If you wish to live a long and healthy life, sleep is not something you should take for granted. But, with all the distractions the modern world has, it’s easy to get your sleep disturbed even in the absence of any sleep-related disorders or other health conditions that may affect sleep and its quality.

There are conditions where you may need additional help to get good sleep, including the use of sleep medications (ideally short-term use) and treatment for any other conditions that may affect or interfere with sleep.

However, this isn’t true for most people who struggle to get good sleep. We have many sleep-disturbing elements as a part of our daily lives that don’t need medications to treat but do need some behavioural modifications.

Regardless of what causes your sleep disturbance— genetic roots, medical cause, or behavioural issue— all can benefit from these simple tips to get a good night’s sleep.

Here are 7 simple and science-backed lifestyle modifications to help you sleep better.

1. Caffeine Restriction: Know When Should Be Your Last Cup Of Coffee and Tea

Caffeine is loved by many, and it is also the need for even more. Why the need? Well, because most of us are sleep-deprived.

Caffeine is very widely used worldwide in various forms. So, no wonder it is one of the most common sleep-disturbing agents that is a part of our lives.

Caffeine supports the sleep deprivation epidemic of modern times.

When you are sleep-deprived, you drink caffeine to stay awake and function the next day. Consuming too many caffeinated drinks during the day and in the evening hours causes sleep disruption at night. So, you wake up tired the next day as well and again rely on coffee to stay awake and alert.

So, this is how the vicious cycle of caffeine intake and sleep deprivation has become a part of our lives.

So, should you not drink caffeinated drinks at all?

It’s not the intake of caffeine that is problematic (for the most part, if you’re not overdoing it), but the timings of caffeine intake that matter the most when we speak of caffeine causing sleep disturbance.

However, it is essential to be mindful of caffeine intake because it is a well-known agent that disturbs sleep, especially if you struggle with getting good sleep, if you overdo coffee during the daytime or if you are caffeine-sensitive.

The last cup of caffeinated drink

So, when should be your last cup of coffee or tea if you wish to preserve your sleep? It varies from person to person depending on our genetic makeup, but for most of us, your last caffeinated drink should be 8-10 hours before bedtime.

Why 8 to 10 hours? It is because your body takes about 8-10 hours to eliminate caffeine from the system.

So, no coffee in the evening. Preferably, no caffeine post-noon.

Caffeine is present in coffee, tea, energy drinks, chocolate, and even in some supplements. So, be mindful of when you are consuming them, especially if you struggle with getting a good night’s sleep.

2. Meals and Simple Carbohydrates: Know When Should Be The last meal of the day

In this section, I would like to address two things:

• the last meal of the day, and
• sugar-rich drinks (non-caffeinated), and other simple carbohydrate-rich snacks.

The issue with both of these is the rise in blood sugar levels that happens after we eat our meals or in general, when we consume simple carbohydrate-rich foods, including sugar-rich and processed foods.

The sudden rise and fall in blood sugar levels is the major factor at play here, that can disturb the quality of our sleep.

I have written a whole article talking about it in detail. You can read it here: Sleep And Glucose: Can Sugar Disturb Your Sleep?

In addition to this, various studies also suggest that too much daytime sugar consumption also causes sleep disturbances at night. The higher the amount of refined sugar you consume during the daytime, the shorter your sleep duration will be, the studies say. (1)(2).

So, this is something you should keep in mind as well, especially if you struggle with getting a good sleep.

So, when should be your last meal of the day?

Research says that meals consumed within 3 hours of bedtime can cause sleep disturbance.

Therefore, your last meal or snack of the day should be at least 3 hours before bedtime.

If it’s one of those days where you have to work or study late and you need some source of energy to get by at midnight, go for more natural foods that will provide you a steady blood sugar levels and won’t disturb your sleep later on, like milk and fruits.

Avoid processed foods, fast foods, and caffeinated food and drinks as late-night snack.

