Most adults do best with at least seven hours of sleep a night, yet plenty of us fall short. The good news: you don't need an overhaul to sleep better. Small, consistent habits tend to make the biggest difference.
1. Keep a steady wake-up time
Your body clock likes routine. Getting up at roughly the same time every day, weekends included, is one of the simplest ways to make falling asleep easier at night.
2. Get morning daylight
A 10-minute walk or coffee outside shortly after waking helps signal to your body that the day has started, which in turn helps you feel sleepy at the right time later.
3. Set a caffeine cutoff
Caffeine can linger for hours. Many people sleep better when they stop coffee, tea, and energy drinks by early afternoon.
4. Make the bedroom cool, dark, and quiet
A slightly cool room, blackout curtains or an eye mask, and a fan or white-noise app can all help. Think "cave," not "living room."
5. Build a 20-minute wind-down
Dim the lights, put screens away, and do something calming: reading, light stretching, a warm shower, or jotting tomorrow's to-do list so it's out of your head.
6. Go easy on late, heavy meals
A big dinner right before bed can make it harder to settle. If you're hungry later, a small snack is usually fine.
7. Don't fight the clock
If you can't fall asleep after about 20 minutes, get up and do something quiet in low light until you feel drowsy, then try again.
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