Sleep is important for your health. Our bodies and minds need sleep to rest and recover.
But sometimes you may not get as much sleep as you would like.
Tips for better sleep
How much sleep you need
Getting at least 7 hours sleep is good for your health. You’re probably getting enough sleep if you feel rested when you wake up and do not feel sleepy during the day.
On average:
- adults need 7 to 9 hours
- young people need 8 to 10 hours
- children need 9 to 13 hours
- toddlers and babies need 12 to 17 hours
Babies and children sleep needs
Signs of sleep problems
You may have a sleep problem if you:
- find it hard to go to sleep
- wake up several times during the night
- lie awake at night
- wake up early and cannot go back to sleep
- often fall asleep during the day
- sleep during the day and and can still sleep for long hours at night
You might be sleep deprived (not getting enough sleep) if you:
- wake up feeling tired and are very sleepy during the day
- have trouble getting up
- feel tired
- find it hard to concentrate
- are less alert than usual
- are easily irritated
- are slower in your actions
- need caffeine - such as in coffee, tea or energy drinks to get through the day
- have trouble coping with stress
What to do
Try not to worry if you are not sleeping well for a short while. This can be perfectly normal. Sleep difficulties are common and usually get better within a few weeks.
If you have an ongoing difficulty getting to and staying asleep you may have insomnia.
Often, changing your sleeping habits or sleep routine will help.
Non-urgent advice: Talk to a GP or mental health professional if:
- you are feeling tired all the time (more than is normal for you)
- you have tried to change your sleep routine and this has not helped your sleep
- you often fall asleep during the day
- you have had a sleep problem for months - you may have insomnia
- you are finding it hard to cope because of your sleep problem
- your sleep problem or sleepiness is having a negative affect on your day-to-day life
They will try to find out what's causing your sleep problems so you can get the right treatment.
Ask for an urgent appointment if you are in crisis.
Sleep problems and your health
Not getting enough sleep can affect your physical and mental health.
Feeling tired, not having energy, or having problems sleeping can also be signs or symptoms of health conditions.
How sleep problems affect your weight
Causes of sleep problems
The most common cause of not getting enough sleep is your sleep routine. This is sometimes called sleeping habits or sleep hygiene.
Good sleep habits can make sleep problems go away, even if something else caused you to have poor sleep. Sometimes, the reason you started having trouble sleeping is different from the reason it continues.
Things that affect your sleep
Things that affect sleep include:
- sleeping in an uncomfortable bed
- sleeping in a room that's too hot or cold
- sleeping in a room that's too noisy or bright
- eating large meals before bed - this can make it harder to stay asleep
- watching TV or using devices such as smartphones close to your bedtime - the blue light makes you more awake
- staying up later than usual
- drinking liquids close to bedtime - you may have to pee during the night
Other things that can affect your sleep include:
- ageing - older people may sleep less deeply, nap during the day and sleep less at night
- caring for young children
- shift work
- jet lag
- smoking, drinking alcohol, or taking stimulant drugs like cocaine or ecstasy
- when and what you eat and drink including caffeine
- medicines and health conditions
- mental health difficulties
- different types of sleeping problems
Medicines and health conditions
Medicines and your health can affect your sleep.
Talk to your GP if your medicines stop you from falling asleep or make you sleepy during the day.
Health conditions that cause sleep problems include:
- restless leg syndrome - a condition where you have a constant urge to move your legs
- overactive thyroid
- hot flushes, night sweats or needing to pee more at night if you have perimenopause or menopause
- aches and pains - they can make it harder to fall asleep and stay asleep
- asthma
- bladder problems - they can make you need to pee during the night
Sleep problems and pregnancy
Mental health difficulties
Sometimes sleep problems can be caused by or be a symptom of mental health difficulties such as:
Types of sleeping problems
Some people do not sleep well because they have a type of sleeping problem, known as a parasomnia.
These include:
Tips for better sleep
There are things you can do to help you sleep better.
Sleep problems usually get better if you change your sleep routine (sleeping habits).
Changing your sleep habits and getting into a good sleep pattern may take weeks. You can do it by making small changes at a time.
