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Night Owls and Early Birds: Proven Strategies for Better Sleep
The Main Question: Are You Rested?
Sleep is personal. What works for one person may not fit another’s lifestyle, but the ultimate goal is simple: do you wake up feeling rested and ready to tackle the day? If the answer is yes, then your sleep routine—whether it leans toward late nights and leisurely mornings or early bedtimes and dawn starts—might already be working for you, even if it doesn’t match traditional norms.
But let’s be honest: if you’re reading an article about sleep, chances are you’re struggling in some way. Maybe you’re tired of waking up groggy and dragging yourself through the day. Maybe you’re frustrated because you thought you were doing everything right, but you’re still not waking up refreshed. Or maybe you’ve convinced yourself that this is just how life is—perpetually tired, always one bad night away from running on fumes.
Here’s the good news: you don’t have to settle for this. Restful, restorative sleep is achievable, even if it feels elusive right now. Like any hero at the start of their journey, the first step is recognising that something isn’t working and committing to a change. From there, it’s about understanding the landscape of sleep—what affects it, what’s within your control, and how you can reshape your habits to achieve the kind of rest that fuels not just your body, but your life.
For most people, 7 to 9 hours of sleep per night leads to the best overall health and wellness outcomes. While there are exceptions to every rule, the majority of folks who think they’re thriving on 4-6 hours of sleep often aren’t functioning as well as they believe. Chronic sleep deprivation—even when you feel “fine”—can affect your cognitive performance, mood, and long-term health.
There’s also evidence suggesting that our bodies tend to function best when sleep aligns with the diurnal rhythm—our natural cycle tied to daylight. Sleep gained before the middle of the night (roughly halfway between sunset and sunrise) is thought to be more restorative. However, the most important factor isn’t whether you’re a Night Owl or an Early Bird—it’s whether your sleep routine leaves you feeling rested and able to tackle your day.
Ultimately, sleep doesn’t have to conform to anyone else’s idea of what’s “right” or “best.” The true measure of success is how well it works for you and your life.
However, if you’re waking up tired, running out of energy early in the day, or just not feeling your best, it might be time to evaluate and tweak your routine. The rest of this article will guide you through the key areas to address, offering practical tips and strategies to help you improve your sleep quality and start waking up truly refreshed. This could be the beginning of your journey toward a better, more energised life—and it all starts with better sleep.
Common Sleep Challenges: Why We Struggle and What We Can Do
If restful sleep feels out of reach, it’s not just you. Sleep challenges are incredibly common, and they can stem from a range of factors—biological, psychological, and even cultural. The good news? While some of these factors may feel beyond your control, you’re far from powerless when it comes to improving your sleep.
Aging and Hormonal Changes
As we age, it’s normal to experience changes in sleep patterns. Older adults may find themselves waking more often during the night or needing less total sleep. Similarly, hormonal shifts—like those that occur during menopause—can significantly impact rest. Symptoms such as hot flashes, night sweats, and heightened anxiety can make falling and staying asleep feel like an uphill battle.
While these biological changes are real, they don’t mean you’re doomed to poor sleep forever. Lifestyle adjustments, proper nutrition, stress management and tweaks to our sleep environment can help you navigate these challenges. For example, maintaining consistent sleep routines, regulating the temperature of your bedroom, and supporting your body with nourishing foods and regular movement can all make a difference.
The Impact of Daily Stress
Stress doesn’t just weigh on your mind—it affects your body and emotions, too. When you’re overwhelmed, your body stays in a heightened state of alertness, driven by elevated levels of stress hormones like cortisol. This can make it harder to wind down at the end of the day, creating a vicious cycle of sleeplessness and exhaustion.
But the effects of stress don’t stop there. Chronic stress can alter the way you think about sleep. You may find yourself lying awake at night, worrying about the day ahead, or convinced that you’re simply “not a good sleeper.” This negative mindset can create a self-fulfilling prophecy, making it even harder to relax and fall asleep.
Sleep and stress are deeply connected, and breaking the cycle requires addressing stressors during the day, not just at bedtime. We’ll dive into strategies for this in the next section.
