Born from NASA technology and perfected for sleep.
Relationships
7 min read
Health & Wellbeing
Sleep hygiene isn’t just about winding down before bed—it’s about building a routine that helps you sleep better. Here’s how to improve yours for better rest, night after night.
10 Min Read | By Holly James
Last Modified 17 February 2025 First Added 17 February 2025
A relaxing bath can be a great way to unwind before bed, but sleep hygiene goes far beyond that. It’s about building habits that support your overall health and well-being. Prioritising good sleep hygiene helps you rest better, so you wake up feeling refreshed and energised each day.
Ready to improve your slumber? Here’s your guide to perfect sleep hygiene.
Sleep hygiene refers to the habits, practices and environmental factors contributing to a good night’s sleep. It’s about crafting a space that’s ideal for rest and sticking to routines that encourage deep, restorative slumber every night. From your pre-bedtime rituals to daytime habits, everything you do plays a role in ensuring your sleep is as rejuvenating as possible. It’s all about the little changes that can make a big difference to your overall well-being.
Sleep hygiene matters because sleep matters. Good sleep hygiene can make all the difference to both sleep quality and duration which are crucial for mental and physical well-being. Poor sleep can not only interfere with how we feel and our ability to carry out daily activities, but it is also linked to more serious health issues, like diabetes, obesity, and heart disease.
Improving your sleep hygiene can also help with several sleep issues and disorders, like insomnia. In fact, it’s often a more effective long-term solution than relying on sleeping pills. While medication might offer short-term relief, it’s not recommended for long-term use due to the risks of dependency. On the other hand, combining healthy habits with approaches like Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) can offer a more sustainable approach to good sleep.
Good sleep hygiene is all about crafting a routine and environment that work together to help you get the best sleep possible. While everyone’s ideal routine might look a little different, it typically involves sticking to a regular schedule, adopting healthy habits, and, above all, making sleep a priority. We’ll explore simple yet effective ways you can improve your sleep hygiene and set yourself up for the most peaceful nights ahead later on in this article.
If you’re regularly waking up tired, struggling to fall asleep, dealing with sleep disruptions, or having an inconsistent routine, it could be a sign that your sleep hygiene needs attention. If you’re not snoozing well and there’s no apparent underlying cause, poor sleep hygiene is often to blame. It’s a good indicator that your habits and environment need a reset to help you get the quality rest you deserve.
Good sleep hygiene goes hand in hand with living a healthy lifestyle—it’s all about making choices that support your well-being, both day and night. Plenty of small changes and simple guidelines you can follow can make a world of difference to the quality of your sleep. From tweaking your evening routine to adjusting your environment, these easy swaps can help you feel more refreshed, energised, and ready to take on the day.
Good sleep hygiene begins with establishing a consistent routine. As creatures of habit, we naturally thrive on routine, and our bodies respond best when we stick to a regular sleep schedule. Setting a consistent bedtime and wake-up time helps regulate your circadian rhythm, making it easier to fall asleep and wake up refreshed.
For the best results, stick to the exact timings every night—even on weekends. We know Saturday night plans might lead to the occasional late night or extra lie-in, but try to keep your sleep schedule as consistent as possible to help your body stay in sync.
Find out your ideal bed and wake-up time using our Sleep Calculator.
These days, it’s easy to put sleep on the back burner in favour of work, socialising, or catching up on that must-see series. But good sleep hygiene is about more than just sticking to a regular bedtime—it’s about ensuring you get enough rest, too. Don’t let sleep slip to the bottom of your to-do list. Instead, treat it as an essential part of your day, something you show up for on time, every time. After all, when you prioritise your rest, everything else falls into place.
While naps have their time and place, they can sometimes throw off your sleep hygiene if you try to establish a consistent routine. They can disrupt your sleep schedule and mess with your circadian rhythm. If you are someone who loves that mid-afternoon kip, aim to keep it regular and stick to the same time and same duration so your body gets used to a biphasic sleep pattern. That way, you’ll still enjoy your nap without it interfering with your primary sleep cycle, ensuring you can still fall asleep at your bedtime.
For more guidance on how to catch some daytime Zzzs, read our guide to daytime napping.
Creating an evening routine and sticking to it night after night is key to good sleep hygiene. When you repeat the same calming activities before bed, you tell your body it’s time to unwind and get ready for rest. This consistency helps you settle into a more peaceful, uninterrupted sleep.
Whether it’s reading, enjoying a hot bath, or journaling, a soothing ritual eases your transition from the hustle of the day to the quiet of the night, setting the stage for deeper, more restorative sleep.
Though spending some downtime scrolling through social media or messaging friends before bed may be tempting, screens have no place in a healthy bedtime routine. Using screens before sleep has been linked to poor sleep quality, increased fatigue, and difficulty focusing due to the blue light that they omit.
