The ultimate guide to sleep hygiene: 10 habits for better rest
Sleep hygiene is the foundation of healthy and restorative sleep. It encompasses the habits and routines that signal your body that it’s time to wind down and prepare for rest. Yet, in our fast-paced world, where work emails don’t stop at 9 PM and social media doom scrolls extend into the late hours, quality sleep often takes a backseat.
Imagine a high-achieving executive who starts her day before sunrise and powers through back-to-back meetings. By the time she’s home, her mind is still racing. She collapses onto her bed, phone in hand, promising herself, Just ten more minutes of scrolling—only to realize an hour has passed, and she’s still wide awake. Sound familiar? If so, it’s time to reclaim your nights with sleep hygiene habits that can transform your rest.
What is Sleep Hygiene & why does it matter?
Good sleep hygiene ensures that your body and mind are prepared for rest each night. When you follow proper sleep habits, you’ll:
Fall asleep faster
Stay asleep longer
Wake up feeling energized
Here are 10 of my top tips for sleep hygiene practics:
1. Stick to a consistent sleep schedule ⏰
Your body craves routine. When you sleep and wake up at the same time every day, your circadian rhythm—your internal clock—becomes regulated. Imagine training a pet: if you feed your pet at the same time daily, it anticipates mealtime. Your body operates similarly.
Inconsistent wake-up times can leave you feeling groggy, but if you committed to a regular schedule—even on weekends—your energy levels will soar. Try it for a week and see how your body responds.
Actionable Tip: Set an alarm for both bedtime and wake-up time to maintain consistency. Even on the weekend.
2. Limit screen time before bed 📱❌
Technology is both a blessing and a curse. The blue light emitted from phones, tablets, and computers disrupts melatonin production—the hormone responsible for making you sleepy. Ever checked the time after watching one more episode of your favourite show and been shocked at how late it is?
I highly suggest charging your phone in another room, do you really need to look at it in the P.M. knowing it disrupts your natural ability to fall asleep…try it out this week and notice a huge difference in your ability to fall asleep.
Actionable Tip: Try setting a tech curfew—one hour before bed, swap screens for a book, dim the lights, and let your body ease into sleep mode.
3. Create a relaxing bedtime routine 🧘♀️
Your brain thrives on cues. Engaging in a pre-sleep ritual tells your body, It’s time to unwind. Whether it’s reading, journaling, stretching, or sipping a cup of chamomile tea, find an activity that signals relaxation.
Perhaps a 10-minute meditation before bed could be your new routine? Mindful breathing and taking a moment to tune inwards helps to quiet racing thoughts and prepare your mind for a deeper sleep.
Actionable Tip: Start with just 5 minutes of a calming activity before bed, and gradually increase it.
4. Optimise your sleep environment 🏡
Your bedroom should be a sanctuary for rest. Keep it cool, dark, and quiet. Blackout curtains, white noise machines, and quality bedding can make all the difference.
Imagine stepping into a luxury hotel room: crisp sheets, a cozy ambiance, and a clutter-free space. Now, replicate that for your bedroom.
Actionable Tip: Invest in blackout curtains, remove clutter, and ensure your bedroom feels inviting and calm.
5. Avoid caffeine and alcohol late in the day ☕🚫
Caffeine is a great morning pick-me-up, but if consumed too late, it can sabotage sleep. Similarly, while alcohol may initially make you drowsy, it disrupts your sleep cycle, leading to restless nights, waking up in the night with a buzzing feeling and unable to fall back to sleep.
Switching to herbal tea past 2 PM can improve sleep quality significantly. If you struggle without the coffee, try green tea, matcha of decaf…
No one is taking coffee away so don’t panic, its simply the timing that is important because caffeine has a long half life, meaning it stays in your body and affects you for hours after consuming it. Typically this is 3-4 hours, BUT it can even cause effects up to 9 hours post consumption! Experts suggest no caffeine 8 hours before sleep for this reason. Green tea and matcha still have caffeine in them, but it ‘hits’ differently plus these beverages have L-theanine in them which helps to produce a calming feeling.
