Table of ContentsView AllTable of ContentsHow to Sleep BetterImproving Rest Quality With a Sleep DisorderNext Steps
Table of ContentsView All
View All
Table of Contents
How to Sleep Better
Improving Rest Quality With a Sleep Disorder
Next Steps
You’re not alone if you spend many nights tossing and turning, frustrated because you can’t sleep. Nearly one-third—32.8%—of American adults get less than the recommended seven to eight hours a night.
This article outlines a 21-day plan to boost sleep quality and discusses ways to manage sleep disorders. It also talks about what to do if you’ve tried everything and still aren’t seeing results.
Mario Arango / Getty Images
How to Sleep Better in 21 Days
Just as there are many reasons that people have difficulty with sleep, there are many things you can do to improve it. But to get there, you must be ready to commit to changes in your lifestyle.
Before starting, ask yourself: Is this the right time in my life for a dramatic change, and am I willing to see it through?
What follows is a 21-day (or three-week) plan for improving your sleep, with the focus for each week described below:
Each day offers an evidence-backed step to achieving better sleep.
Day 1: Set Your Schedule
Remember how much sleep you need (seven to eight hours for adults), set a regular sleep schedule, and stick to it. Go to bed and get up at the same times every day—even on holidays and weekends.
Day 2: Create a Comfortable Space
Make sure your bedroom is comfortable, dark, quiet, and cozy. Adjust the temperature; cooler temperatures in the bedroom can help stimulate sleep. In a study from 2019, researchers found warmer bedroom temperatures in Summer months led to higher rates of sleep disturbances.
Day 3: Establish a Ritual
Create a relaxing bedtime ritual, which could include taking a bath, listening to soothing music, reading, or other soothing activities.Don’t bring work to bed; designate at least an hour off to relax and wind down.
Day 4: Try White Noise
Ambient sound or noise can help create a comfortable sleeping environment. White noise machines or apps can also drown out sounds from outside. Among residents of high-traffic areas of New York City, researchers found those using white noise machines had better sleep quality than those who didn’t.
Day 5: Listen To Your Body
People have different sleep needs as they age, and some may need more sleep than others.If you regularly struggle with falling asleep, you may be trying to get rest when your body isn’t ready. Don’t go to bed until you feel tired.
People aregenetically inclinedto sleep certain hours. Some are natural “early birds,” while others are “night owls”.
How Much Sleep Do You Need?Though there’s no absolute standard, healthcare providers currently recommend the following:Adults: 7 to 8 hoursTeenagers: 8 to 10 hoursSchool-age children: 10 to 12Toddlers: 11 to 14 hoursInfants: 12 to 16 hours (with nap time included)
How Much Sleep Do You Need?
Though there’s no absolute standard, healthcare providers currently recommend the following:Adults: 7 to 8 hoursTeenagers: 8 to 10 hoursSchool-age children: 10 to 12Toddlers: 11 to 14 hoursInfants: 12 to 16 hours (with nap time included)
Though there’s no absolute standard, healthcare providers currently recommend the following:
Day 6: Designate Your Bed for Sleep and Sex
Day 7: Pay Off Your Sleep Debt
Day 8: Limit Screen Time
Day 9: Get Exercise
Insufficient physical activity is a consistent risk factor for insomnia and other sleep problems. Studies have linked moreexerciseand activity with better quality sleep.Aim for at least 150 minutes a week of light to moderate exercise (like walking, cycling, or running). Just try to avoid working out within two hours of bedtime.
Day 10: Limit Caffeine and Alcohol
Caffeine(the stimulant in coffee, black tea, and certain sodas) and alcohol can both disrupt sleep. Time coffee or tea consumption so that the substance is out of your system when you go to bed. Caffeine takes three to seven hours to leave your system, so avoid it in the afternoon or evening. Alcohol also affects sleep; limit consumption and avoid drinking around bedtime.
Day 11: Keep the Pets Out
As lovely as it may be to co-sleep with your dog or cat, this can interfere with restful sleep. Pet dander can set off allergic reactions, and their moving around, barking, or meowing can wake you up.Consider keeping your bedroom door closed when it’s time to sleep.
Day 12: Control Light Exposure
Exposure to light influences yourcircadian rhythm—your natural sleep-wake cycle. Exposure to sunlight tells your brain to wake up and promotes better sleep. However, bright light at night can trick your brain into thinking it’s still waking time and make it more difficult to fall asleep.Dim the screens of your devices and the lights in your home in the evenings.
