Better Sleep Habits: Practical Steps From Public Health Advice

Sleep & stress · Published 2026-10-27

A painting of a young woman reading by the warm light of an oil lamp in the evening — Delphin Enjolras, Reading at lamp light. Public domain.

Most people have nights when sleep will not come. When poor sleep becomes a pattern, small changes to daily habits and to the bedroom often make a real difference. The NHS calls this sleep hygiene, and its advice matches what the CDC and the World Health Organization recommend. This guide brings their suggestions together in a practical order.

1. Keep a regular routine

The NHS puts a regular sleep routine first: going to bed and getting up at similar times each day helps your body know when it is time to sleep. The CDC gives the same advice, and the WHO's guidance on stress lists consistency, including at weekends, as the first of its good sleep habits. A fixed wake-up time is often the easiest anchor; a lie-in of several hours at the weekend can make Sunday night harder.

How much sleep to aim for depends on your age; most adults need at least seven hours. The figures are in how much sleep adults need.

2. Wind down before bed

A calm bedtime routine helps the mind shift towards sleep. The NHS suggests not using phones, tablets or computers for an hour before bed, and the CDC suggests turning off electronic devices at least 30 minutes before. In their place, the NHS suggests reading something you enjoy, meditation, breathing exercises, calming music or a podcast. A warm bath, gentle stretching or preparing for the next day can become cues that the day is over.

3. Put worries on paper

Worry, stress and anxiety are among the commonest reasons for lying awake. The NHS suggests talking to someone you trust, writing worries down, or making a list of the next day's tasks before bed so that your mind does not have to hold on to them. If worry keeps you awake night after night, the ideas in stress and everyday habits may help, and a GP can talk through further support.

4. Make the bedroom quiet, dark and cool

All three sources agree on the environment: quiet, dark, relaxing and at a comfortable, slightly cool temperature. The NHS lists practical fixes:

earplugs if noise is a problem, or background sounds such as rainfall, gentle music or white noise;
phone on silent and face down, clocks out of view;
curtains fully closed, or an eye mask if light still gets in;
adjusting the heating or opening a window, if it is safe to do so, to keep the room cooler.

Noise from traffic, neighbours or nightlife is hard to fix from inside a room. If you are moving home, it is worth thinking about the bedroom's position and the street outside as part of the decision; we look at that in our guide to choosing a neighbourhood where sleep and movement come easily.

5. Watch food, drink and nicotine

The NHS and the CDC both advise against large meals close to bedtime. Caffeine in tea, coffee, cola and energy drinks can keep you awake; the CDC suggests avoiding it in the afternoon and evening. Alcohol may make you drowsy at first but disturbs sleep later in the night, and nicotine is a stimulant. The NHS suggests avoiding alcohol and nicotine for one to two hours before bed and trying a warm milky drink or herbal tea instead of caffeinated drinks.

6. Be active during the day

Regular physical activity helps people sleep better, according to the NHS, the CDC and the WHO. Even small amounts help, and you can build up gradually. Some people find that exercising close to bedtime keeps them awake; if that happens, move it earlier. Time outdoors in daylight, for example a walk at lunchtime, also helps many people feel more awake by day and sleepier at night.

7. Do not force sleep

Lying in bed trying hard to sleep often has the opposite effect. The NHS suggests that if you are still awake after about 20 minutes, you get up, sit somewhere comfortable and do something relaxing, such as reading or listening to quiet music, then go back to bed when you feel sleepy. Keeping the bed for sleep, rather than for work or long scrolling sessions, strengthens the link between bed and sleep.

Naps, shift work and new parents

Naps are a matter of judgement. For people with insomnia, the NHS advises not napping during the day and not sleeping in after a bad night, so that sleep pressure builds for the next night. Shift workers and new parents often cannot keep a regular schedule; the priorities then are protecting the longest possible block of sleep, making that sleep as dark and quiet as possible, and avoiding driving when very drowsy.

When habits are not enough

Sleep hygiene helps many people, but not everyone. The NHS advises seeing a GP if changing your sleeping habits has not helped, if you have had trouble sleeping for months, or if insomnia is making it hard to cope with daily life; also mention loud snoring with pauses in breathing. A GP will look for the cause, which can include stress, anxiety or depression, pain, an overactive thyroid, the menopause, medicines or sleep apnoea. The NHS explains that you may be offered cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT), face to face or through an online programme, and that GPs now rarely prescribe sleeping pills. If you are curious about the links between sleep and appetite, see sleep, appetite and weight.

Sources

NHS Every Mind Matters, "How to fall asleep faster and sleep better".
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, "About Sleep": tips for better sleep.
World Health Organization, "Stress" (questions and answers): good sleep habits.
NHS, "Insomnia" (nhs.uk).