3. Check How Much Alcohol You Are Consuming

A lot of people rely on alcohol to go to sleep. The general thought is that a drink (or a few drinks) will help take the edge off, help deal with the stress better, and induce sleep.

This behaviour is no different from self-medicating yourself with sleep or pain meds and escaping reality. 

It will not help you sleep better, nor will it eliminate the problematic stressors from your life— whatever it may be. 

Instead, it may end up making you dependent on it and push you towards yet another serious problem of alcohol dependence. 

About 35 to 91% of alcohol-dependent patients have some kind of behavioural issues, including sleep abnormalities. Insomnia is a common co-existing issue in people dependent on alcohol. About 80% of people using some sort of substance relate their sleep issues with their substance use.

These are large numbers, and not by coincidence. Alcohol disturbs your sleep quality, and insomnia can push you to depend on alcohol to induce sleep.

So, why do many people rely on alcohol to induce sleep at night?

Alcohol is a CNS depressant. Meaning it suppresses our central nervous system. Suppression of our central nervous system puts you in a temporary state of relaxation and causes you to fall asleep quickly. 

So, there is an initial quickly-falling-asleep phase following the consumption of alcohol. But the problematic part is what comes later in the latter half of your sleep cycle.

There are two ways in which alcohol consumption in the late evening can disturb your sleep:

• The fluctuating levels of alcohol in the bloodstream as our body starts metabolising alcohol,
• alcohol causes a delayed onset of first REM sleep. This basically means less restful sleep,
• alcohol makes you prone to experience sleep apnoea, which can lead to poor, disrupted sleep.

The fatigue and headache you feel in a hangover result from both dehydration and poor sleep which is caused by alcohol. 

Limiting your alcohol intake in the evening, therefore, is crucial.

Now the question is, when should you have your last drink?

How long it takes for our body to metabolise alcohol depends on the amount of alcohol you have consumed. 

Our body takes an hour to metabolise one unit/standard drink of alcohol. 

But as a general rule, ideally, you should avoid alcohol as much as possible. Preferably avoid alcohol in the evening. But if you are consuming alcohol in the evening, make sure your last drink is at least 4 hours before your bedtime. 

Abstaining from alcohol close to bedtime will ensure a good sleep.

4. Put An End To Chronic Stress

Short-term stress is a part of our life. Often, it is needed to give us the impetus to get things done. 

However, when stress gets out of our control, it can do a lot of damage to our health. 

It can lead to various diseases, like diabetes, hypertension, and cardiac issues, and even increases the risk of developing cancer. It can also cause mental health issues like depression, anxiety, and brain fog, and even promote habits that can eventually lead to chronic substance abuse. 

Yes, chronic stress can do all of this.

What is chronic stress? 

It is the persistent, prolonged state of being stressed or overwhelmed. It can negatively affect your life in many ways. Chronic or persistent stress triggers many hormone-related mechanisms in our body and can cause many changes to happen as a result. These changes are negative. 

One of the common issues that persistent stress can cause is sleep disturbance. There is plenty of research on this subject matter, and a lot of us may even have personally noticed that stress indeed interferes with good sleep.

How Can You Manage Stress?

Since stress can disturb your sleep and can cause many other health issues in the long term, de-stressing should be one of the essential steps in our self-care practices.

All you need to do is invest 10-15 minutes every day to be quiet and still. 

Now, this quietness could be several things. It can be 10 minutes of mindfulness meditation, progressive muscle relation, art/colouring books, deep breathing exercises, or simply sitting and enjoying a cup of tea in peace. 

The point is to make an effort to stop thinking about the stressors and try to be in the present (mindfulness), and all these activities can help you do just that.

Taking some time each day to relax can prevent many health issues in the future. It is a small investment with a big reward. So, take a few minutes each day to just be.

5. Limit Screen Exposure Before Bedtime

Too much screen time could be another cause of your sleep disturbance. Various studies have found a link between too much screen exposure and poor quality sleep. (1)(2)(3)

So, why does too much screen exposure negatively affect your sleep? I’m sure you’re aware the culprit is the blue light our devices emit. 