Day 13: Limit Night-Time Fluid Intake
Night-time trips to the bathroom can disrupt your sleep. Avoid drinking lots of water or tea before bed to prevent this issue.
Day 14: Quit Smoking
There are many reasons toquit smokingor vaping, and improving your sleep is one. Nicotine is a stimulant—waking you up—with studies noting effects on sleep quality as well.Getting better sleep can be an additional motivator if you’re trying to stop.
Day 15: Avoid Large Meals at Night
Large meals at night can also impact sleep quality. Digestion slows when you sleep, and digestive issues—like heartburn—can wake you up. Don’t overeat (especially heavy or fatty foods) or have large meals within three hours of bedtime.
Day 16: Manage Stress
Finding ways to manage stress healthily can be critical to your sleep hygiene. Meditation, yoga, mindfulness techniques, and exercise are among many methods that may help.If your mind is racing with all of your “to-dos,” try making a list.
Day 17: Don’t Lie Awake At Night
Day 18: Stop Napping
While the research surrounding the overall effect of naps on sleep is inconclusive, some evidence suggests longer and later naps adversely affect nighttime sleep.If you’re having trouble, see how not napping affects your rest at night.
Day 19: Consider Weight Loss
Day 20: Identify and Manage Sleep Disorders
Identifying signs of sleep disorders and seeking treatment can be critical for improving sleep hygiene. Snoring and trouble breathing are signs of sleep apnea.Restless legs syndrome(RLS) causes night-time urges to move your legs and disrupt a good night’s rest.
Day 21: Reflect on the Process
If you’ve tried some or all of these steps, reflect on the changes you’ve made and ask yourself the following questions:
Improving hygiene means making lasting, life-long changes. If you still have trouble sleeping, consider talking to a healthcare provider.
Improving your rest may involve treating sleep disorders like insomnia, sleep apnea, and RLS. Improving sleep hygiene is central to managing these conditions. Additional therapies, such as those listed below, may help:
Still Not Sleeping Well: Next Steps
If you’re still not getting results despite making a dedicated effort to improve your sleep, talk to a healthcare provider. Sleep disorders and deficiency raise your risk for various mental and physical health problems, making treatment essential.
Call a healthcare provider if you experience the following:
Summary
You can do many things to improve your sleep and ensure you’re getting enough rest. Typical strategies include setting consistent bed and wake-up times, avoiding bright lights or screens at night, and making lifestyle changes to manage risk factors for sleep disorders. If lifestyle and behavioral changes don’t yield results, cognitive behavioral therapy, light therapy, and medications are among the means of improving sleep.
17 SourcesVerywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.FastStats: sleep in adults.American Academy of Sleep Medicine.Healthy sleep habits.Obradovich N, Migliorini R, Mednick SC, Fowler JH.Nighttime temperature and human sleep loss in a changing climate.Sci Adv. 2017;3(5):e1601555. doi:10.1126/sciadv.1601555Ebben MR, Yan P, Krieger AC.The effects of white noise on sleep and duration in individuals living in a high noise environment in New York City.Sleep Med. 2021;83:256-259. doi:10.1016/j.sleep.2021.03.031Chaput JP, Dutil C, Sampasa-Kanyinga H.Sleeping hours: what is the ideal number and how does age impact this?Nat Sci Sleep. 2018;10:421-430. doi:10.2147/NSS.S163071Kalmbach DA, Schneider LD, Cheung J, et al.Genetic basis of chronotype in humans: insights from three landmark GWAS.Sleep, 2017;40(2). doi:10.1093/sleep/zsw048U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.Get enough sleep.Arnal PJ, Sauvet F, Leger D, et al.Benefits of sleep extension on sustained attention and sleep pressure before and during total sleep deprivation and recovery.Sleep. 2015;38(12):1935-1943. doi:10.5665/sleep.5244Hale L, Kirschen GW, LeBourgeois MK, et al.Youth screen media habits and sleep: sleep-friendly screen behavior recommendations for clinicians, educators, and parents.Child Adolesc Psychiatr Clin N Am. 2018;27(2):229-245. doi:10.1016/j.chc.2017.11.014Kline CE.The bidirectional relationship between exercise and sleep: implications for exercise adherence and sleep improvement.Am J Lifestyle Med. 2014;8(6):375-379. doi:10.1177/1559827614544437Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Moving matters for my health.Irish LA, Kline CE, Gunn HE, Buysse DJ, Hall MH.The role of sleep hygiene in promoting public health: a review of empirical evidence.Sleep Med Rev. 2015;22:23-36. doi:10.1016/j.smrv.2014.10.001Krahn LE, Tovar MD, Miller B.Are pets in the bedroom a problem?Mayo Clin Proc. 2015;90(12):1663-1665. doi:10.1016/j.mayocp.2015.08.012Blume C, Garbazza C, Spitschan M.Effects of light on human circadian rhythms, sleep and mood.Somnologie (Berl). 2019;23(3):147-156. doi:10.1007/s11818-019-00215-xChung N, Bin YS, Cistulli PA, Chow CM.Does the proximity of meals to bedtime influence the sleep of young adults? A cross-sectional survey of university students.Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2020;17(8):2677. doi:10.3390/ijerph17082677MedlinePlus.Sleep disorders.National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute.Sleep disorder treatments.