The Trap of the Hustle Mentality: “I’ll Sleep When I’m Dead”
How often have you heard—or even said—this phrase? “I’ll sleep when I’m dead” has become a rallying cry for hustle culture, glorifying the idea that sacrificing sleep is the price of ambition, success, and productivity. But here’s the reality: pushing yourself to the brink of exhaustion isn’t a sustainable path forward—it’s a fast track to burnout.
When we deprive ourselves of sleep, we compromise more than just our energy levels. Lack of rest erodes focus, creativity, and decision-making ability—the very skills we need to excel. Over time, it takes a toll on our bodies, leading to weight gain, weakened immunity, and increased risks of serious health issues like cardiovascular disease. What’s worse, the very act of grinding through sleepless nights can leave you less productive overall, stuck in a loop of diminishing returns.
The truth is, rest is not a reward—it’s a requirement. Sleep is the foundation of true productivity and long-term success. It fuels your ability to show up as your best self, not just in your work but in every aspect of your life.
It’s time to challenge the “I’ll sleep when I’m dead” mindset and recognise sleep for what it is: an essential investment in your health, resilience, and ability to thrive.
Reclaiming Your Rest
While aging, hormonal shifts, and daily stress can all disrupt sleep, they’re not insurmountable obstacles. Understanding the factors that affect your rest is the first step to taking back control. You’re not powerless. By making intentional changes and addressing these challenges head-on, you can improve your sleep and feel more energised, focused, and resilient.
In the next section, we’ll explore practical strategies for managing stress, supporting your body with proper nutrition, and incorporating daily movement—all of which play a crucial role in setting the stage for better sleep.
Building a Foundation for Better Sleep: Daily Movement, Nutrition, and Stress Management
When we think about improving sleep, it’s tempting to focus on bedtime routines and sleep hygiene right away. And while those are critical (we’ll get to them in the next section), the habits you build during the day lay the groundwork for restful sleep at night. By addressing movement, nutrition, and stress management throughout your day, you’re setting your body and mind up for success long before your head hits the pillow.
The benefits of these habits go far beyond sleep. Regular movement, nourishing foods, and managing stress also improve body composition, immune function, and overall well-being. When your body feels balanced and supported, it’s much easier to relax into restorative rest.
Daily Movement: Energise Your Days, Sleep Better at Night
Movement is one of the simplest yet most powerful ways to prepare your body for restful sleep. Regular physical activity helps regulate hormones, reduce stress, and promote a natural sense of fatigue by the end of the day. But the benefits extend far beyond sleep:
Improved body composition: Strength training and aerobic activity support lean muscle mass and fat loss.
Enhanced immune function: Physical activity boosts circulation and immune cell activity, helping your body fight off illness.
Mood and stress relief: Exercise triggers the release of endorphins, reducing feelings of stress and anxiety.
You don’t need to spend hours in the gym to reap these rewards. A simple daily movement practice can make all the difference. Walking for 20-30 minutes, especially in the morning, can help anchor your circadian rhythm by exposing you to natural light. Strength training a few times a week or even light stretching in the evening can also support your body’s ability to wind down.
Nutrition: Fueling Your Body for Rest and Recovery
What you eat—and when you eat it—can have a significant impact on your sleep. Proper nutrition supports stable energy levels, balanced hormones, and optimal recovery, all of which contribute to restful sleep. Key points to consider include:
Eat whole, nutrient-dense foods: Focus on lean proteins, healthy fats, and plenty of vegetables. These provide the building blocks your body needs to repair and recover while also stabilising blood sugar levels throughout the day.
Be mindful of meal timing: Avoid heavy meals close to bedtime to prevent discomfort or indigestion. At the same time, don’t go to bed hungry—this can also disrupt your ability to fall asleep.
Limit stimulants and irritants: Caffeine and alcohol are common culprits in poor sleep.
The Caffeine-Alcohol Trap
Caffeine, when consumed too late in the day, can delay the onset of sleep by keeping your brain alert. A general guideline is to avoid caffeine after the early afternoon, but the timing can vary based on individual sensitivity.
On the flip side, alcohol is often used as a way to relax in the evening, but it can disrupt sleep quality in several ways. While it may make you feel drowsy initially, alcohol interferes with REM sleep—the restorative stage crucial for cognitive function and emotional health. It can also lead to fragmented sleep, causing you to wake frequently during the night.