So, what is the big deal with the blue light exposure? 

The issue is that our brain has evolved to use light as a signal to regulate the circadian rhythm. So, when we are exposed to sunlight, our body reduces the secretion of melatonin, which is the main hormone responsible for inducing sleep.

This effect is maximally seen with the blue light; meaning blue light causes maximum suppression of melatonin secretion. 

Hence, the need to limit exposure to digital screens before bedtime because it would expose you to blue light, which will tell your body not to release the hormone melatonin and therefore delay sleep.

So, when should you step away from the screens at night? 

A 2021 study explored this question and found that people who used electronic devices within 2 hours of bedtime have poorer sleep quality than those who don’t. The longer the duration of screen exposure, the poorer the sleep quality. Subjects who used devices for 1-2 hours before bedtime reported poor sleep quality. 

This study also says the people who practised keeping their phone 5m away from the bed had better sleep quality than those who have the habit of keeping their devices on or near the bed. So, this could be an effective way to practice detachment from the devices before bedtime.

Speaking of Sunlight: Light exposure in the evening may not be good, but in the morning, you should spend some time in the sun. Daytime exposure to blue light (via sunlight) increases cognition, alertness and reaction time. And this is one of the many reasons why sunlight exposure in the morning is recommended.

6. Sleep At The Same Time Everyday

So, what happens when you have a fixed bedtime schedule? When you sleep and wake up at the same time every day, it primes your brain to induce sleep at the same time every day. 

Your circadian rhythm adapts to your new behaviour of sleeping at the same time and adjusts itself to release melatonin at the same time every day to help you sleep at the same time every day.

Various studies suggest having a fixed bedtime schedule results in better overall health.

Conversely, a variable bedtime is linked with many health issues— only one of these is poor sleep.

What Happens When You DOn’t Sleep At The Same Time Everyday?

A 2015 study reveals how variable sleep and wake-up time lead to an overall unhealthy lifestyle behaviour. This study says that >30 mins of variation in bedtime schedule is associated with:

• more frequent insufficient sleep,
• lower dietary quality,
• Increased alcohol consumption,
• Increased sitting time each day, and
• An overall bad lifestyle behaviour.

So, a simple behavioural change, i.e. having a fixed bedtime schedule can yield you many health benefits. You can avoid all these negative lifestyle behaviours just by having a fixed bedtime schedule.

7. Take A Soothing Warm Bath/Shower Before Bedtime

Another factor that can interfere with sleep is temperature. Your body temperature can lead to a good or a poor sleep.

Scientifically, the recommended room temperature for sleep is about 18-20 degrees Celsius (65-68 F). However, this can vary from person to person practically, depending upon gender, age, body fat composition and even certain health conditions. 

So, choose a temperature that suits your personal needs.

The good thing is that the temperature naturally falls at night— both for the environment and our body. The fall in temperature naturally aids in sleep. 

So, Why Warm Shower?

You can take a warm shower or bath before bed to further help your body cool down.

As per studies, taking a warm shower 1-2 hours before bedtime lowers your core body temperature. 

A lowered core body temperature also triggers the circadian rhythm to induce sleep. Therefore, warm showers or baths promote healthy sleep. 

Please note that a warm shower promotes sleep. And a cold shower will have the opposite effect— it will make your core body temperature warmer. 

Speaking of cold shower: On a similar note, cold shower makes your core body temperature warmer. A cold shower, therefore, would be great in the morning time as it will help you feel more awake by signalling your circadian rhythm to wake up.

8. Get Any Health Issues That Disturb Your Sleep Treated

In addition to bad lifestyle habits that disturb sleep, like too much screen exposure, many health states and health issues can affect sleep.

