How to sleep better and sleep longer

If you've ever brushed off a poor night’s sleep as “just being tired,” you might want to reconsider. Sleep isn't a luxury. It’s essential maintenance for your brain, body, and emotional resilience.

Not getting enough sleep doesn't just leave you foggy or irritable the next day. Over time, it can gradually erode your cardiovascular health. Deep sleep, also known as slow-wave sleep, plays a vital role in restoring energy, regulating blood pressure, and supporting cognitive function. When this phase is cut short, your body can’t recalibrate the way it should. Blood pressure may remain elevated, inflammation can increase, and the brain’s waste-clearing “glymphatic system” may start to falter, all of which are risk factors for chronic disease.

Good sleep isn’t just about duration, it’s about quality and consistency. That’s where sleep hygiene comes in: a set of habits that help create the ideal conditions for restful, uninterrupted sleep. These include:

• Sticking to a consistent sleep schedule (7–9 hours for most adults).
• Creating a comfortable, quiet, and dark sleep environment.
• Limiting caffeine, alcohol, and screen exposure before bed.
• Building a calming bedtime routine that signals your brain it's time to wind down.

Think of it as training your body to expect and protect your sleep like you would any other daily ritual.

Understanding the sleep cycle helps make sense of why rest feels restorative.

• Stage 1 & 2 (Light Sleep): You transition from wakefulness into light sleep. Your body begins to relax, and brain activity slows.
• Stage 3 (Deep Sleep): Heart rate and blood pressure drop. Muscles fully relax. This is when your body repairs tissue, builds bone and muscle, and strengthens your immune system.
• REM Sleep (Rapid Eye Movement): This is where dreaming occurs. Despite your body being temporarily paralyzed, your brain is highly active. REM is crucial for learning and memory — it’s when the brain consolidates information and makes new memories "stick."

When any of these stages are interrupted or shortened, your body doesn’t get the full benefit of sleep.

Several factors can sabotage a good night's rest. Common culprits include:

• Insomnia: Often stress- or anxiety-related, it makes it hard to fall or stay asleep.
• Obstructive Sleep Apnea: A condition where breathing stops and starts during sleep, causing frequent awakenings and oxygen level drops.
• Environmental factors, such as light, noise, uncomfortable bedding, or extreme temperatures, can prevent deep or REM sleep.
• Periodic Limb Movement Disorder: Involuntary leg movements that disturb the sleep cycle.

When left unchecked, these disruptions don’t just cause sleepiness; they can also lead to other health issues. They can affect mood, focus, immunity, and heart health.

Establishing a solid sleep routine can significantly enhance the quality of your sleep. Here are some proven habits that support better sleep:

• Stick to a consistent sleep and wake schedule — even on weekends.
• Make your bedroom a quiet, cool, and calming space.
• Power down electronics at least 30 minutes before going to bed.
• Steer clear of heavy meals and alcohol in the hours leading up to bedtime.
• Limit caffeine intake later in the day.
• Stay active and fuel your body with a balanced, nutritious diet.

These minor adjustments can lead to significant improvements in the quality and depth of your sleep.

References:

Harvard Health Publishing.

Sleep hygiene: Simple practices for better rest

https://www.health.harvard.edu/staying-healthy/sleep-hygiene-simple-practices-for-better-rest

Sleep stages and memory

https://www.health.harvard.edu/healthbeat/sleep-stages-and-memory

Sleep and brain health: What's the connection?

https://www.health.harvard.edu/heart-health/sleep-and-brain-health-whats-the-connection

U.S Centers for Disease control and prevention

About Sleep

https://www.cdc.gov/sleep/about/index.html