Stick to a sleep routine
Many of the things that affect your sleep happen hours before bedtime.
To have the best chance of a good night's sleep work backwards from your bedtime to create a sleep routine.
Get up if you cannot sleep
If you cannot sleep:
- get up but keep the light levels low
- do something relaxing, or boring - like circling all of the 'o's' in a magazine or newspaper
- do not use a device with a screen - it will keep you awake
- do not look at a clock or check the time often - this can cause stress and make it harder to sleep
- when you feel sleepy again, go back to bed
Plan for better sleep
1 hour before bedtime
- Do things that help you relax and unwind.
- Put away your phone or tablet screen.
- Stop watching TV.
- Create a restful place for sleep.
1 to 2 hours before bedtime
- It's OK to eat a light snack.
2 hours before bedtime
- Finish exercising.
- Have your last big meal.
Less than 4 hours before bedtime
- Do not drink alcohol.
- Do not have a drink or eat food that contains caffeine.
- Do not smoke.
During your waking hours
- Do things that keep you active during the day.
- Do not nap within 8 hours of bedtime or for more than 30 minutes during the day.
- Do not drive when you feel sleepy.
After waking
- Stick to your regular waking hours and get up even if you had a bad night's sleep.
- Go outdoors and get light exposure (spend time in daylight).
Help your body clock
To help your body clock get into a rhythm:
- get up at the same time
- go outside and get light exposure early in the day
- go to bed at the same time
Be more active every day
Regular physical activity is a great way to improve your sleep and help you fall asleep faster.
To get the most benefit, do at least 30 minutes of moderate activity 5 days a week. Moderate activities make you breathe harder and have a faster heartbeat than normal.
An example of a moderate activity is brisk walking. But even walking a bit more than usual during the day can improve your sleep.
Avoid doing exercise within 2 hours of your bedtime. It can make it harder to fall asleep.
Tips to help you fit some physical activity into your day
Calm a racing mind before bed
Many people lie in bed going over the day in their minds and thinking about everything they have to do the next day. This makes it harder to fall asleep.
To calm a racing mind before bed, you could try to:
- make time to plan for the next day, such as writing a to-do list
- let go of any difficult thoughts and feelings from the day - write them down or talk about them
- read a book
- listen to relaxing music, sounds or a podcast
- try mindfulness
- try meditation or breathing exercises
Make your sleeping space restful and relaxing
Try to have a relaxing space for sleeping.
You can:
- make sure the room is not too hot or too cold
- make sure your mattress, pillows and covers are comfortable
- keep the space dark - sleep with as little light as possible, use curtains or an eye mask if you need to
- make sure the space is quiet - use earplugs to block out noise
- stop using a TV or devices such as smartphones at least 1 hour before bed - the blue light makes you more awake
- remove any electronic devices that produce blue light from your bedroom
- keep pets out if they disturb your sleep
- put a few drops of lavender oil on your pillow - the smell can help you relax
- put away or remove any work-related devices when you finish for the day if you have to work from your bedroom
It's difficult to get restful sleep on a mattress that's too soft or too hard, or on a bed that's too small or old. Replace uncomfortable mattresses or beds if you can.
Create a wind-down routine that works for you
Winding down is an important stage in preparing for bed. It helps you to relax and gets your body ready for sleep.
To wind down, you could:
- do gentle yoga or stretches to relax your muscles
- listen to relaxing sounds, for example, guided relaxation or calming music
- do deep breathing exercises or meditation
- have a warm bath to help your body reach a temperature that's ideal for rest
- put your phone away - it's easy to spend more time on it than you intended
Learn about other relaxation tips
Light snacks that can help you sleep
Eating certain foods may help you sleep.
Less than an hour before bedtime you can eat a light snack that's low in calories and high in nutritional value. For example, yogurt, berries or a handful of nuts.
One to 2 hours before bedtime you can eat a light snack that's high in trytophan, melatonin, and serotonin - these help you sleep. For example, turkey, fish, nuts and eggs.
