Use this as an audit rather than a set of rules. Read through the twenty items, tick the ones you already do, and pick one of the others to change this week. Each item has a one-line reason and a link to the guide that explains it properly. Nobody does all twenty, and you do not need to. Most people find that three or four of the unticked ones account for most of the problem.
If you would rather be walked through it a night at a time, the 7-Night Quiet Mind Sleep Plan covers the same ground in order.
The bedroom
1. Dark enough that you cannot see your hand. Light reaching the eyes at night makes sleep lighter. Check for gaps around curtains, standby LEDs and the landing light. How to make your bedroom darker
2. Cool: around 16 to 19°C. A warm room is one of the most common reasons for waking in the night. Turn the radiator down, open the window before bed, and use a lighter duvet in summer. The best temperature for sleep
3. Quiet, or steadily masked. Sudden sounds wake you; steady sound covers them. Earplugs, a fan or a sound machine each work for different people. How to block out noise at night
4. A clock you cannot see from the pillow. Knowing it is 3:12 helps nobody. Turn it away or put it in a drawer. Waking up at 3am
5. Bedding that suits the season. The right tog, breathable fabrics and a pillow that keeps your neck level all reduce the small discomforts that wake you. Bedding and sleep
Daytime habits
6. The same wake time every day, weekends included. This is the anchor for your body clock and the single most effective change on the list. Why a consistent sleep schedule matters
7. Daylight within an hour of waking. Morning light sets the clock and makes you sleepy at the right time in the evening. Five to ten minutes outside is enough. How your morning routine shapes tonight's sleep
8. No caffeine after lunch. Half of a coffee is still in your system five or six hours later. Tea and cola count. Caffeine and sleep
9. Alcohol not used as a sleep aid. It helps you drop off and then breaks up the second half of the night. Alcohol and sleep
10. Some movement in the day, not too close to bed. Regular exercise deepens sleep; a hard session within an hour or two of bed can delay it. Exercise and sleep
11. Naps short and early, if at all. Twenty minutes before 3pm is fine. An hour at 5pm takes pressure away from the night. Do naps ruin your sleep at night?
12. No big meal in the last two hours. A heavy or late meal keeps digestion busy and can cause reflux when you lie down. A small snack is fine. Eating before bed
The evening
13. A wind-down hour with the lights dimmed. Lamps rather than the big light, and nothing new arriving. A bedtime routine for adults
14. The phone out of reach of the bed. The light matters less than the engagement. Charge it across the room, or in another one. Screens before bed
15. Going to bed when sleepy, not when the clock says. Getting into bed before sleepiness arrives means lying awake, and lying awake teaches the brain that bed is for being awake. Why you get a second wind at night
16. Enough hours, but not too many in bed. Most adults need seven to nine. Spending ten in bed to get six teaches poor sleep. How much sleep do adults need?
The mind
17. The day closed on paper. A short list of what is on your mind and what you will do about it, written before the wind-down, not in bed. Writing a worry list before bed
18. A breathing or relaxation practice you know well. Something to do in the dark instead of trying to sleep. Practise it when you do not need it, so it is there when you do. Breathing exercises for sleep
19. Getting up if you are lying awake and frustrated. Somewhere dim and quiet, something dull, back to bed when sleepy. It works at midnight and at 3am. Should you get up if you can't sleep?
20. Not trying too hard. The effort to sleep is what keeps most people awake. Rest counts, one bad night does no lasting harm, and sleep arrives when you stop chasing it. Mindfulness for sleep
In short: Dark, cool and quiet; the same wake time and morning light; caffeine before lunch; a dim wind-down; the day on paper; up if you are lying awake.
How to score it
Count your ticks, but do not take the number too seriously. Twelve out of twenty with the wake time, the caffeine and the dark room in place is a better position than seventeen without them. The items with the biggest effect for most people are 1, 2, 6, 7, 8, 13 and 19. If you are unticked on several of those, start there.
If the checklist is not enough
If you have most of these in place and you are still sleeping badly most nights, the problem is probably not habits, and adding more rules will not fix it. Persistent insomnia responds best to cognitive behavioural therapy for insomnia, and some sleep problems have medical causes that a checklist cannot reach. Our guide on when to see a GP about sleep sets out the signs and what to expect. If the sticking point is specifically a busy mind, the Quiet the Mind guides go deeper.
Sources and further reading
- NHS Every Mind Matters: How to fall asleep faster and sleep better
- NHS: Insomnia
- Sleep Foundation: Sleep hygiene
Written and reviewed by the Quiet Mind Sleep editorial team in line with our editorial policy. Spotted an error? Let us know.
