How to Improve the Quality of Your Sleep

Dec 19, 2023 by Vreny Blanco · 9 min read · Wellness

Photo of sleeping baby smiling — Image by javi_indy on Freepik

Improving sleep quality can be achieved through behavioral and environmental changes, collectively known as sleep hygiene.

In this blog post, we look at strategies that can help you improve your sleep quality so that you wake up refreshed and energized.

Why Is Sleep Important?

A restful night’s sleep is fundamental to success, profoundly enhancing your physical health, mental well-being, mood, and overall performance.

Chronic sleep deprivation can negatively impact both your short-term and long-term memory, as well as your ability to concentrate. It also impairs decision-making and diminishes the speed and accuracy with which you accomplish tasks.

Insufficient sleep often leads to heightened anxiety, increased stress, reduced self-awareness, indecisiveness, and frequent mood swings. In contrast, maintaining a consistent sleep schedule can greatly enhance your mood, cognitive abilities, and energy levels.

How Much Sleep Do I Need?

Most adults function best on 7 to 9 hours of sleep each night. That said, sleep needs can vary from person to person—some people feel rested with just 6 hours, while others need more than 9 to truly recharge.

When you regularly get less sleep than your body needs, you accumulate what’s known as a “sleep debt.” This sleep debt can leave you feeling sluggish and unfocused, and it can only be repaid by catching up on extra sleep. Sticking to a consistent sleep schedule is the best way to avoid building up sleep debt, ensuring you wake up feeling refreshed and energized.

In other words: Aim for the amount of sleep that makes you feel best—usually 7 to 9 hours for most adults. Pay attention to how you feel after different amounts of rest, and try to keep a steady sleep routine. This will help you stay productive and maintain your well-being.

💤 Steps to a Restful Night 💤

Getting a good night’s sleep doesn’t have to be complicated—you just need the right habits and environment. Whether you struggle to fall asleep or simply want to feel more rested, these actionable steps will help you create a bedtime routine and space that sets you up for deep, restorative rest.

☕️ Limit Caffeine, Alcohol, and Nicotine

Consuming caffeine, alcohol, or nicotine in the evening can make it harder to fall and stay asleep. These substances stimulate your body and brain, leading to more restlessness and lower-quality sleep.

Why You Should Avoid Caffeine After Lunch

Caffeine lingers in your body much longer than you might expect—up to 10 hours! That means your afternoon coffee could still be affecting you when you’re trying to fall asleep at night. Cutting off caffeine after noon helps prevent it from disturbing your natural sleep cycle and supports a deeper, more refreshing rest.

🏃 Exercise Regularly

Incorporating regular exercise into your routine can significantly reduce stress levels and improve sleep quality.

Aim for at least 20 minutes of low-impact aerobic exercise, such as walking. Walking has been shown to enhance sleep quality, helping to regulate your sleep patterns and improve your rest.

However, exercising too late in the day can negatively affect your sleep. To avoid this, make sure you finish exercising at least four hours before bedtime.

🍔 Avoid Heavy Meals Before Bed

Consuming large meals before bedtime can lead to indigestion, making it hard to fall asleep. To prevent this, try to have your last meal two to four hours before going to bed. This will give your body enough time to digest the food without disrupting your sleep.

Additionally, avoid glucose spikes from sugary snacks or drinks to promote restful and uninterrupted sleep.

⏰ Establish a Regular Sleep Schedule

Set a Regular Bedtime

A consistent bedtime helps train your body and mind. When your system knows that bedtime is coming, it can begin to prepare and wind down, which can make it easier to fall asleep.

Set a Regular Wake-Up Time

Setting your alarm for the same time every day, even on days when you don’t have to get up at a specific time, can help you maintain a consistent sleep routine.

Expose Yourself to Light Early in the Day

Exposure to bright light in the early hours of the day can help regulate your circadian rhythm. Take a walk after waking up or enjoy the sunlight through your window.

If You Change Your Sleep Schedule, Do It Gradually

Your body and mind can adapt to a new sleep schedule, but make the change gradually over time. Changing your bedtime and wake-up time in small increments will help your body adjust to a new schedule when needed.

🧘‍♂️ Relax Before Bed

Establishing a sleep routine is an important step in making sure you get a good night’s sleep. There are a number of ways to help your body and mind enter a state of relaxation and feel ready to fall asleep: read a book, take a warm bath, listen to relaxing music, or practice breathing exercises. Slow, deep breaths can help you focus and naturally calm your body.