The combination of relying on caffeine to stay awake and alcohol to unwind creates a cycle that disrupts the natural diurnal rhythm. Over time, this pattern can worsen both energy levels and overall health. Breaking this cycle by moderating caffeine intake and reducing alcohol consumption, particularly in the evening, is essential for improving sleep quality.
Nutrition isn’t just about what you eat—it’s also about how you approach food. A mindset of balance and mindfulness around eating can reduce stress and help you feel more connected to your body’s needs, making it easier to wind down at the end of the day. If you’re interested in some help with your nutrition, maybe our online courses can help. You can check them out here.
Stress Management: Create Calm Amidst the Chaos
Stress is a normal part of life, but when it becomes chronic, it wreaks havoc on your body and mind—and your sleep. Managing stress effectively during the day is key to preparing for a restful night. Strategies include:
Practice mindfulness or meditation: Even 5-10 minutes of focused breathing or mindfulness exercises can help lower cortisol levels and shift your nervous system into a calmer state.
Schedule moments of relaxation: Build in short breaks to pause, stretch, or take a few deep breaths throughout your day. Small moments of calm add up.
Stay connected: Spending time with loved ones or sharing a meal can help lower stress and promote feelings of connection and safety.
Balance your workload: Hustle culture often glorifies “doing it all,” but setting boundaries around work and prioritising downtime can help you feel more in control and focused.
These strategies not only reduce stress but also improve your mindset around sleep. When you approach rest with calm and confidence, you’re more likely to fall asleep peacefully and wake up refreshed.
The Foundation for Restful Sleep
Movement, nutrition, and stress management aren’t just about getting through the day—they’re about building a foundation for your body to recover, restore, and thrive. By addressing these areas during your waking hours, you’re setting the stage for deeper, more restorative sleep at night.
Next, we’ll dive into the specific bedtime habits, routines, and environmental tweaks that can help you wind down and make the most of the hours you spend in bed.
If You’re Still Waking Up Tired
Getting enough sleep doesn’t always mean you wake up feeling rested. If you’re clocking the recommended 7-9 hours but still dragging through the day, it’s a sign that something is disrupting the quality of your sleep. Let’s explore some key areas to address.
Consistency Is Key
Our bodies thrive on routine, and sleep is no exception. Your internal clock, or circadian rhythm, depends on consistent cues to know when it’s time to sleep and when it’s time to wake. Sticking to the same sleep and wake times every day—even on weekends—helps reinforce this rhythm.
While sleeping in on weekends might feel like you’re doing yourself a favour, it can actually throw off your internal clock, leaving you groggy and out of sync come Monday morning. Aim to wake up and go to bed within the same 30-minute window every day to build a routine your body can rely on.
Sleep Hygiene Matters
Your sleep environment plays a huge role in the quality of your rest. Setting the stage for sleep involves creating a space that’s calm, comfortable, and free of distractions.
Darkness: Minimise light exposure by using blackout curtains, a sleep mask, or both. Even small amounts of light can interfere with melatonin production, the hormone that signals your body it’s time to sleep.
Noise: Silence is ideal, but if that’s not possible, consider earplugs or a white noise machine to mask disruptions.
Temperature: Your bedroom should be cool—around 19°C (66°F) is considered ideal. A slightly lower temperature helps your body transition into the cooler core body temperature needed for deep sleep.
Comfort: Don’t underestimate the power of a supportive mattress and pillow. If your bedding isn’t comfortable or suited to your sleeping style, it may be time to upgrade.
In addition to these environmental factors, consider what else lives in your bedroom. If your space is cluttered or filled with distractions like a TV or work desk, it’s harder for your brain to associate the room with rest. Make your bedroom all about sleep and other “in bed” activities—you know the ones (nudge, nudge, wink, wink). Keep screens and work out of the space, and avoid reading or scrolling while lying in bed.
Your bedroom should feel like a sanctuary—one that invites relaxation and signals your brain that it’s time to unwind. When your environment is carefully crafted to support rest, it becomes easier to settle in and stay asleep through the night.
