top science-backed sleep tips

10 Science-Backed Tips for a Better Night’s Sleep

Restful sleep is essential for living a healthy life, yet many adults find it challenging to get enough. Despite its crucial role, one-third of adults are sleep-deprived. The consequences of insufficient sleep extend beyond mere morning drowsiness — it can potentially reduce your lifespan by years [1]. 

Most importantly, factors within your control can determine how you sleep. In this article, we'll arm you with 10 science-backed, actionable tips to transform your sleep habits. These aren't just quick fixes; they're evidence-based strategies that can help you unlock the full potential of your sleep and add years to your life. 

Whether you're a chronic insomniac, a sleep procrastinator, or simply curious about optimizing your rest, these tips will shed light on the power of quality sleep. 

Get ready to revolutionize your nights and supercharge your days. Your journey to better sleep — and a longer, healthier life — starts here.


10 Science-Backed Tips to Support Better Sleep Quality and Quantity

Getting better quality and quantity sleep is within your control. Here are 10 science-backed tips to get better sleep. 

 

1. Get Morning Sunlight

A good night's sleep can start in the morning. Morning sunlight exposure can actually improve how you sleep at night. Viewing morning light helps to align your circadian rhythms with the time of day for better sleep [2].

 

2. Avoid Caffeine Later in the Day

Having coffee, green tea, or other forms of caffeine may impact your sleep quality, depending on when you're drinking them. Research shows that having caffeine too close to bedtime can affect sleep latency, shorten sleep duration, and may even make you feel drowsy when you wake up [3, 4]. 

But what time do you need to cut off caffeine? The short answer is, it depends. Studies show that individual caffeine metabolism rates vary greatly from person to person, so it's challenging to recommend a one-size-fits-all cutoff time.

In one study, the half-life of caffeine in healthy volunteers ranged from 2.7 to 9.9 hours, highlighting the wide range of individual differences in caffeine metabolism. For example, if you have caffeine at noon, half of it may remain in your system by almost 10 PM [5].

Furthermore, middle-aged adults may be more sensitive to high doses of caffeine, affecting their sleep quantity and quality more than younger adults [6].

Because individual caffeine metabolism rates vary, aim to reduce caffeine as early in the day as possible to minimize its impact on your sleep.

 

3. Avoid Late Meals

Research shows that late-night meals or snacks are correlated with poorer sleep quality. This is especially true for foods or meals high in fat and fiber (which can take longer to digest). Give yourself a several-hour buffer between your last meal and the time you go to bed [7]. 

 

4. Avoid Blue Light

Rather than watching another episode of your current show or checking your email before bed, aim to avoid blue light. It can be challenging, but the blue light emitted from electronic devices can influence sleep quality when used within an hour or two of bedtime. 

If you can't avoid blue light altogether before bed, try using a pair of blue light glasses while looking at screens and dimming your screen's brightness [8].  

 

5. Get Regular Exercise, but Wrap Up Vigorous Exercise Early in the Day

Regular exercise supports healthy sleep patterns. However, vigorous exercise within an hour of bedtime has been shown to disrupt sleep quality, including sleep latency, duration, and efficiency [9]. 

Plan to wrap up vigorous exercise at least four hours before bedtime. For example, if you typically go to bed around 10pm, aim to finish a HIIT workout by 6pm. Light or moderate exercise closer to bedtime (like going for a walk) doesn't negatively affect sleep [9, 10]. 

 

6. Take a Magnesium Supplement 

Taking a magnesium supplement two hours before bed can help to increase total sleep and time spent in deep sleep [11]. 

Magnesium's impact on sleep is not yet fully understood. Researchers hypothesize that magnesium impacts chemicals in the brain, like NMDA and GABA, that impact sleepiness [12]. 

 

7. Keep Your Room Cool and Low Humidity

Room temperature and humidity are two of the most important factors affecting sleep (and the time it takes to fall asleep). Keep the room under 67 degrees F and below 50% humidity [13]. 

 

8. Keep Your Environment Dark 

Keep your room as dark as possible by turning off all lights and closing curtains. Try using a sleep mask if your bedroom environment gets bright at night or in the morning. A dark environment signals the body to produce melatonin, the hormone responsible for making you feel sleepy. On the other hand, light can inhibit melatonin production, making you wake up [14]. 

 

9. Try an L-Theanine Supplement 

Taking L-theanine is associated with enhancing sleep quality. It promotes relaxation without causing drowsiness, potentially making it easier to fall asleep. L-theanine is thought to increase levels of GABA, serotonin, and dopamine, hormones that help reduce sleep-interfering stress. L-theanine may also improve sleep efficiency [15]. 

 

10. Maintain Consistent Bed and Wake-up Times

Maintaining consistent bed and wake-up times is crucial for regulating your body's circadian rhythm. A regular sleep schedule can improve sleep quality, daytime alertness, and better overall sleep efficiency. 

Keeping a bed and wake time within one hour of each other daily can help to keep your body in sync [16].  


