From the ideal bedroom temperature to the evening habits worth adopting, getting a good night's sleep needn't be complicated. We revisit the expert advice and simple rituals that can help you drift off more easily – and wake up feeling fabulously refreshed
We've all been there. You climb into bed after an exhausting day, pull the duvet up under your chin, settle into your pillow, and prepare for a blissful eight hours of uninterrupted sleep. Except, of course, sleep has other plans. Suddenly you're thinking about tomorrow's to-do list, mentally revisiting a conversation from three days ago, or wondering whether checking the time for the fifth time will somehow help.
The irony? The harder you try to fall asleep, the more elusive a good night's rest can become. And whilst the wellness world would have us believe that the answer lies in an elaborate evening routine – complete with sleep trackers, supplements and an increasingly impressive collection of bedside gadgets – the reality is rather simpler. A few thoughtful changes to your daily habits and sleeping environment can make a meaningful difference.
Sleep is, after all, essential to our physical and mental wellbeing. It supports everything from memory and concentration to mood and overall health. But how much do we actually need, and what should we be doing when a good night's sleep feels impossible?
We tapped sleep researchers Christian Benedict and Tina Sundelin for their advice, alongside practical ways to make bedtime a little more restful. Consider this your guide to sleeping better, without making sleep another thing to stress about.
How much sleep do you actually need?
Before overhauling your bedtime routine, it's worth remembering that sleep isn't one-size-fits-all. Most adults need around seven to nine hours a night, although individual requirements vary, with some waking up refreshed after five hours whilst it takes others a further five to feel less sluggish. What matters is not just the number on your sleep tracker, but how you feel when you wake up and throughout the rest of your day.
"First of all, I want to say that sleep is not a performance," says Christian Benedict, neuroscientist at Uppsala University and the author of Sleep Sleep Sleep. His point is a reassuring one. Rather than obsessing over achieving a perfect eight hours, pay attention to your own patterns. Are you waking up revitalised? Can you concentrate throughout the day? Do you feel persistently tired?
And don't panic if you have the occasional restless night. As Stockholm University sleep researcher Tina Sundelin explains, one or two nights of poor sleep aren't a reason to assume your health is suffering. "I don’t like the scare campaigns about lack of sleep. No need to stress about it, but it is important to be aware and to prioritise your sleep”. says Sundelin. The aim, overall, is consistency over time, not perfection every night.
Below, we list the 10 things you can do to achieve a better, more consistent quality of sleep:
Stop trying so hard to sleep
It may sound counterintuitive, but one of the most useful things you can do for your sleep is to stop worrying so much about it.
Between smartwatches, sleep-tracking apps, and endless advice about the ideal bedtime, it's easy to turn rest into another performance metric. But constantly checking whether you've slept enough, or had a high enough quality of sleep, can create anxiety around something that should feel entirely natural.
If you find yourself watching the clock, try turning it away from your bed. Put your phone out of reach and resist the urge to examine your sleep statistics first thing in the morning. Journaling before bed can also help by write down what is occupying your mind. And if you're lying awake for a prolonged period, don't force it. Get up, find somewhere comfortable and do something calming until you're feeling sleepy again.