Improving Sleep Quality: Practical Tips for Better Rest

By Delilah De Kay, MSW Intern Therapist

Sleep is vital for both your body and mind. It boosts brain function, improves memory, and helps regulate mood. It also plays a key role in managing pain, metabolism, appetite, and immune health (Consensus Conference Panel, 2015). Furthermore, getting enough high-quality sleep each night is associated with a reduced mortality risk and a lower risk of several health conditions, including cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases, obesity, diabetes, cancer, and depression (Consensus Conference Panel, 2015). 

Sleep issues are common symptoms among a number of diagnosable mental disorders, such as anxiety and depression (Sivertsen et al., 2021). A 2021 study on the impact of sleep quality improvement on mental health demonstrated “clear evidence that improving sleep reduced depression, anxiety, and stress” (Scott et al., 2021). If you’re looking to improve your sleep, making a few simple changes can make a big difference. Establishing a consistent bedtime routine, limiting screen time before bed, and creating a peaceful bedroom environment are all helpful strategies. Keep reading to learn more about other effective tips that can help you achieve better, more restful sleep.

Below are some tips for getting quality sleep each night:

1. Aim to get at least 7 hours of sleep per night

   • The amount of sleep you need each night varies depending on your age. However, for most adults, getting between 7-9 hours of sleep per night is ideal, and sleeping less than 7 hours per night is associated with a number of adverse health outcomes (Watson et al., 2015). 

2. Be mindful of your environment

   • Sleeping in a cool, dark room will help you to create an ideal sleeping environment. Using a sleeping mask can also help to reduce ambient light.

3. Create a sleep routine

   • Try to create a consistent sleep routine that works for you. Going to bed and waking up as close to the same time as possible each night is helpful. Additionally, try to go to sleep before 1:00am each night, even if you consider yourself more of a night owl, as a 2024 study indicates that this has the best outcome regardless of one’s chronobiological preference to go to bed later in the night (Lok et al., 2024).

4. Reduce screen time before bed

   • Exposure to light within two hours of bedtime can throw off your sleep cycle.When you're exposed to blue light at night (such as the light from a cell phone or a laptop), your brain gets tricked into thinking it's still daytime. As a result, your brain reduces or stops the production of melatonin, the hormone that helps you fall asleep, making it harder to fall asleep (National Sleep Foundation, 2022).

5. Consider what you eat and drink 

   • Caffeine can disrupt sleep by making it difficult to fall asleep, delaying your body clock, and reducing deep sleep, ultimately shortening total sleep time (American Academy of Sleep Medicine, n.d.). Try to limit caffeine consumption to only the morning in order to reduce the impact it will have on the quality of your sleep. Additionally, consuming alcohol can have a negative impact on one’s 

6. Exercise regularly

   • Regular physical activity can help you fall asleep faster, enjoy deeper rest, and improve the overall quality of your sleep, and can even help manage insomnia (Alnawwar et al., 2023). The key is to stick with moderate-intensity activities, which are the most effective, and to avoid high-intensity workouts late in the evening, as they may make it harder to sleep. (Alnawwar et al., 2023)

References:

Alnawwar, M. A., Alraddadi, M. I., Algethmi, R. A., Salem, G. A., Salem, M. A., & Alharbi, A. A. 

(2023). The Effect of Physical Activity on Sleep Quality and Sleep Disorder: A Systematic Review. Cureus, 15(8), e43595. https://doi.org/10.7759/cureus.43595

American Academy of Sleep Medicine. (n.d.). Caffeine and sleep. Sleep Education. Retrieved 

March 19, 2025, from https://sleepeducation.org/sleep-caffeine/

Consensus Conference Panel, Watson, N. F., Badr, M. S., Belenky, G., Bliwise, D. L., Buxton, 

O. M., Buysse, D., Dinges, D. F., Gangwisch, J., Grandner, M. A., Kushida, C., Malhotra, R. K., Martin, J. L., Patel, S. R., Quan, S. F., & Tasali, E. (2015). Joint Consensus Statement of the American Academy of Sleep Medicine and Sleep Research Society on the Recommended Amount of Sleep for a Healthy Adult: Methodology and Discussion. Journal of clinical sleep medicine : JCSM : official publication of the American Academy of Sleep Medicine, 11(8), 931–952. https://doi.org/10.5664/jcsm.4950

Lok, R., Weed, L., Winer, J., & Zeitzer, J. M. (2024). Perils of the nighttime: Impact of behavioral 

timing and preference on mental health in 73,888 community-dwelling adults. Psychiatry Research, 337, 115956. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.psychres.2024.115956

National Sleep Foundation. (2022). Screen use disrupts precious sleep time. National 

Sleep Foundation. https://www.thensf.org/screen-use-disrupts-precious-sleep-time/

Scott, A. J., Webb, T. L., Martyn-St James, M., Rowse, G., & Weich, S. (2021). Improving sleep 

quality leads to better mental health: A meta-analysis of randomised controlled trials. Sleep medicine reviews, 60, 101556. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.smrv.2021.101556

Sivertsen B, Hysing M, Harvey AG and Petrie KJ (2021) The Epidemiology of Insomnia and

Sleep Duration Across Mental and Physical Health: The SHoT Study. Front. Psychol. 12:662572. doi: 10.3389/fpsyg.2021.662572

Watson, N. F., Badr, M. S., Belenky, G., Bliwise, D. L., Buxton, O. M., Buysse, D., Dinges, D. F., 

Gangwisch, J., Grandner, M. A., Kushida, C., Malhotra, R. K., Martin, J. L., Patel, S. R., Quan, S. F., & Tasali, E. (2015). Recommended Amount of Sleep for a Healthy Adult: A Joint Consensus Statement of the American Academy of Sleep Medicine and Sleep Research Society. Sleep, 38(6), 843– 844. https://doi.org/10.5665/sleep.4716