Here is my favorite exercise to do before bed:

Breathe Deep

Do this exercise before going to bed to help you relax. By practicing this technique, you can calm your thoughts and prepare your body for a peaceful night’s sleep.

Exercise:

Sit or lie down comfortably.
Focus your attention on your breathing.
Feel the slightly cooler air entering your nose and the warm air leaving your nose.
Begin to slow down the flow of air into your nostrils.
Breathe in so slowly that you hardly feel any air entering your nose.
Breathe out softly, slowly, and gently through your nose, allowing a relaxed and slow exhalation.

Practice this exercise for 10 minutes before bedtime.

Deep Sleep Breathing Exercise — Patrick McKeown (2021). Atomic Focus. Oxygen Advantage Research Institute.

🛏️ Prepare Your Bedroom

Keep Your Bedroom Cool and Quiet

The ideal room temperature is 65–68 °F (18–20 °C).

Keep the Lights Low

Your circadian rhythm, which helps you fall asleep at night and wakes you up in the morning, can be influenced by the amount of light you are exposed to. Keeping the light level in your environment low, up to two hours before bedtime, tells your circadian clock that it is time to prepare for sleep. You can also program your lights to automatically change brightness at the same time each day. I use the Hue app from Philips to do this.

Invest in a Good Quality Mattress and Pillow

A comfortable mattress and pillow are essential to improve the quality of your sleep. In winter, you can use thermal blankets to make sure you don’t wake up due to extremely low temperatures.

Limit the Use of Your Bedroom to Sleeping and Intimacy

Restricting the use of your bedroom solely to sleep and intimacy is fundamental to training your mind to associate this space with rest. Engaging in other activities, such as eating, working, or watching television in different areas of your home, helps reinforce this association.

Listen to a Sleep Meditation or Relaxing Sounds

Incorporating sleep meditation or relaxing sounds into your bedtime routine can significantly enhance your ability to fall asleep and improve sleep quality. Here are some options to consider:

Bedtime Stories and Guided Meditations: Apps like Headspace offer a variety of bedtime stories and guided meditations designed to help you unwind. You can customize the length of the session to fit your needs, making it a flexible option for different schedules.
Relaxing Playlists: Platforms like Spotify offer a variety of playlists with calming music, white noise, and nature sounds. Try different types to see what works best for you. You can also enjoy elements like rain, ocean waves, or forest sounds for a soothing experience.

By integrating these auditory tools into your nightly routine, you can create a soothing atmosphere that promotes relaxation and prepares your mind for restful sleep.

Ensure Your Bedroom Is Dark at Night

A dark room promotes the production of melatonin and creates an optimal sleeping environment. Using light-blocking or blackout curtains can help. If you are on holiday and this is not possible, use a sleep mask.

📵 Turn Off Electronic Devices

Turn off or put away all electronic devices at least one hour before bedtime. The blue light from screens can interfere with the production of the sleep hormone melatonin and disrupt your sleep-wake cycle.

If you have trouble turning off your computer or are used to scrolling through social media until you fall asleep, consider using an app and website blocker like 1Focus. With 1Focus, you can create a schedule to block all apps and websites at night. This can help you establish a consistent routine for going to bed and waking up, which helps regulate your body’s internal clock.

🫩 What to Do When You Cannot Sleep

Do Not Force Yourself to Sleep

If you cannot fall asleep after 20 minutes, get up, go to another room, and do something else. Doing a relaxing activity until you feel sleepy can help.

Avoid Checking the Time

Looking at the clock can make you anxious, and anxiety can make it harder to fall asleep. It may be helpful to make sure the face of the clock is out of sight so that you don’t focus on the time when you’re trying to fall asleep.

Talk to Your Doctor

If sleep problems persist, interfere with your daily activities, or cause other symptoms, talk to your doctor.

If you are constantly waking up with headaches, backaches, or neck pain, talk to your dentist to check for signs of bruxism (teeth grinding).

Conclusion

Sleep is vital to our overall health and well-being. By applying the strategies outlined in this guide, you can significantly enhance the quality of your sleep.

It’s important to acknowledge that ongoing sleep problems shouldn’t be overlooked. If you frequently experience sleep issues that interfere with your daily life or cause other symptoms, it’s essential to consult a healthcare professional.

Although improving your sleep may take time and effort, the benefits to your health and quality of life are unquestionably worth it.

Girl hiding under blanket — Image by drobotdean on Freepik