How Do You Sleep at Night?
Do you have difficulty falling asleep? Do you have a hard time staying asleep, or getting a full night of restful sleep? You are not alone. In 2020, 14.5% of adults in the United States reported trouble falling asleep (Adjaye et al., 2022). While it is recommended that adults get at least seven hours of sleep a night, for many people, that seems impossible.
The Importance of Sleep
As you may already know, sleep is essential for us. Sleeping allows our body and mind rest while supporting brain functioning and health (How Sleep Works - Why Is Sleep Important? | NHLBI, NIH, 2022). We need this time to recover from our day, and prepare for tomorrow. Not getting sufficient sleep can impact your day-to-day functioning as well as your long-term health (How Sleep Works - Why Is Sleep Important? | NHLBI, NIH, 2022). It can be detrimental to your heart, hormones, metabolism, immune system, and memory.
What is Sleep Hygiene?
Sleep hygiene is a term used to describe good sleep habits that are more likely to help you sleep, and to help you get better sleep (Centre for Clinical Interventions, n.d.) Incorporating some of these practices has shown to be helpful for some people. Here are some tips for maintaining good sleep hygiene:
● Avoid caffeine and nicotine for at least 4-6 hours before going to bed. This is because they are stimulants which can impact your ability to fall asleep (Centre for Clinical Interventions, n.d.).
● Avoid alcohol for the same amount of time before bed. It can disrupt your sleep as well (Centre for Clinical Interventions, n.d.).
● Only use your bed for sleeping or sex (no phones, tv, computers, homework, etc.) This helps your body associate bed with sleep, which is what you want. You do not want to associate bed with stress or any other activities (Centre for Clinical Interventions, n.d.).
● Try to have a regular bedtime and wake up time, so your body and mind become accustomed to it (Centre for Clinical Interventions, n.d.).
● Have bedtime rituals, such as brushing your teeth, reading, taking a bath or shower, meditating, or any other relaxing wind-down activities. This can help your body and mind prepare itself for sleep, and get into restful habits (Centre for Clinical Interventions, n.d.).
● Make your sleep space comfortable for you. If you are bothered by lights or sounds, invest in tools to help with that such as blackout curtains or earplugs. Keeping the room at a comfortable temperature is important as well, as that can lead to a more restful sleep (Centre for Clinical Interventions, n.d.).
Accepting our Ability to Sleep
Sometimes, even when you practice good sleep hygiene and do all that you can do, you still cannot sleep. In this case, it might be best to accept that sleep is just something that you struggle with (On stride financial). Accepting this as part of life will be less draining than fighting it every night. It can be helpful to accept what you can’t change about it and change what you can (On stride financial). If there’s a night that you are awake and unable to sleep, you can try practicing mindfulness by either meditating or being present with the thoughts you are having.
References
Adjaye, D., Ng, A. E., & Black, L. I. (2022, June 22). Products - Data Briefs - Number 436 - June 2022. CDC. Retrieved August 20, 2025, from https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/products/databriefs/db436.htm
Centre for Clinical Interventions. (n.d.). Sleep Hygiene [Infographic]. https://www.cci.health.wa.gov.au/~/media/CCI/Mental-Health-Professionals/Sleep/Sleep---Information-Sheets/Sleep-Information-Sheet---04---Sleep-Hygiene.pdf
How Sleep Works - Why Is Sleep Important? | NHLBI, NIH. (2022, March 24). nhlbi, nih. Retrieved August 19, 2025, from https://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/sleep/why-sleep-important