Can’t fall asleep even when you're exhausted? You’re not broken — your habits probably are. Small changes to when and how you wind down often give the biggest payoffs. Below are clear, practical steps you can try tonight.
Start with the basics: dim lights and stop screens 60 minutes before bed. Blue light tricks your brain into staying alert. Swap scrolling for a short, low-effort activity — read a paperback, do five minutes of guided breathing, or write three things you want to remember tomorrow.
Watch caffeine and alcohol. Caffeine can hide in tea, chocolate, and some pain relievers; avoid anything with caffeine after mid-afternoon. Alcohol may help you fall asleep but fragments deep sleep later, so it’s not a fix.
Use a simple breathing technique to drop stress fast. Try 4-4-8 breathing: breathe in for four seconds, hold four, exhale for eight. Do it three times while in bed and notice your heart rate slow down.
Set a consistent wake-up time and stick to it, even on weekends. Your body’s clock learns patterns faster through waking cues than through late-night attempts to catch up. Pair the wake time with morning light: open curtains or step outside for five minutes.
Create a sleep-friendly bedroom. Keep the room dark, cool (around 60–68°F or 15–20°C), and quiet. Block noise with a fan or white-noise app if needed. Use blackout curtains and remove bright alarm clocks from view.
Move in the day, but not right before bed. Aim for 20–40 minutes of moderate exercise most days. Exercise improves sleep depth, but finishing intense workouts within an hour of bedtime can keep you wired.
Limit long naps. If you need to nap, keep it to 20 minutes before 3 pm. Longer or late naps make it harder to fall asleep at night.
If you lie awake for more than 20 minutes, get up and do something quiet until you feel sleepy again. Lying in bed awake trains your brain to associate the bed with wakefulness; moving to another room helps rebuild the right connection.
Consider sleep tools sensibly. A regular melatonin supplement can help with short-term jet lag or schedule shifts but use it at low doses and for short periods. Talk to your doctor before starting any sleep medication or combining supplements with other drugs.
When to see a pro: if you snore loudly, gasp during sleep, feel excessively sleepy during the day despite good time in bed, or have persistent insomnia lasting months — book a doctor or sleep specialist. Many sleep problems are treatable once properly diagnosed.
Try one or two changes at a time. Track your sleep feeling for two weeks and tweak what doesn’t work. Better rest is usually the result of steady, small habits—not big overnight fixes.
Start tonight: pick one habit, stick with it for 14 days, and notice small wins. Sleep improves when you make tiny, consistent changes every single night.