Set the Stage with a Bedtime Routine
What you do in the hour leading up to bedtime can make or break your ability to fall asleep quickly and stay asleep through the night. A consistent routine not only helps you wind down but also trains your body to recognise when it’s time to rest.
Here are some effective rituals to include:
Turn off electronics: Blue light from screens disrupts melatonin production, and engaging with phones, TVs, or computers can overstimulate your brain. Aim to power down at least 30-60 minutes before bed.
Read mindfully: If reading helps you relax, go for it—but choose something light and set limits (e.g., one chapter or 20-30 minutes). For some, a captivating book can have the opposite effect, so know what works for you.
Journal or brain dump: Writing down thoughts, worries, or to-do lists can help clear your mind, making it easier to let go of mental clutter.
Relax with music or mindfulness exercises: Listening to calming music, practising meditation, or focusing on your breath can signal your nervous system to shift into a state of rest.
Experiment with shower temperature: Some people find a warm shower soothing, while others swear by a cool rinse to lower body temperature and promote rest. Test both to see which works best for you.
Avoid caffeine and heavy meals: Ideally, avoid caffeine after the early afternoon. Similarly, aim to finish your last meal at least 2-3 hours before bed to prevent indigestion or discomfort from interfering with your sleep.
The key is consistency. Over time, these rituals will act as cues, signalling your brain and body that it’s time to relax and prepare for sleep.
You’ve Worked On Sleep Quality—What About Timing?
If you’re still waking up tired despite getting enough hours in bed, there’s a good chance something in your routine or environment is working against you. By focusing on consistency, optimising your sleep environment, and establishing a calming bedtime routine, you can significantly improve the quality of your rest.
But what if your sleep quality feels fine, yet the timing doesn’t work for your life? Whether you’re waking too early or staying up too late, adjusting your sleep window can help you align your rest with your schedule. In the next section, we’ll explore how to shift your sleep window gradually and effectively.
Shifting Your Sleep Window: When Timing Doesn’t Work for Your Life
Sometimes, the quality of your sleep isn’t the issue—it’s the timing. Maybe you’re a natural Night Owl but your schedule demands early mornings. Or perhaps you’re waking refreshed but too early to align with your commitments. If your sleep is restful but out of sync with your life, shifting your sleep window can help.
How to Shift Your Sleep Window
Changing when you sleep takes patience, but it’s entirely achievable with a steady, intentional approach:
Start with your wake time:
Your wake time is the anchor for your circadian rhythm. Begin by setting an alarm for a slightly earlier or later wake time, depending on your goal. Adjust by 15-30 minutes at a time and stick with the new schedule for 2-4 weeks before making further changes. This allows your body to adapt naturally.Create the conditions for success:
Align your bedtime habits and sleep environment with your desired schedule. Even if you aren’t falling asleep at the new time yet, dim the lights, wind down with a relaxing routine, and get into bed as if you were. Over time, your body will adjust to the cues you’ve created.Don’t stress about “on-time” sleep:
Stressing over not falling asleep immediately can be counterproductive. Instead, focus on relaxation and trust that your body will adjust. The key is to maintain consistency with your wake time, which will naturally shift your bedtime earlier or later as needed.
Your circadian rhythm thrives on predictability, so sudden changes can feel like jet lag, leaving you groggy and out of sync. Gradual shifts minimise disruption and allow your body to align with the new schedule without sacrificing sleep quality.
Making Sleep Work For Your Life
If your current sleep schedule isn’t working for your life, don’t settle—shift it. With patience and consistency, you can reset your sleep window to better fit your needs, all while maintaining the restful, restorative sleep your body requires.
Shifting your sleep window can help align your sleep with your lifestyle, but what about those inevitable midday energy dips? Even with a great sleep schedule, moments of fatigue can creep in. That’s where napping, when done right, can give you a much-needed boost without compromising your nighttime rest.
Napping: A Midday Boost or a Sleep Disruptor?
Napping can be a double-edged sword. For some, a well-timed nap can be a restorative boost, enhancing focus, mood, and productivity for the remainder of the day. For others, napping can disrupt their sleep schedule, leading to difficulties falling or staying asleep at night.
The Pros of Napping
Energy Boost: A short nap (10-30 minutes) can help combat the mid-afternoon slump without leaving you groggy.
