EveryManKnows
Health and Body Upkeep

How to sleep better

To sleep better, keep the same wake-up time every day, weekends included, aim for seven to nine hours, and make the bedroom dark, cool and quiet. Get daylight soon after waking, stop caffeine about eight hours before bed, and put screens away for the last half hour. If you are awake more than 20 minutes, get up and do something calm until sleepy.

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How to do it

  1. Set one wake-up time and keep it every day, including weekends.
  2. Count back seven to nine hours to set your bedtime.
  3. Go outside or open the blinds within an hour of waking to get daylight.
  4. Stop caffeine about eight hours before bed, and keep alcohol light, since it breaks up sleep later in the night.
  5. Make the room dark, cool and quiet, using an eye mask or earplugs if needed.
  6. Put the phone and laptop away for the last 30 minutes and do something calm.
  7. If you lie awake more than 20 minutes, get up, read in dim light, and go back when sleepy.
  8. Keep naps short, under 30 minutes, and before mid-afternoon.

Common mistakes

  • Sleeping in late on weekends and resetting the clock every Monday.
  • Using alcohol to fall asleep.
  • Scrolling in bed until you feel tired.
  • Drinking coffee in the late afternoon.

Quick self-check

Three questions. Your last score is kept in this browser.

1. What anchors your body clock best?
2. What does alcohol do to sleep?
3. You have been lying awake for half an hour. What helps?

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Sources

  • National sleep health guidance for adults, current edition. Checked September 28, 2026.

Last reviewed . First published .