Rest easy: 6 ways to improve your sleep tonight

Getting enough restful sleep is crucial for well-being, yet so many of us are just muddling through our days feeling tired and worn out. The numbers are pretty startling: 6 out of 10 adults say they don’t get enough sleep, and nearly 4 out of 10 say they have trouble falling asleep three or more nights a week.¹ Even when they manage to drift off, almost half of all adults admit to having trouble staying asleep three or more nights per week.²

That’s a lot of people coping with next-day grogginess, crankiness, and fatigue. And that’s only the tip of the iceberg. Sleep deprivation doesn’t just leave you feeling cranky, it can mess with your brain, making it harder to remember things, make decisions, and absorb new information.³

Physically, lack of sleep can hit you hard. “Not getting enough sleep can increase our blood pressure and cause physical symptoms like migraines and seizures,” says Jen Foley, a licensed clinician, certified professional coach, and Senior Director of Clinical Partnerships at Spring Health, a digital mental health company. Simply put: Sleep really is non-negotiable if you want to function well.

6 tips to help you get better sleep 

Often, the hurdles between you and a good night’s rest are things you can actually control — if only you know what to watch out for. Habits like scrolling through your phone at night or not treating bedtime as a priority can slowly sneak in, but with a little intention, you can trade those habits for ones that help you sleep better. If you’re struggling to get the recommended seven to nine hours of sleep most nights, these tips may help.⁴

1. Create a bedtime routine 

Sleep rituals aren’t just for kids. While yours doesn’t need to involve bath toys and bedtime stories, setting up a regular routine can help optimize the body’s natural sleep-wake cycle.⁵

Ideally, a bedtime routine should start 30 to 60 minutes before turning in for the night so that you’re in bed and ready for sleep seven to nine hours before your scheduled wake-up time. And this is often what trips us up when it comes to getting good sleep. “We don’t give ourselves enough time to complete all the little nighttime tasks before it’s time to go to sleep,” says Foley. Instead of squeezing in one more chapter, episode, or project, plan to finish things earlier and build in moments of calm — think soothing music, a warm bath, meditation, or journaling.⁶ Keeping a consistent bedtime and wake-up time, even on weekends, also helps your body settle into a pattern for better sleep.

2. Breathe easy 

Breathing techniques can be a simple yet powerful tool to help your body relax and prepare for sleep. Foley recommends incorporating deep breathing exercises into your bedtime routine. “One simple technique is to put your hands behind your head with your thumbs pointed down at the base of your neck,” she says. “This will help you open your diaphragm and force you to take deep breaths.”

Foley also suggests practicing box breathing — a technique where you inhale for a count of four, hold for a count of four, exhale for a count of four, and pause for a count of four before beginning again. Incorporating these mindful breathing practices into your nightly routine can make it easier to unwind and drift off to restful sleep.

3. Transform your bedroom into a sleep sanctuary

If your bedroom doubles as office space, your brain may be associating bed with activities that aren’t conducive to rest. If space constraints mean you can’t banish all non-sleeping activities from the bedroom, take steps to make the separation in your mind. For instance, once you’ve finished working, Foley says, “Do something that signifies work is over, even if it's just putting your arms up in the air and saying work is done.”

Don’t forget to put papers, folders, Post-it notes, and laptops out of sight. Switch from task lighting to a softer, more diffuse lighting option to further signal a switch from a place of work to a haven for rest. And if the sound of passing traffic or noisy neighbors wakes you up or prevents you from falling asleep, a white noise machine or even the droning sound of a fan can help mask these obtrusive noises.

4. Screen out screens 

It’s become all too common to unwind at the end of the day by mindlessly scrolling on your phones or watching movies and shows on tablet or laptop screens while in bed. But this actually wakes your brain up instead of winding it down. “Looking at screens does not help relax you or help you fall asleep,” says Foley. “It’s biologically the reverse — it’s stimulating.”

Foley recommends keeping phones out of the bedroom and setting a shutdown time for using all other screens. “The research is clear that one hour before bed should be the cutoff time,” she says.

5. Skip that nightcap 

According to conventional wisdom, drinking a glass of wine before bed can help you get to sleep, but; Foley points out, “research shows that it makes it harder to get that good restful and restorative sleep.” Studies suggest that though alcohol can help you fall asleep, it can have a negative effect on sleep quality, delaying the onset of rapid eye movement (REM) sleep and reducing its duration.⁷ In fact, even drinking moderate amounts of alcohol before bedtime can affect sleep — consuming two drinks for a man or one for a woman can decrease sleep quality by 24%.⁸ And heavy alcohol use has been linked to insomnia.⁹ If you choose to drink, researchers recommend avoiding alcohol for at least three hours before bedtime. It’s also a good idea to avoid caffeine, nicotine, and spicy foods close to bedtime.

6. Take a sleep break

If you’re finding it hard to settle down at night and can’t quite get into a snooze groove, instead of tossing and turning and fretting in bed, Foley suggests pressing pause on slumber. “Get out of bed and take a quick break,” she says. This helps your brain avoid connecting your bed with restlessness and frustration. “Laying there and dwelling on how you can’t fall asleep is not going to help,” she says. “Go get a glass of warm milk or just sit in silence, then try again in 20 minutes.”

Getting a good night's sleep can feel like a challenge, but small changes in your evening routine can make a big difference. Ready to give your sleep a makeover tonight?