Let’s be real: we looove sleep, but it’s often the first thing we push aside to squeeze in other bits of life. All week, we watch just *one* more episode, we get that project finally out of the way, we go out and have fun, or maybe we just relish that sweet, sweet silence and no pressure down-time that seems to only apply from the hours of 10pm – 3am.

If no matter how much you sleep in or try to ‘catch up’ on sleep you’re still reaching for that snooze button and feel like you’re thinking through soup all day, your Sleep Hygiene might be to blame. So how do we actually feel less tired and more refreshed?

What Is “Sleep Hygiene”?

Sleep hygiene is a fancy term for the stuff you do that affects your sleep. It’s all the habits, routines, and environmental factors that can either lull you into deep, delightful sleep… or turn your night into a “Most Cringeworthy Moments: Starring You” highlight reel.

Bad Sleep Hygiene = Poor Sleep = Poor wellbeing outcomes

Good Sleep Hygiene = Better sleep = Better overall wellbeing, less 3am existential dread

Now improving your Sleep Hygiene doesn’t mean having to adopt a 15-step skincare routine, buying 1000 count Egyptian cotton sheets, matching pyjamas, and chanting to the Sleep Gods, but if your nightly routine includes passing out with your mouth half open, still holding your phone blasting the same reel over and over again at full volume, it might be worth making some changes.

Improving your Sleep Hygiene is normally broken up into steps:

List current habits
What habits help vs. hinder you
Reevaluate
Implement

This is something you can absolutely do by yourself, with your therapist, or a combination of – sometimes it helps to have some extra accountability and another perspective and ideas!

Step 1: Be Real With Yourself

Before you fix your sleep, you have to look at what you’re already doing—without spiralling into shame. This isn’t a time to be harsh or self-loathing, our goal is awareness so we can reflect, challenge, and address our habits for the better.

Ask yourself:

What time do I actually go to bed—not the time I say I go to bed?
How much time am I spending on screens before bed? (screen time doesn’t lie, be honest with yourself)
Do I wake up feeling rested or like I got hit by train?
Is my sleep environment cozy and calm—or do I have a fan that clicks like it’s about to break into Run D.M.C.’s “It’s Tricky”?

Step 2: Sort the Good Stuff from the Self-Sabotage

The Big Yeses:

Going to bed and waking up at consistent times (yes, even on weekends… sorry)
Having a wind-down routine (dim lights, stretch, read, meditate, do your skincare, use essential oils etc)
Having a cool, quiet, dark sleep environment (if needed consider ear plugs, eye masks and LED blackout stickers for appliances, look at your pillows, sheets and quilt to improve your body temperature and comfort)
Limiting caffeine after 2pm (I’ll give night shift workers and new parents a free pass on this one, but to the rest of you that delicious iced latte at 4pm was a bad idea)
Reducing screen time before bed or using blue-light filters (no, this doesn’t mean wearing blue light glasses while still scrolling in bed; but nice try)

The Suspects:

Scrolling until your eyeballs twitch (this feels self explanatory)
Using your bed as a multi-purpose zone (desk, dining table, beauty salon, movie theatre)
Bingeing content before bed (one more chapter, one more episode, 5 more mins… oh now the sun is up)
Napping in the afternoon (and then wondering why you’re wide awake at 1am)
Bright light: Does your bathroom light look like 7/11? This could be waking your brain before bed
Eating a full lasagna right before lying down (delicious? yes. wise? no)

Step 3: Re-Evaluate Based on Your Life

Lots of sleep advice is great, but not all of it will fit your life. You don’t have to be a morning person if your job starts at noon, and you don’t have to meditate for an hour before bed if you can’t think of anything you’d hate more.

It’s all about making your routine work for you. Be realistic, pick 2–3 habits you can adjust without triggering a personal identity crisis.

Ask yourself:

What’s one habit I can actually commit to this week?
Is there something small I can do nightly that will make bedtime less chaotic?
Can I make my bedroom feel less “space to dump my stuff” and more “cosy paradise”?

Step 4: Implement. Slowwwly.

Start small. Pick one or two changes or new habits and test them. Reflect on the changes, adjust, add to, or keep as you are.

Make it appealing to encourage yourself to stick to it:

Treat yourself to some new sheets
Buy a mug especially for your sleepy time tea
Create rituals you look forward to—even if it’s just putting on your matching pyjamas

It takes time to change old habits and establish new ones, and time again to catch up on poor sleep, don’t expect a total sleep transformation overnight. Don’t beat yourself up if you slip up here and there, just be aware of it and make a mental note to improve and understand these habits get easier as your sleep gets better.

Go Get Some ZZZs

It’s completely normal to be tired because life is hard, and sleep is one of the most underrated forms of self-care—so take better care of yourself! Sleep hygiene doesn’t mean perfection. It just means giving your body a fighting chance to rest. You don’t have to overhaul your life. You just have to pick a few things, try them out, and tweak as you go.

You’re not lame for prioritising your sleep. Give yourself permission to rest, and not just when you crash.

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