17 Sources
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.FastStats: sleep in adults.American Academy of Sleep Medicine.Healthy sleep habits.Obradovich N, Migliorini R, Mednick SC, Fowler JH.Nighttime temperature and human sleep loss in a changing climate.Sci Adv. 2017;3(5):e1601555. doi:10.1126/sciadv.1601555Ebben MR, Yan P, Krieger AC.The effects of white noise on sleep and duration in individuals living in a high noise environment in New York City.Sleep Med. 2021;83:256-259. doi:10.1016/j.sleep.2021.03.031Chaput JP, Dutil C, Sampasa-Kanyinga H.Sleeping hours: what is the ideal number and how does age impact this?Nat Sci Sleep. 2018;10:421-430. doi:10.2147/NSS.S163071Kalmbach DA, Schneider LD, Cheung J, et al.Genetic basis of chronotype in humans: insights from three landmark GWAS.Sleep, 2017;40(2). doi:10.1093/sleep/zsw048U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.Get enough sleep.Arnal PJ, Sauvet F, Leger D, et al.Benefits of sleep extension on sustained attention and sleep pressure before and during total sleep deprivation and recovery.Sleep. 2015;38(12):1935-1943. doi:10.5665/sleep.5244Hale L, Kirschen GW, LeBourgeois MK, et al.Youth screen media habits and sleep: sleep-friendly screen behavior recommendations for clinicians, educators, and parents.Child Adolesc Psychiatr Clin N Am. 2018;27(2):229-245. doi:10.1016/j.chc.2017.11.014Kline CE.The bidirectional relationship between exercise and sleep: implications for exercise adherence and sleep improvement.Am J Lifestyle Med. 2014;8(6):375-379. doi:10.1177/1559827614544437Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Moving matters for my health.Irish LA, Kline CE, Gunn HE, Buysse DJ, Hall MH.The role of sleep hygiene in promoting public health: a review of empirical evidence.Sleep Med Rev. 2015;22:23-36. doi:10.1016/j.smrv.2014.10.001Krahn LE, Tovar MD, Miller B.Are pets in the bedroom a problem?Mayo Clin Proc. 2015;90(12):1663-1665. doi:10.1016/j.mayocp.2015.08.012Blume C, Garbazza C, Spitschan M.Effects of light on human circadian rhythms, sleep and mood.Somnologie (Berl). 2019;23(3):147-156. doi:10.1007/s11818-019-00215-xChung N, Bin YS, Cistulli PA, Chow CM.Does the proximity of meals to bedtime influence the sleep of young adults? A cross-sectional survey of university students.Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2020;17(8):2677. doi:10.3390/ijerph17082677MedlinePlus.Sleep disorders.National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute.Sleep disorder treatments.
