If you’ve ever laid in bed staring at the ceiling wondering why sleep is avoiding you like an awkward ex at a wedding, you’re not alone. Whether it’s stress, noise, too much caffeine, or just one of those nights when your brain won’t shut up, sleep can feel frustratingly out of reach sometimes.
The good news? There are things you can do to actually help yourself drift off and stay asleep. No fluff. Just real stuff that works.
Let’s start with your room. If your bed isn’t comfy or your room feels more like a storage cupboard than a peaceful sleep sanctuary, that could be a big part of the problem.
You don’t need a luxury mattress and blackout curtains that cost the earth, but your sleep setup should feel calm and inviting. That means keeping it tidy (even if the rest of your house is chaos), making sure it’s not too hot or too cold, and cutting out as much light and noise as you can.
If you live near a main road or noisy neighbours, try a white noise machine or even a cheap fan for that soft background hum. For light, a simple sleep mask can be a game changer. Even just putting your phone face down so it stops lighting up your room can help.
Coffee is great. We all love it. But too much of it, especially later in the day, is a proper sleep killer. Caffeine can hang around in your system for hours. So even if you had that last latte at 3pm, it might still be causing trouble when you’re trying to fall asleep at 10.
Same goes for sugary snacks. They give you that rush but then leave your body feeling jittery and unsettled. Try switching to water, herbal teas or even a calming drink like chamomile tea after lunch. You’ll feel the difference when your head hits the pillow.
And don’t forget about sneaky caffeine in things like fizzy drinks or chocolate. It all adds up. If sleep is becoming a regular issue, it might be worth cutting back just to see if it helps.
I know, this one sounds boring. But your body absolutely loves a routine. Going to bed and waking up at the same time every day helps your internal clock tick along nicely. It doesn’t mean you can never have a lie-in again, but it does mean trying to stick roughly to a pattern most days.
Even having a little bedtime wind-down routine can make a difference. Maybe it’s brushing your teeth, putting your phone on silent, reading a few pages of a book or doing a quick stretch. Doesn’t need to be fancy. Just something that tells your brain, “Hey, it’s time to sleep now.”
The more you stick to it, the easier it becomes. Your body will start to expect sleep at that time, and falling asleep won’t feel like such a chore.
This one’s tricky, I get it. But the light from your phone, tablet or TV can really mess with your ability to drift off. It tells your brain it’s still time to be awake, and before you know it, you’ve scrolled through three hours of dog videos and it’s nearly 2am.
Try putting your phone down at least half an hour before bed. Read a book, listen to a podcast or even write a few thoughts down in a journal if you’ve got things buzzing around in your head. It doesn’t have to be perfect, just something to break the cycle.
You could even try setting a “wind-down” alarm. Just a reminder an hour before bed to start switching off. It sounds small, but it helps you get in the right headspace for sleep.
Lying in bed wide awake and stressed because you should be asleep is one of the worst feelings. If you’ve been tossing and turning for ages, get up. Seriously. Go into another room, do something boring and low-stimulation like folding washing or reading a really dull article.
Once you start to feel sleepy, head back to bed. The goal is to only associate your bed with actual sleep. Not with worrying, planning tomorrow’s meals or wondering if you offended someone in 2008.
It’s a small mindset shift, but it stops your bed from becoming a place of frustration. You want it to feel like your cosy, safe space. Not a battleground.
You don’t need to run a marathon or smash out gym sessions five times a week, but moving your body during the day helps a lot when it comes to sleep. A walk, a bit of gardening, or dancing round the kitchen while cooking dinner all count.
Exercise helps your body feel tired in a good way. Plus, it helps clear your mind. Even 20 minutes can do the trick. Just try not to do a full-on workout right before bed. That can actually wake you up more.
If you’ve had one of those “barely moved all day” kinds of days, don’t be surprised if your body doesn’t feel quite ready for rest. A little movement can really help balance things out.
Sometimes it’s not physical stuff that’s keeping you up, but what’s going on in your head. Stress, overthinking, worrying about money, family, work. It builds up. And when you finally lie down to rest, that’s when your brain decides to start its late-night performance.
Journaling helps. So does talking to someone you trust. And if things feel really overwhelming, there’s no shame in reaching out for proper support. Sleep and mental health are tightly connected, and you deserve rest just as much as anyone else.
Even something simple like writing tomorrow’s to-do list before bed can take that edge off. Get it out of your head and onto paper. It makes sleep feel more possible.
If you’ve tried all the usual stuff and you’re still feeling constantly exhausted, or your sleep is super broken no matter what you do, it might be time to look a little deeper. One possible reason could be sleep apnea.
That’s when your breathing stops and starts while you sleep, which can seriously mess with your rest without you even realising. You might snore a lot or wake up feeling like you haven’t slept at all.
Luckily, it’s easier than ever to check it out. You can now take a Sleep Apnea Test at Home. No need for overnight hospital stays or weird machines. You just follow a few simple steps from the comfort of your bed, and it can give you a clear idea of whether sleep apnea is something you need to look into further. It’s definitely worth doing if you’re constantly waking up groggy or your partner keeps saying you stop breathing in your sleep.
Sometimes your body just needs a little nudge. You can try things like magnesium, which helps with muscle relaxation, or calming herbal supplements like valerian root or passionflower. Always check with your GP if you’re unsure, but these can be a gentle way to help your body unwind.
Even essential oils like lavender can be helpful. A few drops on your pillow or a little spray around your room can make your space feel extra calm and sleep-ready. Some people even swear by a warm foot soak before bed. Sounds odd, but it’s surprisingly relaxing.
One of the best things you can do for better sleep is to slow everything down before bed. Try not to cram loads of chores into your evening or power through emails on your laptop at 10pm.
Give yourself permission to switch off. Light a candle, dim the lights, play soft music. Make your evening feel different to the rest of the day. That mental shift helps your brain know it’s time to rest, not keep solving problems.
Think of it like landing a plane. You can’t go from flying full speed to suddenly stopping. You need that gentle glide into sleep mode.
Getting decent sleep doesn’t always come easy, but that doesn’t mean it’s out of reach. Most of the time, a few simple tweaks can make a big difference. Start small. Pick one or two things from this list to try this week, and go from there.
And if you’re really struggling and none of it’s working, don’t just put up with it. Poor sleep has a knock-on effect on everything. You deserve to feel rested and well.
Sleep is one of those things that can feel hard to fix when it goes wrong. But it’s also something your body wants to do naturally. With a bit of care, support and the right environment, you can absolutely get that much needed rest.
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