How to Sleep Better: Simple Habits From NHS Guidance

By Heaven Eco Hub · 1 October 2026 · 9 min read

This is information, not medical advice. It cannot tell you why you are sleeping badly or what to do about it. Please talk to your GP or another qualified professional about any sleep problem that worries you.

Most of us know the feeling. The house is quiet, the day is done, you are tired, and still sleep will not come. Or it comes, and then you are wide awake in the small hours, listening to the fridge hum and running through tomorrow's to-do list. The next day feels heavier than it should.

You are not alone in this. The NHS notes that many people have trouble with sleep at some point, and that small changes to everyday habits and routines can make a real difference. That set of habits is sometimes called sleep hygiene. It is not glamorous and it is not quick, but it is the starting point the NHS, the Sleep Charity and the Mental Health Foundation all describe, and it is what this guide walks through, gently and in plain words.

What do good sleep habits look like?

Think of these as a menu rather than a set of rules. Pick one or two that feel doable, try them for a while, and add more once they have settled in.

Keep regular times

NHS guidance on insomnia suggests waking up and getting out of bed at the same time every day, and going to bed when you feel sleepy. A steady wake-up time, weekends included, helps your body clock know what to expect. It is tempting to sleep in after a bad night, but the NHS suggests sticking to your regular times instead, so the next night has a better chance.

Give yourself a wind-down

Sleep rarely arrives on demand straight after a busy evening. The NHS suggests setting aside time to relax before bed, for example with a bath or a book. Every Mind Matters adds ideas such as gentle reading, breathing exercises, meditation, calming music or a podcast. The point is less what you do and more that it is calm and roughly the same each night, so it becomes a signal that the day is closing.

Mind the light

Light is one of the main cues your body uses to tell day from night. Getting outside in daylight and moving during the day can help, and the NHS lists regular daytime exercise among its sleep habits. In the evening, lower, softer light can make it easier to wind down, and a dark bedroom helps once the lights go out.

Go easy on caffeine and alcohol

Tea, coffee, cola and some energy drinks contain caffeine, which can make you feel more awake, and its effects can last longer than you might expect. People differ in how sensitive they are, so notice how it affects you and consider having your last caffeinated drink earlier in the day. A warm caffeine-free drink can be a pleasant part of a wind-down instead.

Alcohol can make you feel drowsy at first, but the NHS lists it, along with caffeine and nicotine, among the common things that can disturb sleep. The Mental Health Foundation suggests moderating both. Eating a large meal close to bedtime can also make it harder to settle.

Put screens away before bed

Phones, tablets and laptops keep the mind busy, and the NHS notes that the light from screens can make it harder to fall asleep. Try putting them away for a while before bed and leaving your phone on silent, face down or, better still, in another room. If you use your phone as an alarm, an ordinary alarm clock can take its place.

Make the bedroom comfortable

Most people find it easier to sleep in a room that is quiet, dark and cool. Curtains or blinds, an eye mask, earplugs, a fan or an open window can all help, and a comfortable mattress, pillows and covers matter too. The Mental Health Foundation points out, kindly, that this is not always possible if you share a room or your housing is not settled. Do what you can with what you have; small changes still count.

What should I do when I cannot sleep?

Lying in bed willing yourself to sleep usually has the opposite effect. Every Mind Matters suggests that if you are still awake after a while, you get up and sit somewhere comfortable, do something relaxing like reading or listening to quiet music, and go back to bed when you feel sleepy. It can feel counter-intuitive, but it helps keep the bed linked with sleep rather than with frustration.

Try not to watch the clock. Checking the time and working out how many hours are left before the alarm tends to wind you up rather than down. Turn the clock to face the wall and leave your phone where you cannot reach it.

If worries are what keep you awake, it can help to write them down earlier in the evening, with one small next step for each, so they are on paper rather than circling in your head. The Mental Health Foundation mentions relaxation, mindfulness or briefly getting up for a warm caffeine-free drink to help reset your mind.

And be kind to yourself about it. A single bad night is common and usually passes. The habits above are about giving the next night a better chance, not about getting every night right.

How does a sleep diary help?

When nights blur together, it is hard to tell what is actually going on. A sleep diary is a simple record, kept for a couple of weeks or more, of when you went to bed, roughly when you fell asleep, how often you woke, when you got up and how you felt the next day, with a note on caffeine, alcohol, exercise, naps and anything stressful.

The Sleep Charity offers a free sleep diary and explains that it can help you understand your sleep patterns and spot habits that might be affecting your sleep. It also notes that if you speak to your GP, the diary gives them useful information about your sleep and your daily pattern. If you would like a wider guide to keeping a health record your doctor can read quickly, our article on how to keep a symptom diary covers what to write and how to bring it to an appointment.

If you wear a watch or ring that tracks sleep, its readings can sit alongside the diary. In Heaven Health, for example, Luna reads sleep data synced from the phone's health platform into a daily plan, and the app includes a bedtime wind-down sequence. That is one option among many; a notebook by the bed does the job too. Either way, treat what you see as questions to discuss, not conclusions about your health.

When should I talk to my GP about sleep?

We have deliberately not tried to say what might be behind any of these. Sleep can be affected by many things, including stress, low mood, pain, other health conditions and some medicines, and working out which applies to you is a job for someone who can ask you questions and examine you. The NHS insomnia page explains what a GP or pharmacist may be able to offer, and it is worth reading before an appointment. Please check with your doctor or pharmacist before taking anything for sleep, including remedies from a shop.

If low mood, anxiety or difficult thoughts are part of what keeps you awake, please say so to your GP too. In the UK, contact NHS 111 if you need help quickly and are unsure where to go, and call 999 in an emergency. Outside the UK, use your local emergency number.

How do I build a sleep routine that sticks?

The habits are simple to list and harder to keep, mostly because life gets in the way. A few things tend to make the difference between a good intention and a routine.

• Start with one change. A regular wake-up time is a good anchor, because the rest of the day, and eventually bedtime, tends to organise itself around it.
• Tie it to something you already do. Phone on charge in the kitchen when you lock the back door; book in hand when you brush your teeth.
• Make the easy choice the default. Keep the book by the bed and the phone charger out of the bedroom, so the calm option is the nearest one.
• Plan for the off nights. Late events, travel and family life will break the pattern sometimes. The aim is to come back to it the next day, not to be perfect.
• Give it time. Habits take a while to settle and a few rough nights along the way are normal. A diary helps you see the trend rather than the single bad night.
• Share it. If you live with others, tell them what you are trying. A quieter house in the evening is easier to arrange together.

Some people like a reminder or a gentle prompt to start winding down. A phone alarm labelled "wind down" works; so does a lamp on a timer. The tool matters less than the steadiness.

Frequently asked questions

Sources

• NHS Every Mind Matters: Fall asleep faster and sleep better
• NHS: Insomnia
• The Sleep Charity: Sleep diary
• Mental Health Foundation: How to sleep better

Better sleep is rarely one big change. It is a regular wake-up time, a calm wind-down, a darker room, a phone left in the kitchen, kept up gently night after night, with your GP there when habits are not enough. If you would like to go further with looking after your health in a calm, researched way, the Health journey guide walks through it one step at a time. And once more, because it matters: this is information, not medical advice. Talk to a qualified professional about your own sleep and health.