How To Get Better Sleep: Top Tips From a Sleep Specialist

Sleep is supposed to be restful and restorative. But for some people, it’s more like a nightly challenge and frustration. If lack of sleep rules your nights, it can really mess with your days. You may feel sluggish, groggy and more than a little bit irritable.

Good sleep is important for far more reasons, too. Research shows that not getting enough of it can have major effects on your health, including memory problems, weight gain and a greater likelihood of car accidents.

“If you wake up in the morning and you’re not refreshed, you’re sleepy or fatigued during the day or you find yourself yawning excessively, these are all very common signs of insufficient sleep,” says sleep disorder specialist Nancy Foldvary-Schaefer, DO.

So, what can you do to try to get your sleep back on track? Dr. Foldvary-Shaefer offers tips to try to get a good night’s rest.

12 tips for better sleep

First, take heart in knowing that you’re not alone. An estimated 10% to 15% of people in the U.S. have chronic insomnia at some time in their life. And that number doesn’t even account for other types of sleep disorders.

“Everyone experiences a sleepless night once in a while,” Dr. Foldvary-Schaefer says, “but most sleep disorders officially have symptoms for a period of at least three months before they can be diagnosed as chronic sleep disorder.”

If you’ve not reached that chronic stage but still struggle with sleep, we’ve got good news for you: There are a lot of things you can do on your own to try to address and improve both your length and quality of sleep.

1. Allot enough time for sleep

This sounds simple enough, but take a moment to do the math: Are you leaving enough hours in the day (err, night) to get the sleep you need? Most adults need seven to nine hours of sleep per night — and not getting enough is the most common cause of sleepiness.

Dr. Foldvary-Schaefer advises taking a closer and more honest look at your sleep habits by keeping a sleep diary.

“When we chart our habits, we become more aware of them,” she says. “So, if you chart bedtimes and wake times, you’ll get a sense of your personal trends.

“You may realize you only sleep four or five hours a night during the week, but then, try to make up for that on the weekend. These kinds of patterns are useful to evaluate — and they’re good signs that you’re not getting enough sleep.”

2. Create a consistent sleep/wake schedule

The best way to ensure good sleep for the long haul is to set a consistent bedtime — and, even more importantly, a consistent wake-up time.

“If you adhere to a single set wake time, you can ensure a stable sleep/wake period,” Dr. Foldvary-Schaefer states. “Setting your wake time to be the same every day programs your brain to know how much sleep you should get.”

So, what time should you go to sleep and wake up? One study determined that 10 p.m. is the ideal hour to hit the hay — but really, the “best time” will vary from person to person.

3. Don’t nap too long

Napping too long or too often can negatively affect your sleep patterns, so practice smart catnapping habits. Nap only earlier in the day, like before 3 p.m., for no more than 20 minutes at a time.

“When you nap for an hour or longer, you risk getting into the deeper stages of sleep and then waking up with sleep inertia,” Dr. Foldvary-Schaefer explains, “which is that groggy, disoriented feeling where you don’t even know where you are.”

4. Be mindful of what you eat and drink

Nutrition plays a role in all aspects of your health, including how well you sleep.

“Food relates directly to serotonin, a key hormone that — along with vitamin B6, B12 and folic acid — helps promote healthy sleep,” Dr. Foldvary-Schaefer says.

Foods help calm your body, increase serotonin levels and ready you for rest include:

• Complex carbohydrates, like whole-grain bread and pasta
• Lean proteins like chicken and turkey
• Heart-healthy fats, like from walnuts and almonds
• Soothing drinks, like warm milk and chamomile tea

Learn more about foods that can help you sleep so you can incorporate them into your daily diet — and don’t forget about beverages. Hydration is great (and vital!), but drinking fluids too close to bedtime can wreck your sleep at night, causing you to have to get up to pee. Limit your drink to two hours before bedtime.

If you struggle with nighttime urination (nocturia), decrease your overall alcohol and caffeine intake, too, as they both can stimulate your bladder.

5. Avoid caffeine and alcohol before bed

Speaking of, there’s a reason so many people switch to decaf in the afternoon! Caffeine is a stimulant, which means it helps keep you awake — the last thing you want when you’re trying to sleep better.

But Dr. Foldvary-Schaefer notes that everyone’s caffeine tolerance is different. Pay attention to how it affects you, which can help you figure out when you need to stop drinking it for the day.

“Some people can tolerate a coffee after dinner,” she says, “but people who are prone to insomnia either need to avoid it entirely or to cut themselves off by early afternoon.”

That nightcap before bed can also rob you of a good night’s rest, creating fragmented sleep. The way your body processes alcohol as you snooze can keep you from getting the deep sleep and the rapid eye movement (REM) sleep you need. It can also lead to vivid dreams, nightmares, sleepwalking and even breathing problems — not to mention waking up in the middle of the night to use the restroom.