Actionable Tip: If you’re sensitive to caffeine, try cutting back after 12 PM and notice the difference.
6. Exercise regularly (but at the right time!) 🏋️♂️
Movement is a natural sleep booster. Regular physical activity reduces stress and helps regulate energy levels. But timing matters—intense workouts too close to bedtime can be counterproductive.
If you struggle with sleep, consider trying morning runs/gym classes instead of late-night gym sessions. The result? Deeper, more restorative sleep. This is mostly due to intense exercise causing nervous system stimulation, adrenaline production and increasing your body temperature. This isn’t a blanket statement and doesn’t affect everyone, but if you struggle falling asleep then consider when you do your exercise…and keep in mind doing exercise is more important than not - regular exercise significantly aids in quality sleep.
Actionable Tip: If you work out at night, switch to gentler exercises like yoga, stretching or facia rolling before bed.
7. Watch what you eat and drink 🍽️
Heavy or spicy meals before bed can cause discomfort, leading to interrupted sleep. Instead, try to have a whole foods meal that is proportionally smaller than you lunch, and if needed, opt for light snacks that promote relaxation, like bananas, almonds, pumpkin seeds, a square of dark chocolate (over 75%), or a couple dried dates, which contain sleep-supporting nutrients like magnesium and tryptophan.
Eating your meals at regular times also helps to regulate your body clock (circadian rhythm), which is paramount for feeling sleepy at night and awake during the day.
Actionable Tip: Try a sleep-friendly drink 1 hour before bed: Montmorency tart cherry juice is packed with melatonin and has proven in clinical trials that it can help people sleep.
8. Manage stress before bed 😌
Stress is one of the biggest sleep disruptors. If your mind won’t shut off, relaxation techniques can help. Deep breathing (count your inhales and exhales to 5 in your mind while in bed, repeat until you fall asleep), progressive muscle relaxation (squeezing muscles for a few seconds throughout your body and then letting them relax, systematically from head to toe, or toe to head), or mindfulness exercises (journalling, reading, meditation, etc.) can ease tension before bed.
If you struggle with anxiety try writing a gratitude journal. Each night, write down three good things from your day. Over time, this help to fade worries, feel more centred and calm…all needed for ease of falling and staying asleep.
Actionable Tip: Keep a notepad next to your bed and jot down any thoughts to “offload” stress before sleeping, avoid using your phone for this.
9. Take short naps (or skip them!) 😴
Naps can be a help or a big hindrance of sleep. A short 10-20 minute power nap can recharge you, but long or late-afternoon naps can throw off nighttime sleep, this has to do with the stages of your sleep cycles and avoiding entering deep sleep during your nap. Waking up from deep sleep from a nap can leave you feeling zombie like and still tired. It will also affect your sleep more in the evening.
Actionable Tip: Keep naps short (10-20 minutes) and schedule them before 3 PM.
10. Use your bed for sleep only 🛏️
Your brain should associate your bed with sleep, not work, eating, or TV. If you find yourself tossing and turning, get up and do something relaxing until you feel drowsy, if you can’t fall asleep or if you wake up and are laying there for ages.
Actionable Tip: Experts recommend if you’re laying there unable to sleep for more than 20 minutes, get out of bed until you feel sleepy again. Go read a book and keep the lights dimmed.
Sample nighttime routine for better sleep
9:00 PM: Dim the lights and avoid screens.
9:30 PM: Do light stretching or meditation.
10:00 PM: Read a book or listen to calming music.
10:30 PM: Get into bed and practice deep breathing before sleep.
Improving sleep hygiene takes time and consistency, but the benefits are worth it. Better rest leads to sharper focus, improved mood, and enhanced productivity. Start with one or two habits, and gradually build upon them. Your future, well-rested self will thank you.
Let me know which sleep hygiene habit you’re excited to try! 🌙💙