Key Takeaways 

  • Morning sunlight exposure can improve nighttime sleep quality
  • Avoid caffeine, large meals, and blue light close to bedtime
  • Create a cool, dark, and low-humidity sleep environment
  • Regular exercise supports healthy sleep, but avoid vigorous workouts close to bedtime
  • Consider magnesium or L-theanine supplements to support sleep quality

References

  1. What are sleep deprivation and deficiency? | NHLBI, NIH. (2022, March 24). NHLBI, NIH. https://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/sleep-deprivation 
  2. De Menezes-Júnior, L. a. A., Da Silva Sabião, T., De Moura, S. S., Batista, A. P., De Menezes, M. C., Carraro, J. C. C., De Souza Andrade, A. C., Machado-Coelho, G. L. L., & Meireles, A. L. (2023). Influence of sunlight on the association between 25-hydroxyvitamin D levels and sleep quality in Brazilian adults: A population-based study. Nutrition, 110, 112008. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.nut.2023.112008 
  3. Roehrs, T., & Roth, T. (2008). Caffeine: Sleep and daytime sleepiness. Sleep Medicine Reviews, 12(2), 153–162. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.smrv.2007.07.004 
  4. Drake, C., Roehrs, T., Shambroom, J., & Roth, T. (2013). Caffeine Effects on Sleep Taken 0, 3, or 6 Hours before Going to Bed. Journal of Clinical Sleep Medicine, 09(11), 1195–1200. https://doi.org/10.5664/jcsm.3170 
  5. Kerpershoek, M. L., Antypa, N., & Van Den Berg, J. F. (2018). Evening use of caffeine moderates the relationship between caffeine consumption and subjective sleep quality in students. Journal of Sleep Research, 27(5). https://doi.org/10.1111/jsr.12670 
  6. Robillard, R., Bouchard, M., Cartier, A., Nicolau, L., & Carrier, J. (2015). Sleep is more sensitive to high doses of caffeine in the middle years of life. Journal of Psychopharmacology, 29(6), 688–697. https://doi.org/10.1177/0269881115575535 
  7. Crispim, C. A., Zimberg, I. Z., Reis, B. G. D., Diniz, R. M., Tufik, S., & De Mello, M. T. (2011). Relationship between Food Intake and Sleep Pattern in Healthy Individuals. Journal of Clinical Sleep Medicine, 07(06), 659–664. https://doi.org/10.5664/jcsm.1476 
  8. Silvani, M. I., Werder, R., & Perret, C. (2022). The influence of blue light on sleep, performance and wellbeing in young adults: A systematic review. Frontiers in Physiology, 13. https://doi.org/10.3389/fphys.2022.943108 
  9. Stutz, J., Eiholzer, R., & Spengler, C. M. (2018). Effects of evening exercise on sleep in Healthy Participants: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis. Sports Medicine, 49(2), 269–287. https://doi.org/10.1007/s40279-018-1015-0 
  10. Jurado‐Fasoli, L., De‐la‐O, A., Molina‐Hidalgo, C., Migueles, J. H., Castillo, M. J., & Amaro‐Gahete, F. J. (2020). Exercise training improves sleep quality: A randomized controlled trial. European Journal of Clinical Investigation, 50(3). https://doi.org/10.1111/eci.13202 
  11. The effect of magnesium supplementation on primary insomnia in elderly: A double-blind placebo-controlled clinical trial. (2012, December 1). PubMed. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/23853635/ 
  12. Arab, A., Rafie, N., Amani, R., & Shirani, F. (2022). The Role of Magnesium in Sleep Health: a Systematic Review of Available Literature. Biological Trace Element Research, 201(1), 121–128. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12011-022-03162-1 
  13. Okamoto-Mizuno, K., & Mizuno, K. (2012). Effects of thermal environment on sleep and circadian rhythm. Journal of PHYSIOLOGICAL ANTHROPOLOGY, 31(1). https://doi.org/10.1186/1880-6805-31-14 
  14. R, A. M. S. (2015). Melatonin, the hormone of darkness: From sleep promotion to Ebola treatment. Brain Disorders & Therapy, 04(01). https://doi.org/10.4172/2168-975x.1000151 
  15. Rao, T. P., Ozeki, M., & Juneja, L. R. (2015). In search of a safe natural sleep aid. Journal of the American College of Nutrition, 34(5), 436–447. https://doi.org/10.1080/07315724.2014.926153 
  16. Chaput, J., Dutil, C., Featherstone, R., Ross, R., Giangregorio, L., Saunders, T. J., Janssen, I., Poitras, V. J., Kho, M. E., Ross-White, A., Zankar, S., & Carrier, J. (2020). Sleep timing, sleep consistency, and health in adults: a systematic review. Applied Physiology, Nutrition and Metabolism/Applied Physiology, Nutrition, and Metabolism, 45(10 (Suppl. 2)), S232–S247. https://doi.org/10.1139/apnm-2020-0032
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