“It’s best to avoid alcohol within a few hours of bedtime,” Dr. Foldvary-Schaefer advises.

6. Don’t work out too close to bedtime

It’s important to exercise. But for the sake of your sleep, it’s also important to do it in the afternoon or early evening. Regularly working out right before bedtime can even be a contributing factor to your chronic insomnia.

“Exercise revs up the stimulating hormones in your body, so doing it within an hour or two before bedtime can trigger insomnia or difficulty falling asleep,” Dr. Foldvary-Schaefer explains.

7. Scale back on screen time

It can be difficult to stop scrolling through headlines or flipping through friends’ photos, but screen time before bed — or worse, while you’re in bed — fosters unhealthy sleep patterns.

“Try setting a curfew one to two hours before you go to bed where you turn off your electronic devices to wind down for the night,” recommends Dr. Foldvary-Schaefer.

8. Create a soothing bedtime routine

“Sleep hygiene” is a term that refers to your nighttime routine and the things you do to ready yourself for a good night’s sleep, like winding down early and calming your mind.

“It’s healthy to stop what you’re doing a couple of hours before bedtime to take time to wind down,” Dr. Foldvary-Schaefer shares. “That might be having caffeine-free tea, running a hot bath, getting into your favorite pajamas or quietly reading a book.”

Some sleep hygiene habits overlap with the tips we’ve discussed here (like turning off screens and scaling back on caffeine). But there’s more to it, too.

“You want to make sure your bedroom is conducive to sleep,” she adds. “That includes noise levels, room temperature, bedding and pillows and even who’s in bed with you, like your partner or your dog.”

9. Don’t do other activities in bed

It can be tempting to crawl into bed with your laptop to binge a show or lounge on your bed mid-day to watch TikTok videos. But Dr. Foldvary-Schaefer says that to promote good sleep, your bed shouldn’t be a hangout spot.

“Your bed should be used only for sleep and intimate relations,” she states. “Doing other things in bed, like using your laptop or even just having conversations, promotes bad sleep habits that will eventually reduce the quality and quantity of your sleep.”

10. Don’t lie in bed awake

When you can’t sleep, follow the 20-minute toss-and-turn rule. “If you’ve been tossing and turning in bed for 20 minutes, get up, go into a different room and do something else until you feel like you can sleep,” Dr. Foldvary-Schaefer advises.

But there’s a catch: You can’t do anything stimulating. No TV, no social media, no work. You can’t even delve back into that great book you’ve been reading. You’ve got to pick something relatively boring, like ironing or folding the laundry.

It might seem counterintuitive to get out of bed and do something when all you really need is sleep. But there’s solid reasoning behind it.

“People will complain, ‘I was up and down all night!’” she recounts, “but part of undoing a long-term bad sleep habit is working through it. And lying in bed not sleeping teaches your brain that it’s OK to lie in bed and not sleep.”

11. Let the light in (during the day)

Your body’s internal clock, known as your circadian rhythm, lets you know when it’s time to go to bed. “It’s also important for letting your brain know when it’s time to sleep versus stay awake,” Dr. Foldvary-Schaefer says.

To help regulate your circadian rhythm, make sure you get plenty of bright light or sunshine during the daytime. This will not only help you sleep at night, but it can also give you more energy throughout the day.

12. Use sleep aids safely, if at all

Resist the urge to use over-the-counter sleep aids to help you get some rest — yes, even melatonin, a popular sleep supplement that may seem harmless.

“Melatonin is an excellent treatment for circadian rhythm disorders, which are disorders of sleep timing,” Dr. Foldvary-Schaefer says, “but there is much less evidence that melatonin works to promote good sleep in people who are already good sleepers, or even to treat insomnia.”

She explains that higher doses of melatonin (upwards of 5 milligrams) can linger in your central nervous system when you wake up and make you feel groggy during the day. And even prescription sleeping pills should only be taken for short periods of time, if at all.

“If you have ongoing insomnia, it’s best to talk to your doctor,” she emphasizes. “Cognitive behavioral therapy for insomnia (CBT-I) is safer and more effective than long-term use of sleep aids.”

When to talk to a healthcare provider

If nothing seems to help you get a better night’s sleep, it’s time to talk to a professional.

“If you feel unrefreshed, you need to nap during the day, you’re not thinking clearly and you just feel like something’s not right, it’s always appropriate to speak with your doctor,” Dr. Foldvary-Schaefer advises.

From there, you may see a sleep specialist (somnologist), a sleep medicine expert who is skilled in diagnosing and treating sleep disorders. They may order diagnostic tests, like an overnight sleep study, to try to get to the bottom of your sleep problems.

“The sooner we get a diagnosis, the faster we can treat you, and then, the better you feel and the more protective sleep becomes for your overall health,” she reassures. “So, don't wait years to tackle your sleep problem.”