Improved Focus: Studies show napping can enhance memory, learning, and cognitive function.
Stress Relief: A brief rest period can lower stress levels and promote relaxation.
The Cons of Napping
Disrupted Sleep Patterns: Longer naps or naps too late in the day may interfere with your ability to fall asleep at night.
Sleep Inertia: Napping for too long (more than 30 minutes) can leave you feeling groggy instead of refreshed.
Dependence: If you rely on napping daily to get through the day, it may be masking underlying issues like poor nighttime sleep or inadequate overall sleep duration.
Cultural Perspectives on Napping
The tradition of a siesta—a midday rest or nap—has deep roots in cultures with warmer climates, such as Spain, Italy, and parts of Latin America. These restful periods often coincide with the hottest part of the day, when productivity dips naturally. Historically, they’ve been more than just naps—they’re part of a broader culture of slowing down, reconnecting with family, and taking time to rest.
In modern life, this practice is less common in many places, as the demands of work and busy schedules take precedence. However, the idea of a structured “rest period” is something we can all learn from. Even if napping isn’t practical, taking time for a quiet, restorative break—whether it’s meditating, reading, or simply pausing for a moment of mindfulness—can provide similar benefits.
Tips for Effective Napping
If you want to incorporate naps into your routine, here are some strategies to get the most out of them:
Keep it short: Limit naps to 10-30 minutes to avoid grogginess and nighttime sleep disruption.
Time it well: Nap in the early afternoon, typically between 1-3 PM. Napping later in the day can interfere with your nighttime sleep.
Create a restful environment: Just like nighttime sleep, naps benefit from a quiet, dim space with minimal distractions.
Listen to your body: If you’re consistently feeling the need for long naps or struggling to stay awake during the day, it may be a sign you’re not getting enough quality sleep at night.
To Nap or Not to Nap?
Ultimately, napping is a tool—not a necessity. If you wake up feeling rested and energised, you may not need naps at all. But if you experience the mid-afternoon dip or want a quick mental refresh, experimenting with short, well-timed naps could be beneficial. Just remember, consistency in your overall sleep routine is still the foundation for good rest.
Fine-Tuning Your Sleep: Tracking, Devices, and Supplements
Sometimes, even with good routines and habits in place, you might feel like there’s more to uncover about your sleep. Sleep tracking tools, specific devices, and targeted supplements can help fine-tune your approach and provide insights into what’s working—and what isn’t. However, these tools are most effective when used thoughtfully, so let’s explore their potential benefits and pitfalls.
Sleep Tracking: Insights or Overload?
Wearable devices like the Whoop, Oura Ring, or Fitbit promise to give you detailed data on your sleep, from how long you’re sleeping to the quality of your REM and deep sleep. While these tools can offer helpful insights, they also have limitations—and can sometimes create unnecessary stress.
The Pros:
Tracking tools can reveal patterns in your sleep and help you identify habits that improve or disrupt it.
They can be useful for spotting trends over time, such as how activity, nutrition, or bedtime routines influence your rest.
Some devices also track related factors, like heart rate variability (HRV) or recovery, which can help you make informed adjustments.
The Cons:
Overreliance on data: It’s easy to become emotionally invested in the numbers and let them dictate how you feel about your sleep—or your day. This is something I experienced firsthand while using the Whoop device. For two years, I tracked my sleep and other metrics 24/7. At first, it was fascinating and gave me valuable insights. But over time, I found myself letting the numbers influence how I felt about my day, even if I physically felt fine. Ultimately, I decided to stop using it because I realised I was prioritising the data over my actual lived experience.
Accuracy concerns: Consumer-grade devices aren’t perfect and may misinterpret wakefulness, light sleep, or deep sleep.
Added stress: For some, obsessing over metrics can lead to sleep anxiety, making it harder to relax and fall asleep.
Ultimately, sleep trackers work best as a tool, not a judge. Pay attention to how rested you feel each day, and use the data to support—not override—your personal experience.
Devices for Optimising Sleep
In addition to trackers, other devices and tools can help improve your sleep environment:
Light therapy devices: A light box or wake-up light can help regulate your circadian rhythm, particularly if you struggle with morning light exposure or seasonal changes.
