on my email list and you’ll get a link sent straight to your inbox.
Sleep Well and Prosper
There are lots of ways to improve your sleep hygiene. Going through this list, I’ve tried to reiterate that different strategies work for different people. Inevitably, there’s going to be some trial and error, so please allow yourself the time to find the perfect sleeping routine for you.
Sleep is just one form of self-care, of course. If you’re interested in finding other strategies, you can also read up on some other approaches you can take to improve your well-being.
What do you think of this list? Have you tried any of these techniques? Did I miss something amazing? Feel free to comment below. And if you know somebody struggling with sleep that could benefit reading through this, please share this article with them.
