How To Catch The Best Zs
You already know that one solid night’s sleep can make the next day feel noticeably easier to manage. While there’s no single perfect routine for everyone, a few consistent habits can help improve sleep quality for many people. The strategies below are practical, low-effort, and easy to adjust to your schedule. And with just five on our list, you might be able to incorporate them all!
1. Keep a Consistent Sleep Schedule
It'll be hard at first, but try going to bed and waking up at roughly the same time every day, including weekends when possible. This helps your body settle into a predictable rhythm, which can make falling asleep faster and smoother. If you need to shift your schedule, do it gradually with baby steps. At the end of the day, consistency matters more than aiming for a “perfect” bedtime.
2. Build a Calm Wind-Down Routine
Stop doomscrolling before bed! Spend the last 30–60 minutes doing quiet, low-stimulation activities. Keep lights a bit dimmer and choose something that doesn’t require intense concentration. Doing something like reading an easy book can be helpful! A repeatable routine trains your mind to expect sleep at the end of it.
3. Optimize Your Sleep Environment
Where you're sleeping matters just as much! Keep your bedroom cool, dark, and quiet to support deeper sleep, and consider buying blackout curtains, an eye mask, or even white noise machine if your surroundings are unpredictable. Make your bed comfortable and reserve it primarily for sleep to strengthen the mental connection between bed and rest.
4. Be Thoughtful With Caffeine and Alcohol
Caffeine can linger longer than people expect, so set a personal cutoff time that works for you. If you're especially sensitive, maybe consider cutting it out of your diet entirely! As far as alcohol goes, it may feel relaxing at first, but it can reduce sleep quality and increase nighttime waking.
5. Manage Daytime Energy and Evening Worry
Get some daylight exposure and movement during the day, which can support healthier sleep timing (and better overall health, too!). If you tend to think through problems at night, set aside a brief “worry window” earlier in the evening to write down tasks or concerns. The last thing you want is to feel stressed before bed, which will only keep you alert and awake.
