The Sleep Hygiene Reset: Simple Habits for Deeper Rest

If sleep has started to feel like a nightly struggle, you might be overlooking the basics. Sleep hygiene isn’t about fancy gadgets or miracle supplements — it’s about creating the right habits and conditions so your body can do what it’s naturally designed to do: rest. 

How to Improve Your Sleep Hygiene: Habits That  Work

 

These are the small, realistic changes that have the biggest impact.

 

1. Train Your Body to Expect Sleep

Ever noticed how kids fall asleep like clockwork when they have a solid routine? Adults aren’t so different.

When your sleep and wake times are all over the place, your internal body clock loses track of when it’s supposed to switch off. That’s when you end up staring at the ceiling at 3am.

What helps:

• Wake up at the same time every day (even after a bad night)
• Go to bed when you’re sleepy, not just when the clock says so
• Aim for consistency — not perfection

 

2. Light Can Make or Break Your Sleep Hormones

Melatonin, the hormone that helps you feel sleepy, is extremely sensitive to light — especially the blue kind that comes from phones, TVs and overhead lighting.

Instead of forcing sleep while scrolling Instagram, give your brain a chance to switch gears naturally.

Best practices:

• Dim the lights after dinner
• Stop using screens 60–90 minutes before bed
• If you need light, use a warm bedside lamp or salt lamp

 

3. Clear Your Head, Don’t Just Power Through

If your thoughts are racing the second your head hits the pillow, ignoring them won’t help. Your brain needs a way to process the day before it can relax into sleep.

Try one of these:

• Write down your worries or to-dos in a notebook
• Do a 4-7-8 breathing exercise (4 sec inhale, 7 hold, 8 exhale)
• Try a 5-minute body scan — slowly bring attention to each body part and consciously relax

These are small rituals that train your body to wind down on cue.

 

4. Make Your Bedroom Work for You, Not Against You

Your sleep environment doesn’t have to look like a spa — but it should feel calm, cool, and free of interruptions.

Many people don’t realise their sleep is being disrupted by subtle things like a ticking clock, a too-warm room, or faint light through the curtains.

Set your space up for success:

• Keep the room at 16–18°C
• Block light with blackout curtains or a quality sleep mask
• Wear earplugs if noise is an issue — even mild sounds can reduce time spent in deep sleep

 

5. What You Drink Affects How You Sleep

 

Caffeine
We often forget caffeine is a stimulant — and it doesn’t just live in coffee. It can stick around in your system long after that 3pm pick-me-up.

Tips:

• Avoid caffeine after midday
• Check labels — tea, chocolate and painkillers often contain caffeine
• If you’re sensitive, even small amounts can mess with your sleep architecture

 

Alcohol:
Alcohol might knock you out fast, but it doesn’t keep you asleep. It fragments your sleep cycle, suppresses REM, and often leads to 3am wakeups.

Try this:

• Avoid drinking within 3–4 hours of bedtime
• If you do drink, follow with water and give your body time to process it

 

6. Sometimes It’s Not Just “One Bad Night”

If you’ve been struggling to sleep well for more than a few weeks, it might be time to look deeper. Chronic sleep difficulties could point to insomnia, and you’re not alone — it affects roughly 1 in 3 adults.

You don’t have to tough it out.

• Look into CBT-i — a gold-standard, non-drug treatment for insomnia
• Use a sleep journal to spot patterns in your habits and thoughts
• Be kind to yourself. The pressure to "sleep perfectly" often makes things worse

 

Start Small. Stay Consistent.

Sleep hygiene isn’t a quick fix — it’s a gentle recalibration. The goal isn’t perfection, it’s progress.

Start with one or two of the changes above. Stick with them for a week. Then build from there.

 

Need Help Getting Started?

At Deep Sleeps, we design tools to support great sleep — no nonsense, no gimmicks. Just thoughtful solutions that fit into your life.

• Deep Sleeps Soft Silicone Earplugs – Reusable silicone earplugs made to block noise without pressure
• Blackout Sleep Mask – Total blackout comfort that doesn’t press on your eyelashes
• Free Sleep Audios – Coming soon: calming meditations and breathing guides to help you wind down naturally

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