We all understand the significance of improving sleep for our well-being. It is crucial for our mental, physical, and emotional health. Yet, many of us find it difficult to have a good night’s sleep. Whether it’s the stress of daily life, exposure to screens, or the caffeine in our coffee, numerous factors can influence our sleep quality. This article aims to provide practical tips and insights to help you enhance your sleep, and consequently, your overall health. Remember, the goal is not to achieve perfection, but to make small, realistic improvements that can have a significant impact on your life.

A realistic goal would be getting an extra half hour or hour of sleep, or improving the quality of your sleep. Any minor improvement, such as eliminating one of the waking times during the night, can make you feel better and have a knock-on effect in many parts of your life.

The two most common sleep problems are having trouble falling asleep or staying asleep. Of course, you can also be dealing with both. Below are several factors to consider to get you on the path to improving your sleep and your overall health.

Ideally, you want to go to bed and get up at roughly the same time every day. This consistency is crucial for your body clock. If your sleeping schedule is erratic, it’s almost like your body goes into jet-lagged mode, not really knowing what time zone you’re in. Obviously, there will be times when events or obligations alter this rhythm. The more you can strive for consistency, the easier it will be to fall asleep at night.

Parents with very young children often have a fairly predictable bedtime routine for them. It might start with a light snack, then a warm bath, followed by brushing teeth, getting into pajamas, a bedtime story, and then lights out, perhaps with some quiet time with the parent until the child falls asleep. Each of these steps signals to the child’s body and mind that it is time to sleep. Most children’s bedtime books are actually pretty boring and calm, designed to nudge the child towards sleep. Ideally, you should do the same thing for yourself.

As adults, we still need to wind down before bed. If you’ve just finished sending off a pile of emails or scrolling through social media and then you go brush your teeth and climb into bed, chances are sleep won’t come easily. Your mind is likely still processing the conversations in those emails or on that social media feed. You can’t go from 100 to 0 in just a few moments. You need time to wind down.

Consider what helps you relax. Perhaps it’s a bit of stretching, a warm bath or shower, journaling, playing a musical instrument, or doing some artwork. Something that gives you time to unwind your mind and body. Ideally, follow a fairly predictable routine—maybe brushing teeth, getting into pajamas, gentle stretching, perhaps listening to music, reading a book. But just like the child’s bedtime story, it’s better not to read something too exciting, frightening, or challenging. You might end up staying up until one or two o’clock in the morning glued to that novel or processing that content.

You could also listen to audiobooks or podcasts, but again, try to find ones that are not too challenging or upsetting. There are also many meditation apps available that can ease you into sleep.

Experiment with your bedtime routine to figure out what works best for you and try to follow it most evenings.

We have all heard that screens before bedtime are not helpful for getting some shut-eye, but just as with caffeine in the evening, we are all different in how these things affect our sleep. It is a good idea to experiment to determine how long before bedtime you need to be off screens. Some research indicates that it is a couple of hours. You might find that you are good if it is an hour before, but the only way you will know is to track it. Keep a log to track when you got off the screen, when you fell asleep, and rate the quality of your sleep. I advise all my clients to experiment with how these things personally affect them in order to improve their sleep.

Caffeine is a stimulant, and understandably, consuming it will affect your ability to fall asleep or stay asleep. Interestingly, caffeine has a half-life of five to six hours. This means that at the five to six-hour mark, you still have half that caffeine amount in your system. Another way of thinking about it is that it is like having had a half cup of coffee at that five or six-hour mark. However, it does vary somewhat from person to person. Many people find that four o’clock is their cutoff time for any caffeine consumption. Whether that is coffee, tea, or energy drinks. But for some people, it’s as early as noon.

Determine what that cutoff point is for you and how much caffeine you can consume in a day without it affecting your sleep. Track it. Write down when you’re having caffeine and follow it for several days. Also, note what was happening each day so you can recognize when poor sleep may have been a result of a bad day. Maybe you got into an argument with a coworker and perhaps that’s what messed up your sleep. Track your caffeine intake and sleep long enough to eliminate any confounding factors, so you can see what is solely due to the caffeine.

Another important factor to consider in improving sleep is exercise. Regular physical activity can help you fall asleep faster and enjoy deeper sleep. However, timing is important. Try to finish moderate to vigorous workouts at least a couple of hours before bedtime. Being active during the day can promote better sleep at night. Gentle exercises such as yoga or light stretching in the evening can also help promote sleep. It’s all about finding the right balance that works for you.

Many people believe that alcohol helps them fall asleep. It could help someone pass out, but it doesn’t help maintain sleep. In general, you want to go through all the sleep cycles of light sleep, deep sleep, and dreaming sleep a few times each night. I will talk about sleep cycles in more depth in another article, but suffice it to say right now that your dream cycle sleep is really, really important. Dreaming is actually your brain processing the emotional content of your day and week. It is actually therapy! You want to be doing this processing, this therapy, sober!

We sleep in cycles of light, deep, and dreaming sleep. Every 90 minutes or so, we return to a period of light sleep. It is in this transition where we are more vulnerable to waking up. This is when a full bladder or the need to roll over might be enough to bring us to full wakefulness. Clearly, managing fluid intake in the latter part of your day can make a nightly bathroom visit less likely. But sometimes, due to other factors such as pregnancy or age, bathroom visits can become a regular part of the night. In this case, it is important to consider your path to the bathroom. Is it as short as possible? Is it free of tripping hazards? Can you get there and back without turning on a light? All of these are important to consider in improving sleep.

Improving your sleep is not necessarily about achieving perfection. It is about making small, realistic improvements. Start by considering your sleep rhythm, bedtime routine, screen time, caffeine and alcohol intake, exercise, and the need for nightly bathroom visits. Experiment with these areas to determine what works best for you. Track changes and trends to see how these changes affect your sleep.

Remember, the goal is to improve your sleep quality, not necessarily achieve perfection. Also, remember that sleep is as important as diet and exercise. It is one of the cornerstones of good health. Make it a priority. If you continue to struggle with sleep, it may be advisable to consult a healthcare professional for further evaluation and guidance.

I will cover sleep cycles in a future article, but in the meantime, make some small changes and track them to see what works for you. Here’s to better sleep and better health!