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.FastStats: sleep in adults.American Academy of Sleep Medicine.Healthy sleep habits.Obradovich N, Migliorini R, Mednick SC, Fowler JH.Nighttime temperature and human sleep loss in a changing climate.Sci Adv. 2017;3(5):e1601555. doi:10.1126/sciadv.1601555Ebben MR, Yan P, Krieger AC.The effects of white noise on sleep and duration in individuals living in a high noise environment in New York City.Sleep Med. 2021;83:256-259. doi:10.1016/j.sleep.2021.03.031Chaput JP, Dutil C, Sampasa-Kanyinga H.Sleeping hours: what is the ideal number and how does age impact this?Nat Sci Sleep. 2018;10:421-430. doi:10.2147/NSS.S163071Kalmbach DA, Schneider LD, Cheung J, et al.Genetic basis of chronotype in humans: insights from three landmark GWAS.Sleep, 2017;40(2). doi:10.1093/sleep/zsw048U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.Get enough sleep.Arnal PJ, Sauvet F, Leger D, et al.Benefits of sleep extension on sustained attention and sleep pressure before and during total sleep deprivation and recovery.Sleep. 2015;38(12):1935-1943. doi:10.5665/sleep.5244Hale L, Kirschen GW, LeBourgeois MK, et al.Youth screen media habits and sleep: sleep-friendly screen behavior recommendations for clinicians, educators, and parents.Child Adolesc Psychiatr Clin N Am. 2018;27(2):229-245. doi:10.1016/j.chc.2017.11.014Kline CE.The bidirectional relationship between exercise and sleep: implications for exercise adherence and sleep improvement.Am J Lifestyle Med. 2014;8(6):375-379. doi:10.1177/1559827614544437Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Moving matters for my health.Irish LA, Kline CE, Gunn HE, Buysse DJ, Hall MH.The role of sleep hygiene in promoting public health: a review of empirical evidence.Sleep Med Rev. 2015;22:23-36. doi:10.1016/j.smrv.2014.10.001Krahn LE, Tovar MD, Miller B.Are pets in the bedroom a problem?Mayo Clin Proc. 2015;90(12):1663-1665. doi:10.1016/j.mayocp.2015.08.012Blume C, Garbazza C, Spitschan M.Effects of light on human circadian rhythms, sleep and mood.Somnologie (Berl). 2019;23(3):147-156. doi:10.1007/s11818-019-00215-xChung N, Bin YS, Cistulli PA, Chow CM.Does the proximity of meals to bedtime influence the sleep of young adults? A cross-sectional survey of university students.Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2020;17(8):2677. doi:10.3390/ijerph17082677MedlinePlus.Sleep disorders.National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute.Sleep disorder treatments.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.FastStats: sleep in adults.
American Academy of Sleep Medicine.Healthy sleep habits.
Obradovich N, Migliorini R, Mednick SC, Fowler JH.Nighttime temperature and human sleep loss in a changing climate.Sci Adv. 2017;3(5):e1601555. doi:10.1126/sciadv.1601555
Ebben MR, Yan P, Krieger AC.The effects of white noise on sleep and duration in individuals living in a high noise environment in New York City.Sleep Med. 2021;83:256-259. doi:10.1016/j.sleep.2021.03.031
Chaput JP, Dutil C, Sampasa-Kanyinga H.Sleeping hours: what is the ideal number and how does age impact this?Nat Sci Sleep. 2018;10:421-430. doi:10.2147/NSS.S163071
Kalmbach DA, Schneider LD, Cheung J, et al.Genetic basis of chronotype in humans: insights from three landmark GWAS.Sleep, 2017;40(2). doi:10.1093/sleep/zsw048
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.Get enough sleep.
Arnal PJ, Sauvet F, Leger D, et al.Benefits of sleep extension on sustained attention and sleep pressure before and during total sleep deprivation and recovery.Sleep. 2015;38(12):1935-1943. doi:10.5665/sleep.5244
Hale L, Kirschen GW, LeBourgeois MK, et al.Youth screen media habits and sleep: sleep-friendly screen behavior recommendations for clinicians, educators, and parents.Child Adolesc Psychiatr Clin N Am. 2018;27(2):229-245. doi:10.1016/j.chc.2017.11.014
Kline CE.The bidirectional relationship between exercise and sleep: implications for exercise adherence and sleep improvement.Am J Lifestyle Med. 2014;8(6):375-379. doi:10.1177/1559827614544437
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Moving matters for my health.
Irish LA, Kline CE, Gunn HE, Buysse DJ, Hall MH.The role of sleep hygiene in promoting public health: a review of empirical evidence.Sleep Med Rev. 2015;22:23-36. doi:10.1016/j.smrv.2014.10.001
Krahn LE, Tovar MD, Miller B.Are pets in the bedroom a problem?Mayo Clin Proc. 2015;90(12):1663-1665. doi:10.1016/j.mayocp.2015.08.012
Blume C, Garbazza C, Spitschan M.Effects of light on human circadian rhythms, sleep and mood.Somnologie (Berl). 2019;23(3):147-156. doi:10.1007/s11818-019-00215-x
Chung N, Bin YS, Cistulli PA, Chow CM.Does the proximity of meals to bedtime influence the sleep of young adults? A cross-sectional survey of university students.Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2020;17(8):2677. doi:10.3390/ijerph17082677
MedlinePlus.Sleep disorders.
National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute.Sleep disorder treatments.
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