How to Get Good Sleep at Night: 15 Easy Tips for Better Sleep

One of the major health issues in India that has the potential to turn into a health crisis is poor sleep. Recent surveys have found that over 60% of Indians get less than six hours of uninterrupted sleep each night. That is far below the recommended average of 7-8 hours.

Good sleep isn’t just a luxury, but a foundational component of physical and mental health. Lack of quality sleep can lead to many consequences, which can add up to become long-term health issues, like increased stress, reduced productivity, rising BP, cardiovascular health decline, and much more. This guide will help you figure out how to get good sleep and improve your quality of life, as well as long-term health.

1. Get Enough Sunlight During the Day

Natural light exposure helps regulate your body’s circadian rhythms, the internal biological clock that controls your sleep patterns. Exposure to natural daylight in the morning or early afternoon will help you be more alert during the day, while also enhancing your ability to release the nighttime hormone, melatonin. Several studies have shown that people who regularly receive good exposure to natural sunlight tend to fall asleep quickly than those who do not, and they have better quality of sleep. Receiving even a minimum of 20-30 minutes of direct light will make a quantifiable difference in overall sleep results.

2. Reduce Mobile/Screen Time Before Bed

Screens produce a blue light that suppresses the levels of melatonin needed by the body to get good rest. There have been many studies proving that exposure to blue light from screens delays a person from falling asleep and decreases the amount of deep sleep attained by the individual. Studies have found that eliminating screen time for at least an hour before sleeping generally improves a person’s quality and amount of sleep. This is one of the most effective answers to how to get sleep at night.

Find it hard to reduce screen time? Explore How To Break A Phone Addiction: Mindful Living In The Digital Age.

3. Avoid Caffeine Late in the Day

Caffeine effects can last from 6-8 hours, which is longer than most people might be aware of. Consuming caffeine will also inhibit a person’s ability to fall asleep and will diminish an individual’s ability to achieve deeper levels of sleep. Drinking late afternoon or evening coffee can interfere with an individual’s ability to have restful overnight sleep, especially for caffeine-sensitive individuals.

Learn how much caffeine is safe for your body: Safe Daily Caffeine Intake: How Much Caffeine Should You Have?

4. Keep Your Daytime Naps Short

Long naps can interfere with your nighttime sleep drive. While a quick rest can boost alertness, sleeping for too long during the day often leads to sleep inertia—that groggy feeling you get upon waking. To prevent this, keep your naps restricted to a “power nap” duration of 10 to 20 minutes. Additionally, avoid napping after 3 PM or 4 PM. Late afternoon naps can confuse your internal clock, making it harder to fall asleep when you actually want to go to bed.

5. Follow a Fixed Sleep Schedule

When you go to bed and wake up around the same time each day, your body’s natural circadian rhythm becomes stronger, and you will notice that you go to sleep faster, sleep deeper, and wake up more alert during the day, even on the weekends!

6. Try Melatonin (If Needed)

Melatonin is a hormone naturally produced by your body to signal that it is time to sleep. While supplements can be effective for resetting internal clocks. This has been especially effective during jet lag or short-term insomnia—they should not be used casually as a long-term fix. In India, it is advisable to treat melatonin with caution and only under medical guidance. Consult a doctor to determine if you truly need it, what dosage is safe for you, and how to use it without disrupting your body’s natural hormone production. 

7. Try Natural Supplements for Relaxation

When taken properly, certain natural supplements can improve relaxation and the overall quality of your sleep. Magnesium may be effective for relaxing your nervous system, while a selection of herbal supplements like valerian root or chamomile may improve the onset of sleep. Using these types of supplements is most effective when combined with a regular sleep schedule. Always check to see if these products are safe to use if you have any pre-existing medical conditions.

8. Avoid Alcohol Before Bed

While alcohol may create a feeling of drowsiness at first, research shows that drinking alcohol adversely impacts your nightly cycles of sleep. Alcohol consumption before sleeping will decrease the time spent in both deep and REM cycles of sleep. Additionally, studies have also shown that alcohol causes an increase in the number and duration of nighttime awakenings, which lowers overall levels of sleep quality throughout the second half of the night.

9. Use a Comfortable Mattress and Pillow

Unsupportive mattresses and pillows are the biggest detractors to a good sleep. They cause discomfort, body aches, and frequently wake you up mid-sleep to change your sleeping position. Spinal alignment with your neck is a key determinant of how comfortable and relaxed your body is while sleeping. It improves your sleep continuity and reduces any pressure points in your body. A firm mattress or a pillow isn’t a universal answer here. You should determine the level of firmness for the mattress based on your body’s preference. The same applies to pillow height and firmness as well.

10. Make Your Bedroom Calm & Sleep-Friendly

Making your bedroom as quiet, dark, and cool as possible may stimulate the brain into a restful state. You can increase the quality and time of sleep by decreasing or eliminating noise, decreasing exposure to light, and lowering the temperature of the bedroom to a slightly cooler level. If you like it, some white noise, like nature sounds on a speaker at a lower volume, can also improve your quality of sleep.

11. Avoid Heavy Meals at Night

Heavy or spicy meals consumed close to bedtime might cause indigestion, acid reflux, or other discomforts that can interfere with your sleep. Make sure to eat dinner at least 2-3 hours before bed to ensure proper digestion, so it doesn’t break your sleep cycle later in the night.

12. Don’t Drink Too Many Liquids Before Bed

While proper hydration is necessary for a healthy body, excessively drinking fluids just before sleep will increase the need for nighttime urination. This will disrupt your sleep cycles. Reduce your liquid intake 1-2 hours before bedtime, and urinate before sleeping to avoid nighttime awakenings.

13. Relax Your Mind Before Sleeping

When your mind is stimulated with too many thoughts or too much activity, it may be harder for you to fall asleep. Simple things like deep breaths, light stretching, meditating, calm reading, or even white noise will help your brain know that it’s almost time to fall asleep and improve both the quality of your sleep and the ease with which you will fall asleep.

14. Check for Possible Sleep Disorders

If your sleep issues are persistent and not going away even with these tips, it might be time to consult a specialist. These issues may be a sign of sleep disorders or related conditions like insomnia, sleep apnea, anxiety disorders, restless leg syndrome, and more. Ignoring it for too long and not getting professional treatment might affect your heart health, cause mood swings, and reduce concentration during the day.

15. Exercise Regularly (But Not Late Night)

When you engage in regular physical activity, it enhances your sleep quality. Regular exercise is one of the most effective methods for how to deep sleep better, giving you a greater sleeping depth and duration. However, if you do intense workouts close to your bedtime, it may make you more alert. You should aim to complete your last workout 3 hours prior to your bedtime.

Sleep Better, Live Better

Small and intentional habits practised consistently are key to developing a good sleep cycle with high-quality sleep. Aligning your daily routines with your body’s natural rhythms can significantly improve your physical and mental health, further improving the quality of your sleep. With ऐक्टिव लिविंग कम्युनिटी, you can read about healthy lifestyle choices that support better sleep and long-term wellness.