How to Sleep Better

Fix the wake time first

People usually try to set a bedtime, but falling asleep is not under voluntary control — waking is. Keeping a consistent wake time stabilises when sleepiness arrives at night. This is also why weekend lie-ins disrupt the rhythm, so narrowing the gap between weekday and weekend wake times has a large effect.

Light sets the rhythm

Circadian rhythm responds most strongly to light. Bright light in the morning starts the clock, with sleepiness arriving roughly fourteen to sixteen hours later. Bright light at night, screens especially, tells the brain it is still daytime. Bright mornings and dark evenings is the simplest effective principle.

• Get daylight or bright light within 30 minutes of waking
• Dim the lights an hour before bed
• Keep the bedroom as dark and cool as possible
• If using screens at night, reduce brightness sharply

Caffeine and alcohol

Caffeine persists for hours, so a late-afternoon coffee still affects bedtime; moving your last intake earlier is the easiest adjustment. Alcohol is widely misunderstood — it speeds falling asleep but disrupts the second half of the night, causing frequent waking. Drinking to fall asleep lowers sleep quality.

When you cannot fall asleep

Lying awake teaches the brain that bed is a place for not sleeping. After about twenty minutes, get up, keep the lights low, do something dull, and return when drowsy. Checking the clock raises anxiety and alertness, so keeping it out of sight helps.

Please note

This is general sleep-hygiene reference information. If insomnia persists for weeks, or if snoring and daytime sleepiness are severe, another cause such as sleep apnoea may be involved — consult a medical professional.