Some of these states and health issues include:

1. Pregnancy
2. Insomnia
3. Sleep apnoea
4. Restless leg syndrome and other sleep disorders.
5. Asthma and other issues that affect breathing (Lung diseases)
6. Mental health issues like depression, schizophrenia, anxiety, etc.
7. ADHD
8. Stroke
9. Head injury
10. Heart diseases
11. Nerve disorders
12. Cancer
13. Alzheimer’s disease, etc.

These are just a few examples of the conditions that can result in sleep disturbance, but the list is much longer. 

If you have a health issue that is not on this list and you are experiencing sleep issues because of it, please do not ignore it and get it looked at.

These sleep hygiene practices will benefit all. But, when it comes to specific health issues/diagnoses, you will need management of those as well to maintain a good sleep.

Reference

• Gustavo A. Angarita, Nazli Emadi, Sarah Hodges & Peter T. Morgan. Sleep abnormalities associated with alcohol, cannabis, cocaine, and opiate use: a comprehensive review. (2016). Retrieved from https://ascpjournal.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s13722-016-0056-7

• Sarah L. Martindale, Ph.D., Robin A. Hurley, M.D., Katherine H. Taber, Ph.D. Chronic Alcohol Use and Sleep Homeostasis: Risk Factors and Neuroimaging of Recovery. (2017). Retrieved from https://neuro.psychiatryonline.org/doi/10.1176/appi.neuropsych.16110307

• Science Daily. Reviewing alcohol’s effects on normal sleep. (2013). Retrieved from https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/01/130122162236.htm

• Heather L. Rusch, Michael Rosario, Lisa M. Levison, Anlys Olivera, Whitney S. Livingston, Tianxia Wu, and  Jessica M. Gill. The effect of mindfulness meditation on sleep quality: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials. (2018). Retrieved from https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6557693/

• Lauren Hale, Gregory W. Kirschen, Monique K. LeBourgeois, Michael Gradisar, Michelle M. Garrison, Hawley Montgomery-Downs, Howard Kirschen, Susan M. McHale, Anne-Marie Chang, and Orfeu M. Buxton. Youth screen media habits and sleep: sleep-friendly screen-behavior recommendations for clinicians, educators, and parents. (2018). Retrieved from https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5839336/

• Chanda Maurya, T. Muhammad, Priya Maurya & Preeti Dhillon. The association of smartphone screen time with sleep problems among adolescents and young adults: cross-sectional findings from India. (2022). Retrieved from https://bmcpublichealth.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12889-022-14076-x

• Sin-Chin Tan, Jenny Fraser. 76 Effects of screen time on sleep in children and adolescents: a systematic review. (2021). Retrieved from https://bmjpaedsopen.bmj.com/content/5/Suppl_1/A23.1

• Kenneth P Wright Jr, Andrew W McHill, Brian R Birks, Brandon R Griffin, Thomas Rusterholz, Evan D Chinoy. Entrainment of the human circadian clock to the natural light-dark cycle. (2013). Retrieved from https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/23910656/

• Siegfried Wahl, Moritz Engelhardt, Patrick Schaupp, Christian Lappe, Iliya V Ivanov. The inner clock-Blue light sets the human rhythm. (2019). Retrieved from https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/31433569/

• Hue Thi Pham, Hsiao-Ling Chuang, Ching-Pyng Kuo, Tzu-Pei Yeh, and Wen-Chun Liao. Electronic Device Use before Bedtime and Sleep Quality among University Students. (2021). Retrieved from https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8466496/

• Marcia Ines Silvani, Robert Werder, Claudio Perret. The influence of blue light on sleep, performance and wellbeing in young adults: A systematic review. (2022). Retrieved from https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/36051910/

• Mitch J Duncan, Christopher E Kline, Amanda L Rebar, Corneel Vandelanotte, and Camille E Short. Greater bed- and wake-time variability is associated with less healthy lifestyle behaviors: a cross-sectional study. (2015). Retrieved from https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4836438/

^{— Featured image by Bruce Mars.}

^{— Infographics created by the author.}