Self Care for Better Sleep: Simple Habits for More Restful Nights

In order to ensure that you sleep healthy, it’s necessary to get enough sleep. The CDC states that most adults ages 18-60 need at least 7 hours sleep per night. Adults 61 or over generally need 7 to 9 hours of sleep. The more older a person is, the fewer amount of hours he or she needs to sleep.

However, don’t stress over implementing and achieving the perfect sleep habits. Instead, work towards building an achievable daily schedule for yourself.

Why Self Care Matters for Sleep

They are mutually beneficial. If work-related stress, overstimulation or the need to be connected to others through various medias causes trouble getting the appropriate sleep in bed at the night, and then lack of good sleep the following day doesn’t aid dealing with potential daystress.

By practicing good self-care you create good circumstances that result in good sleep habits:

• Allocate yourself time for winding down at night.
• Don’t dwell in your problems in bed.
• Minimize the stimulation in the evenings.
• Allow light exposure and exercise during the day.
• Maintain a predictable schedule.
• Make sure the bedroom feels comfortable and is dark and quiet.

The term hygiene of sleep usually represents the sum of activities related to sleep and the conditions of the environment related to sleep, so solving sleep problems cannot be attained just by intervening in the activity sphere.

Creating a Relaxing Bedtime Routine

A bedtime routine gives your brain predictable signals that the day is ending.

You don’t need a complicated 20-step ritual. Try creating a 30–60 minute wind-down period.

For example:

60 minutes before bed: Finish demanding work and reduce bright lighting.

30 minutes before bed: Put your phone away, wash up and prepare your bedroom.

15 minutes before bed: Read, journal, stretch or practice slow breathing.

Bedtime: Go to bed when you’re ready to sleep.

The Better Sleep Council recommends using predictable calming activities to mentally and physically prepare for sleep.

Sleep-Friendly Evening Habits

Even small decisions in the evening can affect the time it takes for you to fall asleep. Focus on:

• The size of meals finished in the evening
• amount of caffeine consumed throughout the day
• consuming alcohol to help induce sleep
• doing gentle stretches over strenuous activity late at night
• dimming house lights an hour before bedtime
• no demanding conversations or complex work during the wind-down period

Habits performed throughout the day are equally important as both adequate activity as well as adequate daytime light may assist with your internal sleep-wake cycle.

Managing Stress Before Bed

Your own busy mind: Arguably, one of the most difficult issues to get over in terms of trying to sleep. Try and give your brain somewhere to express this busy mind rather than forcing you to stop thinking, and perhaps have a go at an easy “brain dump”:

• What is worrying you?
• What needs to be achieved tomorrow?
• Why could you potentially wait until another day?
• What was the greatest part of today?

Guided imagery, meditation, breathing, light stretching and relaxation are all good suggestions. According to Medical News Today they may help people unwind with breathing, meditation, stretching and other relaxation exercises, and guided imagery.

Screen Time and Sleep

Phones, tablets, computers and even the television can contribute to sleep problems as they emit light and they are also highly mentally stimulating.

An effective solution would be to create a no screen hour/half an hour before sleeping, so if bed time is at 10 p.m. stop using electronic devices or watching tv from 9 to 9:30 at least.

Instead of lying on the sofa scrolling through Social Media use these hour/s for:

Reading a printed book

Listening to calming music

Writing in a diary

A light stretch session

Preparing for the next day

A warm relaxing shower

According to Health New Zealand, reducing stimulation is recommended as the lights that come off electronic devices in the evening may hinder natural sleep processes.

Try not to aim to be too strict; if an hour is too long try and start with just 15 or 30 minutes phone-free

Relaxation Techniques

There is no single relaxation technique that works for everyone. Experiment until you find one that feels natural.

Technique	Best for	Time
Slow breathing	Racing thoughts	2–5 min
Meditation	Mental stress	5–10 min
Gentle stretching	Physical tension	5–10 min
Reading	Mental transition	10–20 min
Journaling	Worry/to-do thoughts	5–10 min
Warm shower	Physical relaxation	10–15 min

A simple option is progressive muscle relaxation: gently tense and then relax different muscle groups, moving gradually from your feet toward your upper body.

Sleep Environment

In bed, you want something that should help you fall asleep- not something working against you. This means your bedroom should ideally be:

• Cool- comfortable, not too hot
• Dark- blackout curtains can help as can an eye mask
• Quiet- a sleep earplug, or steady white noise may help you sleep through external sound
• Comfortable- you need pillows as well as blankets that best complement the position in which you typically sleep
• Low stimulation- do not bring work stuff to bed, nor those unnecessary notifications that constantly buzz your phone or phone.

According to the CDC, “cool, dark, quiet” conditions are best when considering what habits promote sound sleep.

Sleep Product Comparison

Product	Potential benefit	Best for
Eye mask	Blocks unwanted light	Light-sensitive sleepers
Blackout curtains	Darkens the room	Street/early-morning light
White-noise machine	Masks inconsistent sounds	Noisy environments
Comfortable pillow	Supports head and neck	Pillow discomfort
Sleep tracker	Helps observe patterns	Habit tracking

Products should support good habits—not replace them.

Consistent Sleep Schedule

One of the most effective forms of sleep self-care is consistency.

Try to go to bed and wake up at approximately the same time every day, including weekends. Regular timing helps keep your body’s internal clock aligned with your daily routine.

If your schedule is currently inconsistent, don’t try to change everything overnight.

Instead:

1: Set a consistent wake-up time.

2: Move bedtime gradually toward your desired schedule.

3: Add a repeatable wind-down routine.

Consistency matters more than creating an elaborate routine that you abandon after a few days.

Common Sleep Habits to Avoid

Some habits can make sleep more difficult.

Avoid or reduce:

• Scrolling in bed for long periods
• Large meals immediately before bedtime
• Late caffeine
• Alcohol as a sleep strategy
• Intense exercise immediately before bed
• Working from your bed
• Frequently changing your sleep schedule
• Watching the clock when you’re unable to sleep

If you’re lying awake and becoming frustrated, getting out of bed and doing something quiet until you feel sleepy can be more helpful than forcing sleep.

Building Better Sleep Habits

Don’t try to implement every sleep tip at once.

Start with these five:

1. Choose a consistent wake-up time.
2. Create a 30-minute wind-down routine.
3. Put your phone away before getting into bed.
4. Keep your bedroom dark, quiet and comfortable.
5. Use one relaxation technique when your mind feels busy.

After these habits become routine, add another change if necessary.

Final Takeaway

Sleep self-care doesn’t have to be complicated, expensive or the ‘perfect’ thing. Most useful self care comes in fairly simple forms – it’s largely about preserving your schedule, easing your way into the evening, handling stress, minimizing stimulation in the hours leading up to bedtime, and making your sleep environment a sanctuary.

Begin with just one or two behaviors today. Once they feel like second nature, you can begin to layer others into the mix. Good sleep isn’t about finding the ‘perfect’ combination but providing conditions for rest.