How to Sleep Better at Night

Just like enjoying a nutritious diet and staying active, getting a good night’s sleep is essential for a healthy and happy lifestyle. Our UK Sleep Survey told us that, on average, people have a disturbed, broken, or bad night’s sleep 2.1 times per week, and just 6% stated they always wake up feeling refreshed.

So, if you suffer from low-quality sleep, you are definitely not alone. Luckily, there are several ways to help yourself sleep better at night naturally.

Before diving into specific habits, it’s important to be realistic about your sleep needs. While many aim for 8 hours, how much sleep you actually need varies by person. Factors like age, gender, and lifestyle all play a role. For example, some studies suggest women need more sleep than men. So, rather than focusing solely on quantity, prioritise getting quality, restorative sleep that leaves you feeling refreshed.

Once you’re clear on your goals, build a consistent bedtime routine to help your body and mind prepare for rest. A good bedtime routine isn’t just for kids – it’s for anyone who wants better sleep. Along with this, going to bed and waking up at the same time every day, even on weekends, helps regulate your internal clock.

Getting outside in the natural sunlight during the day is one of the easiest ways to improve sleep quality. Light is a key player in syncing up your natural body clock. Bright light during the day and darkness at night send signals to your brain and hormones about when to sleep and wake up. For instance, when it gets dark, your body releases melatonin, which is responsible for making you feel sleepy. So, soak up that sunshine during the day.

Many of us are guilty of reaching for our phone when we get under the duvet. But all that screen time in the evening can confuse your body’s natural wind-down process. Blue light, which reduces melatonin, is emitted from screens when watching TV or using your laptop or smartphone. Since melatonin helps regulate your sleep cycle, scrolling or using social media may affect your ability to sleep well. As hard as it may be, try to switch off the screens at least an hour before going to bed.

You come home late, exhausted, and you want to get into bed and sleep. But it doesn’t happen. Why? Because your mind is still active from the day’s activities. Before going to bed, set aside some time to chill. Reading a book, taking a bath, or making art are great ways to help you sleep. You could even start a sleep diary to unload your thoughts.

The twenty-minute rule says that you should give yourself around twenty minutes to get to sleep. If, after this time, you are still awake, get out of bed, leave the bedroom, and do something relaxing like reading until you feel sleepy.

By performing other activities in bed, such as watching TV, listening to music or podcasts, you subconsciously start associating these activities with your bed. Then, when you get into bed, your body starts to prepare for some input and is less likely to associate your bed with sleep. Be sure to restrict your bedtime activities to sleep, sex, and lots of cuddles.

A calm, comfy space makes it easier to drift off. Keep your room cool (18–24℃), dark, and quiet. Tidy up clutter to clear your mind, and check that your bed and mattress are supportive.

Bringing nature indoors can add to this relaxing atmosphere. Bedroom plants not only look nice but can purify the air and help reduce stress. Natural salt lamps give off a gentle glow and may improve air quality, while crystals are believed to ease anxiety and promote calm.

If you need some background noise, try white noise machines, fans, or relaxing podcasts to block out any disturbances. Creating the right sleep environment helps your body unwind and signals it’s time to rest.

Avoid caffeine after mid-afternoon, and steer clear of alcohol or heavy meals close to bedtime. These can disrupt deep sleep or cause discomfort. Aim to stop eating 2–3 hours before you lie down. This is because eating late at night can disrupt a good night’s sleep, inhibiting melatonin production and causing indigestion and heartburn.

Although exercising too close to bedtime isn’t a good idea, getting regular exercise during the day can help you sleep at night. Exercise boosts the effects of natural sleep hormones like melatonin, helping you get your forty winks. As little as 10 minutes of walking or cycling keeps you active and can help you sleep well later.

If you feel like you need a little extra help drifting off but are wondering how to sleep better at night naturally, there are plenty of options, such as essential oils and natural supplements. Lavender, chamomile and marjoram can be diluted in water, added to an oil burner, massaged into the skin, or diluted in water and sprayed onto your pillow to help calm the mind and help you switch off.

One of the most common causes of insomnia is stress, which can make it feel impossible to get a good night’s sleep. Sleeplessness causes more anxiety, creating a vicious cycle of sleep deprivation. To help calm your mind, try labelling worries as either ‘hypothetical’ or ‘real’ worries. If they are hypothetical, learn to let them go; if they are real, create a plan of action to help reduce your stress. You can also do cognitive behaviour therapy for anxiety, which can help you tackle unhelpful thinking styles.

As tempting as a daytime nap can be, especially after a poor night’s sleep, it might be doing more harm than good. Napping for too long or too late in the day can throw off your natural sleep rhythm and make it harder to drift off at night. If you really need to recharge, keep naps short and sweet, around twenty minutes, and aim to take them earlier in the afternoon. That way, you’ll feel refreshed without sabotaging your chances of a solid night’s sleep later on.

If you’ve tried all the usual sleeping tips and still find yourself tossing and turning night after night, it might be time to speak to a professional to rule out something more serious. Persistent sleep troubles could be a sign of an underlying sleep disorder, like insomnia or sleep apnoea, which requires proper medical support. Speak to your GP to get to the root of the problem so you can find a solution for a good night’s sleep.

Better sleep doesn’t always happen overnight, but with a few small changes, you can build habits that lead to deeper, more restful nights. Whether it’s setting a regular bedtime, cutting back on screens, or creating a calming sleep space, every step counts.