Last Updated on January 16, 2023
Some of us climb into bed and fall asleep straight away, whereas others may be having trouble sleeping and could be suffering from a mild or severe sleep disorder.
If you’re one of those people who struggles to get a good night’s rest and are wondering how to get better sleep, you’re on the right page. Though we may not have the cure, natural remedies for insomnia start with healthy habits. Therefore you may want to consider some of the below tips for better sleep and see if they help:
10 Tips For How To Sleep Better
1. Mattresses and pillows
2. Program your body clock
Try to climb into bed and sleep or wake up around the same time on a daily basis. For example, getting ready to sleep at 10 pm nightly and setting the alarm for 7 am each morning will eventually program your body clock. This will make you tired around the same time each night, and your sleep will naturally break around the same time each morning.
3. Setting the sleeping environment
The ideal temperature for sleeping is between 60 and 67 degrees Fahrenheit, so make sure the room temperature is cool, not too hot, and not too cold. Also, ensure it is dark and free of any penetrating light through blinds or doors. Try to keep your setting as quiet as possible; noises can also be a considerable factor in lack of sleep, for example, a ticking clock or buzzing from electrics can cause irritation. If you’re struggling to fall asleep, check these tips for sleeping through noise.
4. Daily exercise
5. Avoid caffeine
Although some people find drinking coffee before bed somewhat relaxing, as a matter of fact, it’s one of the common causes of insomnia. Caffeine is a stimulant that keeps you alert and energized, so it makes sense not to overindulge in cups of coffee, tea, or energy drinks close to bedtime. Instead, try some of these drinks that help you sleep.
6. Food and beverages
Too much fluid or food before bed will cause you to become bloated and may lead to an unsettled stomach, or an active bladder. Of course, this will mean more visits to the loo before you fall asleep or perhaps even disturb your sleep during the night for a toilet visit. However, certain foods help you sleep, which are generally calcium and magnesium-rich foods. Taken in moderation and not immediately before bed will undoubtedly make a difference for the better.
7. Switch off
Sleep problems are often the outcome of our hectic lives. Sometimes it’s hard to switch off our thoughts and call it a night. If you’re finding yourself gazing at the ceiling, lost in thought or worry, it’s the wrong time and place to be doing so. Perhaps you need time to unwind beforehand and collect your thoughts elsewhere, but not in bed.
8. Create a sleeping routine

Prior to going to bed, it’s worthwhile creating a little routine to let your body and mind know it’s almost time to get some sleep. In no particular order, perhaps you’ll have a relaxing bath or pre-bed shower, and then read a book in bed. Doing this on a regular basis will tie in with other tips like body clock (point 2) and switch off mode (point 7) which will combine perfectly adjusting your body into a well-timed person ready for bed. Read about the sleeping habits of successful people to see how they do it.
9. Don’t smoke
Smoking leads to dehydration, so, smoking before you sleep is a particularly bad activity as this will disturb your body’s hydration and may cause you to wake up for water. Also, considering natural breathing is the best for sleep, the abnormal breathing patterns which arise from smoking at night may cause you to experience respiratory issues whilst trying to sleep.
10. Avoid napping
Napping for some is a regular occurrence of the day. However, if you’re having sleep problems at night, it’s logical to avoid napping during the day. If however, you feel the need to nap, try going for a walk instead or limit the nap to a maximum of 20 minutes.
Additional Resources
Lindsay is a contributor and the senior editor of all content posted on this site. She is in this role due to her somewhat unrivaled expertise through previous retail experience in the mattress and bedding industry.
I presently bought my second mattress to try. First was a Broyhill semi firm and pressure point woke me up. Second one I bought a Brooklyn mattress “soft” after research with a two inch each of 2 different layers of latex and a 6″ memory foam. At felt great, nice and cushioned to go to bed but then awoke tossing because pressure in my shoulder and hip. I turned and soon felt it on the other side. No matter what I did after a while the pressure woke me up.
I had an air mattress for 15 years and slept on it just fine until it started leaking. Now I am thinking of a coil mattress, seen on your reviews. I am 70 years old, Walk daily about 3-4 miles do some Pilates and 15 minutes yoga. Weigh 122 lbs. Any suggestions? I am becoming frustrated with this waking daily with shoulder and hip pains, I did not have before.
Hi Anna,
Hope you are well. Sorry to hear about your issues with recent mattresses. For ultimate pressure point relief, a medium density memory foam mattress is best. Latex can be rather firm, so a top layer of latex will perhaps not conform to your body shape as good as memory foam. Alternatively, as you’ve already had good experiences with air mattresses you could buy another, one with neverflat technology is ideal. The benefits of air mattresses with built in pumps are that you can customize the firmness levels according to your requirements.
Hope this helps.
Thanks for the tips. Having a good sleep is very important to have a healthy living. This will help people who are having sleep problems.