Disclaimer: The information in this article is general in nature and is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your doctor or other qualified health professional before starting any exercise programme or with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition.
For adults aged 18 to 64, Australia’s sleep guidelines recommend 7 to 9 hours of good-quality sleep. They also recommend consistent bed and wake times.
You cannot force yourself to fall asleep. These five habits can make your room and routine more supportive of sleep.
1. Make your bedroom quiet and dark
Keep the room quiet, dark and at a comfortable temperature. Comfortable bedding also matters.
An eye mask or earplugs may help when light or noise is hard to control. Keep work tools, phones, computers and televisions away from the bed.
2. Wind down without screens
Create a short buffer between your day and bedtime. Choose a calming activity without phones or computers during this time.
Reading, slow breathing, muscle relaxation or meditation are simple options. Deal with tomorrow’s tasks and worries earlier, rather than planning in bed.
If you are wide awake, leave the bed and do something quiet. Return when you feel sleepy.
3. Keep regular bed and wake times
Wake at around the same time each day, including weekends. A steady routine helps set your body clock.
Go to bed when you feel tired rather than lying awake. Long or late daytime naps can also make falling asleep at night harder.
Shift work can make a fixed schedule difficult. Keep your sleep times as steady as your work allows.
4. Move caffeine, alcohol and large meals earlier
Caffeine is a stimulant, so move coffee, tea, cola and chocolate earlier if they affect your sleep.
Alcohol may help you doze, but it can disturb sleep patterns and leave you less refreshed. Heavy or spicy late meals can also disturb sleep.
5. Exercise regularly, but notice the timing
Regular activity may improve how adults rate their sleep quality. This finding came from 22 randomised trials.
Evening exercise is not automatically a problem. Recent research found no clear overall morning advantage across most sleep outcomes. Harder evening sessions may affect sleep continuity.
If a late workout leaves you alert at bedtime, try finishing earlier and compare how you sleep.
Seek professional help if sleep problems continue or tiredness affects your daily life.