Wake lights or light-based alarm clocks: These devices gradually brighten before your set wake time, mimicking a natural sunrise to gently encourage wakefulness. I’ve personally used variations of these for years and find them incredibly helpful. Often, the glow of the light wakes me up before the audible alarm even sounds, making the morning wake-up far less jarring.
Sound machines: White noise or nature sounds can drown out disruptive noises and create a calming environment.
Cooling mattresses or pads: If temperature regulation is a challenge, devices like cooling mattress pads or fans designed for nighttime use can help maintain comfort throughout the night.
Weighted blankets: These are designed to provide gentle, even pressure, which can help calm the nervous system and reduce anxiety. They can be particularly beneficial for individuals who have difficulty relaxing or settling down before bed.
These tools aren’t essential, but they can make a meaningful difference if your sleep is disrupted by specific factors like light, noise, temperature, or anxiety.
Supplements: A Targeted Approach
When it comes to supplements, it’s important to approach them as just one part of your sleep strategy—not a magic bullet. Here are some of the most commonly used options:
Melatonin: This hormone can be helpful for shifting your circadian rhythm, making it particularly useful for people adjusting to a new time zone, adapting to a new sleep schedule, or working night shifts. However, it’s not a long-term fix for general sleep issues and works best when paired with good sleep hygiene.
Magnesium: Known for its relaxing properties, magnesium can help calm the nervous system and promote better sleep quality. I personally use ZMA (a supplement combining zinc, magnesium, and vitamin B6) nightly and have found it incredibly helpful. Not only does it reduce restless legs, calf, and foot cramping, but it’s also made a big difference in my ability to fall back asleep easily when I wake during the night—which happens frequently for me.
Valerian root or chamomile: These herbal remedies may help reduce anxiety and promote relaxation, though their effects vary from person to person.
Ashwagandha: An adaptogen that supports stress reduction and may improve sleep indirectly by balancing cortisol levels.
A word of caution: Always consult a healthcare professional before starting new supplements, especially if you’re on medication or have underlying health conditions. Supplements should enhance your sleep habits, not replace them.
Pulling It All Together
Sleep tracking, devices, and supplements are tools—not solutions on their own. When used thoughtfully, they can provide valuable insights and support, helping you optimise your environment and routine. However, they work best when paired with the foundational strategies we’ve covered, like consistency, sleep hygiene, and stress management.
In the next section, we’ll bring everything together, exploring how to build a holistic approach to sleep that works for your unique needs.
Wrapping It All Up: Your Journey to Restful Sleep
Sleep is deeply personal, and improving it isn’t about fitting into someone else’s idea of what’s “right” or “best.” It’s about finding what works for you—your body, your lifestyle, and your needs.
We’ve explored the factors that influence sleep, from creating daily habits like movement, nutrition, and stress management to optimising your sleep environment and routines. We’ve also looked at how tools like napping, sleep tracking, devices, and supplements can fine-tune your approach. And we’ve uncovered how breaking cycles of over-caffeination and alcohol reliance can restore your natural rhythms.
The journey to better sleep is rarely about one big change. It’s the combination of small, intentional adjustments—building consistency, creating an environment conducive to rest, and aligning your habits with your body’s natural rhythm—that leads to transformative results.
Your next step is simple: pick one thing to focus on. Whether it’s setting a consistent wake time, improving your sleep hygiene, or cutting back on caffeine, take one small step today. Build momentum from there.
Steps to Better Sleep
Establish a consistent sleep and wake schedule, even on weekends.
Optimise your sleep environment for darkness, quiet, and comfort.
Create a relaxing bedtime routine to help your body wind down.
Incorporate daily movement to align your circadian rhythm and boost energy.
Be mindful of nutrition, limiting caffeine and alcohol later in the day.
Use tools like napping, sleep tracking, and supplements thoughtfully to refine your approach.
Restful, restorative sleep isn’t just a luxury—it’s a foundation for thriving in every area of your life. It fuels your body, sharpens your mind, and strengthens your ability to tackle each day with energy and purpose.
So start now. Embrace the journey. Better sleep—and a better you—are just around the corner.
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