To improve your sleep hygiene, try avoiding all screens, including phones, laptops, and TVs, for at least an hour before bed. This gives your body the time it needs to naturally produce melatonin, the hormone that helps you feel relaxed and ready for a restful night’s sleep.
Stress can seriously disrupt your sleep. The stress hormone cortisol makes it harder to fall asleep, causes nighttime wake-ups, and lowers the overall quality of your rest. If you find yourself feeling stressed, especially in the evenings, it could be the root cause of your sleep troubles.
To improve both your mental well-being and your sleep hygiene, it’s important to manage stress throughout the day and incorporate relaxation techniques into your bedtime routine. Whether it’s meditation, mindfulness, or any activity that helps you feel calm, taking time to unwind before bed can make a big difference.
There’s nothing more frustrating than getting into bed at a reasonable hour, only to lie there wide awake, counting sheep and struggling to drift off. This can quickly lead to anxiety around sleep, turning into a vicious cycle of clock-watching that only makes it harder to fall asleep.
To align your sleep routine with your body’s natural rhythm, try waiting until you actually feel sleepy before heading to bed. If your bedtime doesn’t match your natural sleepiness, gradually shift your sleep time by 15 minutes each night rather than forcing yourself to sleep before you’re ready.
Your environment plays a huge role in how well you sleep, especially if you’re a light sleeper. Creating the right setting is essential for good sleep hygiene. This means keeping your room free from bright lights and distractions, reducing noise, and making sure the temperature is just right. To take it a step further, try adding some soothing scents like essential oils, such as a calming lavender diffuser or a gentle chamomile pillow mist.
If you prefer background noise while going to sleep, try white, pink, or brown noise.
In addition to creating a comfortable room, ensuring your bed is just right is essential. After all, we spend about a third of our lives sleeping, so investing in a bed that suits you is definitely worth it. Make sure your mattress feels supportive and comfortable for your sleeping position.
To help you find your perfect match, try using our handy mattress finder. Consider your bedding, too. Pick a pillow that offers the proper support for your head and neck and a duvet that keeps you warm without overheating. This applies to pyjamas as well. Opt for light, breathable fabrics that help regulate your temperature throughout the night.
Getting natural sunlight during the day, especially in the morning, offers a range of benefits for both your sleep hygiene and overall health. Even a short walk in the daylight can help regulate your circadian rhythm and boost melatonin production in the evening, making it easier to fall asleep in the evening. Plus, sunlight is linked to better mental health by helping to reduce stress and ward off feelings of depression—both of which can disrupt your sleep.
Creating good sleep doesn’t start at bedtime. What you do during the day can also greatly impact your rest. Focus on living a healthy lifestyle by incorporating regular exercise and limiting unhealthy habits like smoking, which can disrupt sleep quality and even contribute to issues like insomnia.
While you can’t always stick to a rigid routine during the day, try to maintain some consistency where you can—it helps keep your body and mind in sync. And if you’ve had a rough night’s sleep, resist the temptation to reach for junk food and lounge on the sofa. Instead, stick to your usual routine and push through your daily activities. It’ll help you feel more energised and set you up for a better night’s rest ahead.
Read our guide on how to create a healthy morning routine.
To set yourself up for excellent sleep hygiene, try to avoid stimulants like caffeine after midday and steer clear of alcohol before bed. Caffeine can disrupt your sleep by stimulating the nervous system and blocking key sleep-promoting hormones, while alcohol can interrupt your sleep cycle, reducing both sleep quality and quantity.
For a sleep-friendly alternative, check out our list of the best drinks to help you wind down and support a restful night’s sleep.
In addition to avoiding drinks that can keep you awake, aim to eat at least 2-3 hours before your bedtime to ensure your food has had enough time to be properly digested before lying down. This helps prevent issues like indigestion, allowing your body to enter a more restful state. If you do tend to get peckish at night, discover our top late-night snacks to keep you going without keeping you awake.
To improve your sleep hygiene, try to reserve your bed for sleep and intimacy only. This helps your brain associate the space with rest, making it easier to unwind and fall asleep when the time comes. Avoid working, watching TV, or other relaxing activities in bed when it’s not time to sleep. This simple change can help create a more transparent boundary between wakefulness and rest.
If your sleep struggles persist or you want to perfect your sleep hygiene, try keeping a sleep diary. Jot down how well you slept each night and any changes to your routine to track what helps and what doesn’t. This can offer valuable insight into your sleep patterns. If you’re still tossing and turning and can’t pinpoint the cause, it’s worth speaking with your doctor to rule out any underlying health issues that could be affecting your rest.
By making small yet impactful changes to your daily habits and bedtime routine, you can significantly improve your sleep hygiene and, ultimately, your overall well-being. Prioritising good sleep hygiene brings more restful nights, leaving you feeling refreshed and ready to take on each day.
See all articles by Holly James
Problems Sleeping
16 min read