How to sleep better
03 January 2025
A five-minute guide
Getting a good night's sleep is integral to our overall health and wellbeing. But it's not always easy to drop off when you want to, or to stay asleep throughout the night.
Here, we examine how our behaviour, such as working at night or lying in bed scrolling on our phones can affect sleep quality.
We also want to suggest some easy ways to improve your routine, so you can enjoy better sleep and wake up feeling ready to go.
How much sleep do you need?
The amount of sleep you need to stay healthy varies throughout your life. And there's no hard and fast rule about how much you should have on a nightly basis.
However, most adults need between seven and nine hours of sleep a night to feel fit and healthy, while young children and babies need longer - up to 12 hours a night - and older people sometimes find they can get by on quite a bit less.
It only becomes a problem if not getting enough shuteye starts to affect how you feel during the day.
We all feel tired from time to time. But longer term, sleep deprivation can have a serious impact on our emotional, physical, and mental health.
Common complaints among people with insomnia - a sleep disorder characterised by being unable to fall and/or stay asleep - include:
- feeling tired or sleepy during the day
- feeling irritable, depressed, or anxious
- finding it hard to concentrate or focus on your work
- forgetting meetings and other appointments
- making mistakes and having accidents
- worrying about how to get more sleep
Know your numbers
Insomnia is thought to affect around 1 in 3 people in the UK.1
What are the causes of insomnia?
According to the NHS, most cases of insomnia are caused by lifestyle factors, such as:
- stress, anxiety, and depression
- having to sleep in a noisy environment
- being too hot or cold at night
- having an uncomfortable bed
- consuming alcohol, caffeine, or drugs
- having jet lag from travelling
- doing shift work
However, there's also another vital factor when it comes to enjoying a restful night: light - and our exposure to it.
Our bodies are programmed to sleep at night. So, being in darkness helps us to produce melatonin - the sleepy hormone that enables us to fall into a slumber.
Exposure to light, on the other hand, suppresses the secretion of melatonin, and disturbs our 'circadian rhythm'. This is a growing problem in the modern world, as many of us spend our evenings bathed in the blue light emitted by devices such as TVs, tablets, and smartphones.
Did you know?
Circadian rhythms are 24-hour cycles that are part of the body's internal clock, running in the background to carry out essential functions and processes.2
What is blue light?
Blue light, found in many energy-efficient light sources and digital devices, has a short wavelength that stimulates sensors in the eyes to trick your brain into thinking it is daytime.
That's a good thing during the day, as it helps us to stay alert and focused.
But it can play havoc with our sleep patterns if we have too much of it after the sun's gone down.
Numerous studies have found that blue wavelengths disrupt sleep patterns even more than other forms of light, such as sunlight.
How to avoid blue light damaging your sleep cycle
Ways to prevent exposure to blue light messing with your sleep schedule include:
- choosing dim red-hued night lights that are less likely to suppress melatonin production
- avoiding looking at bright screens for the two to three hours before you go to bed
- trying to get lots of exposure to natural light during the day - particularly early in the morning
- putting your device on "night shift" mode or using special "blue light glasses" in the hours leading up to bedtime
Other ways to improve your sleep quality
Over-exposure to blue light is not the only factor that affects how you sleep. What you eat and drink - and when - can also affect the quality of your nightly shuteye, as can your actions during the day.
If you're struggling to get to or stay asleep, things you can try include:
- avoiding caffeine from late afternoon onwards - not only in tea and coffee but also in fizzy drinks
- choosing a light snack over a heavy meal later in the evening - almonds, bananas, and dairy products are all good choices for late night snacks
- checking your bed and bedding are as comfortable as possible and changing them if necessary - it's hard to sleep if you're too hot or too cold
- exercising regularly - ideally earlier in the day and outdoors as fresh air can help to make you feel more tired at the end of the day
- taking the time to wind down before bed - for example by taking a warm bath
- avoiding taking naps during the day - even if you're tired, it's best to try to make it through until a reasonable bedtime
- getting up and going to bed at a similar time every day - a routine can be very helpful when it comes to developing a healthy sleep
- only going to bed when you feel tired - trying to get to sleep before you’re ready rarely goes well
- trying a relaxing activity, such as reading or listening to soothing music, if you're struggling to sleep - then trying again 20 minutes later
- keeping your bedroom for sleeping only - working in your bedroom, for example, can make it hard to switch off
Know your numbers
Almost 7 in 10 (69%) of people with sleep issues never seek support.3
When to seek help
Over time, insomnia can become a major issue for some people. But you don't need to suffer in silence; there is support available.
NHS guidance indicates that you should make an appointment to see your GP about insomnia if:
- poor sleep quality is affecting your daily life
- you've struggled with insomnia for over a month
- improving your sleep hygiene has not helped
They may suggest a range of treatments, including CBT-I - a specialist type of cognitive behaviour therapy for people with insomnia - or a course of medication, although this is not usually recommended as a long-term solution.
If you're struggling with poor quality sleep, you can also get help from the Sleep Charity who host the National Sleep Helpline - more details can be found on their website.