Don’t sleep on this: A guide to better rest

Published March 20, 2026

We spend about a third of our lives sleeping, so why can it feel so hard to get it right? Turns out, the answer isn’t only about how long you sleep, but also about what’s happening during those hours.¹

Why is sleep important?

Sleep isn’t a luxury. It’s as essential to health as eating, drinking, and breathing.¹ It’s when your body and brain do some of their most important work, and you’re not even awake to notice.

During sleep, your body repairs tissues, makes proteins, regulates hormones, strengthens the immune system, and clears waste from the brain. Memories are organized, energy is restored, and many systems reset for the day ahead. How well you think, feel, and function while you’re awake depends heavily on the quality of this behind-the-scenes work.¹

Yet up to 70 million Americans aren’t getting enough sleep, and for a third of adults, that’s the norm.²

What can affect sleep?

Sleep is guided by your circadian rhythm, your body’s internal 24-hour clock that coordinates when you feel awake and when you feel ready to sleep.

Two important hormones help support this process: cortisol and melatonin. Their levels follow opposing patterns over a 24-hour cycle.

Cortisol supports alertness. Levels are usually highest in the morning to help you wake up and feel energized, then gradually decline throughout the day.

Melatonin supports sleep. As daylight fades, the brain begins releasing melatonin, signaling that it’s time to wind down.

When this rhythm falls out of sync due to factors like stress, rotating or night shifts, travel, late or irregular meals, or light exposure at night, the body can receive mixed signals about when to sleep and when to stay awake.¹

Tips for better sleep

Most adults need 7 to 9 hours of sleep each night, but hours alone don’t tell the whole story. Quality matters just as much as quantity. Regularly not getting enough quality sleep has been linked to a range of health conditions, including heart disease, kidney disease, diabetes, high blood pressure, depression, and memory decline.²,³

Sleep quality refers to how long you sleep and how well you fall asleep and stay asleep. How you feel during the day can offer clues about whether you're getting enough. Brain fog, daytime fatigue, relying heavily on caffeine, or having trouble waking up can all be signs your sleep needs aren't being met. One way to support better sleep is through sleep hygiene, a set of everyday habits and routines that help you get more consistent, restful sleep.¹,³,⁴

Get natural light during the day

Light helps regulate your circadian rhythm. Getting bright natural light soon after waking helps tell your brain that it’s time to be awake and alert. Regular exposure throughout the day also helps reinforce that it’s time to be awake, making it easier to wind down later.

Stay active

Staying active during the day can help reduce daytime sleepiness and improve sleep quality. For some people, activity close to bedtime can make it harder to fall asleep, so movement earlier in the day may be the better fit.  

Be mindful of caffeine, alcohol, and meals

What you eat and drink during the day can affect how well you sleep at night. It can take hours for the effects of caffeine to wear off, so consuming caffeine in the late afternoon may make it harder to fall asleep at bedtime. Although alcohol may cause drowsiness at first, it can disrupt deeper, more restorative sleep later in the night. Large meals close to bedtime can also affect sleep, since digestion keeps the body active when it should be winding down. Finishing meals about 3 hours before bedtime gives the body the time it needs to digest before you head to bed.

Keep it consistent

When it comes to overall sleep health, consistency is key. Going to bed and waking up at roughly the same time each day, including weekends, days off, and vacations (when possible), can make a noticeable difference in how rested you feel.

Plan ahead for travel

Travel can temporarily disrupt sleep, especially when crossing time zones. Shifting your bedtime by about 1 hour each day for 3 days before your trip can help your body adjust. Setting your watch or clocks to the time at your destination can also help reinforce the new schedule.

Limit light exposure at night

Light at night can signal the brain that it’s still daytime. Bright light of any kind, not just blue light from screens, can delay the release of melatonin and interfere with sleep. Late-night work or emotionally charged content can also leave you feeling awake and alert at exactly the wrong time. Dimming lights in the evening and avoiding screen time for at least an hour before bed can help ease the transition to sleep.

Create a bedtime routine

Morning cues like brushing your teeth, making coffee, or getting ready for the day reinforce your body’s wake mode. A consistent bedtime routine works the same way. Dimming lights, taking a warm bath or shower, stretching, or reading can all cue your brain that sleep is on the way. Over time, repeating these patterns helps your body recognize when it’s time to wake up and when it’s time to wind down.

Optimize your sleep environment

The environment where you sleep can play an important part in sleep quality. Many people sleep best in a room that is cool, quiet, and dark. A temperature of about 60–67°F is often considered ideal for sleep. Keeping the room dark helps signal that it’s time to rest, while reducing noise can help prevent disruptions. Blackout curtains or blinds, earplugs, an eye mask, a fan, or white noise can help support a more comfortable sleep environment.

If you can’t fall asleep

Frustration or anxiety about not being able to sleep can make it harder to fall asleep. If you’re still awake after about 20 minutes, getting out of bed and doing a relaxing activity until you feel sleepy again can make it easier to drift off. 

Can I make up for lost sleep?

If you’ve had a night of poor sleep, a short nap (up to 20 minutes) may help improve energy and mood. But when too little sleep becomes a pattern, a sleep debt can build up. Sleep debt is the difference between the sleep you need and the sleep you actually get. Over time, ongoing sleep loss can affect overall health, quality of life, and how rested you feel. While extra sleep may help after a short night, regularly missing sleep is harder for the body to fully recover from.⁶

What if I feel like I don’t get enough sleep, even when I do?

Many people in the US say they feel tired every day, and it’s not always about how much sleep they get. Feeling tired sometimes is normal, especially after a restless night. But if you regularly struggle to fall asleep, stay asleep, or wake up feeling refreshed, something else may be going on. Many factors can affect sleep and energy. Talking with a healthcare provider may help you understand why and what could help.¹,²