Keep a sleep diary
A daily sleep diary can help you identify things that are affecting your sleep, including lifestyle habits, activities, medicines or stress.
Take a few minutes to note:
- the time you go to bed and wake up
- how long it takes you to fall asleep
- how often you wake during the night
- when you feel tired during the day
- how much alcohol, caffeinated drinks or tobacco you have and when
- how much exercise you do and when
- if you took any medicines
If you talk to your GP or a sleep specialist, they may ask you to keep a sleep diary to help them diagnose your sleep problems.
Deal with stress, worry, anxiety, low mood and relationship difficulties
Sleep problems can be caused by mental health difficulties and difficult life situations.
Balancing Stress is our free programme of 6 videos. It can help you deal with stress, worry, anxiety, low mood and relationship difficulties. This may help you sleep better.
Balancing Stress
Avoid things that affect your sleep
Avoid or cut down on things that keep you awake and affect sleep quality. Find out things you can try instead.
Nicotine
The nicotine in cigarettes is a stimulant.
People who smoke:
- take longer to fall asleep
- wake up more often
- have more disrupted sleep
Get help to quit smoking
Alcohol
Alcohol may help you to fall asleep, but it harms the quality of your sleep and can wake you up in the night.
If you have disrupted sleep, avoid drinking alcohol within 4 hours of bed time.
Tips for drinking less
Caffeine
If you have trouble sleeping, avoid caffeine at least 4 hours before your bedtime.
If you think you may be sensitive to caffeine try avoiding caffeine for a longer amount of time before your bedtime.
Caffeine can make it difficult to fall asleep. It can also prevent deep sleep. Drinks with caffeine in them include tea, coffee, energy drinks and soft drinks. Foods such as chocolate and some protein bars can also contain caffeine.
Caffeine affects people in different ways. Some people take longer to metabolise caffeine or take medicine that may slow metabolism of caffeine. Metabolise is when your body uses or breaks down something.
Instead of using caffeine you can try:
- going for a short walk if you feel sleepy after lunch
- switching to caffeine-free drinks such as water, fruit juices or caffeine-free tea in the afternoon
A caffeine-free drink is different to a decaffeinated drink. Decaffeinated coffee and tea contain a small amount of caffeine. If you are sensitive to caffeine this may affect your sleep.
Large meals before bedtime
Too much food close to bedtime can cause sleep problems.
Try not to eat a large meal less than 2 hours before bedtime.
Blue light from screens
It's best to not have any electronic devices with screen in your bedroom, including a TV, at all.
Do not use any device with a screen in the hour before bed.
Bright light (blue light) from a device with a screen such as a smartphone, tablet, e-reader, laptop, computer or TV can affect your body clock.
Blue light blocks your body from making melatonin. Melatonin is the hormone our brain produces to let us know it's time to go to sleep.
If you must use a device you may be able to stop its blue light. You can do this if it has 'night mode', or download an app that will filter blue light.
Staying up late for 'me time'
Many people stay up late to get back some ‘me time’. But this can disrupt your sleep routine.
Think of sleep as ‘me time’ too. You need it to restore your energy and feel good during the day.
Try to make some time for yourself during the day, such as taking a short walk or phoning a friend for a chat.
If finding time is difficult, try to:
- focus on priorities and spread out other tasks over the week
- give yourself permission to say ‘no’ to things that are not a priority
- delegate or ask for help with some tasks
Anxiety from tracking sleep with devices
Some people track their sleep with wearable devices such as smart watches and rings. Tracking your sleep might cause you anxiety about sleeping well.
It is OK to use a wearable device to estimate how much you have slept. But they are not completely accurate and may not give you accurate information about your sleep stages.
How to change your sleep habits gradually
It can be hard to change habits. Old routines are familiar and take less effort. Wanting to change is a good start but the change needs to be realistic for a new habit to stick.
Ways to make small changes
Start by making 1 small, manageable change.
For example, you could:
- set an alarm to start winding down and get ready for bed
- write a to-do list for the next day
- go for a brisk walk during the day
- avoid drinking coffee in the afternoon
When you can do the new habit without thinking, add other changes to your sleep routine.