Sleep problems are inherently complex, and there’s no one-size-fits-all solution 1. But we’ve consulted the research and pulled together the 6 science-backed tips that cut through the clutter to help almost everyone get a better night’s sleep.
01. Beds are for sleep + sex only
02. Focus on the present
03. Have a fixed wake-up time
04. Create a wind-down ritual
05. Don't drink alcohol at night
06. Avoid quick fixes
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1. Epstein, L, & Mardon, S 2006, The Harvard Medical School Guide to a Good Night's Sleep (Harvard Medical School Guides), McGraw-Hill Education, London.
2. Brunborg, GS, Mentzoni, RA, Molde, H, Myrseth, H, Mår Skouverøe, KJ, Bjorvatn, B & Pallesen, S 2011, ‘The relationship between media use in the bedroom, sleep habits and symptoms of insomnia’, Journal of Sleep Research, vol. 20, no. 4, pp. 569-575.
3. Black, DS, O’Reilly, GA, Olmstead, R, Breen, EC & Irwin, MR 2015, ‘Mindfulness meditation and improvement in sleep quality and daytime impairment among older adults with sleep disturbances’, JAMA Intern Med, vol. 1, no. 4, pp. 494-501.
4. Sharme, P, Thapliyal, A, Chandra, T, Singh, S, Baduni, H & Waheed, M 2015, ‘Rhythmic breathing: immunological, biochemical, and physiological effects on health’, Advances In Mind-Body Medicine, vol. 29, no.1, pp. 18-25.
5. The Drive to Sleep and our Internal Clock 2007, viewed 19 May 2021, Division of Sleep Medicine at Harvard Medical School
6. Park, SY, Oh, MK, Lee, BS, Kim, HG, Lee, WJ, Lee, JH, Lim, JT & Kim, JY 2015, ‘The effects of alcohol on quality of sleep’, Korean Journal of Family Medicine, vol. 36, no. 6, pp. 294-299.
7. Pietilä, J, Helander, E, Korhonen, I, Myllymäki, T, Kujala, UM & Lindholm, H 2018, ‘Acute effect of alcohol intake on cardiovascular autonomic regulation during the first hours of sleep in a large real-world sample of Finnish employees: observational study’, JMIR Mental Health, vol. 5, no. 1.
8. NIH – Mechanisms of Alcohol Tolerance 2018, viewed 19 May 2021, University of Virginia School of Medicine,