Dr Sunny Nayee reveals four seemingly harmless bedtime habits that could be sabotaging your sleep, from dozing off on the sofa and enjoying a nightcap to obsessing over sleep scores. Here’s what to stop doing – and the simple changes that could help you wake feeling more refreshed
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Falling asleep with ease and achieving a solid, undisturbed eight hours of shut eye feels like the dream – no pun intended – but it’s not as easy as it seems. We try our hardest and puts plans in place that we think might help our sleep but actually, we could be making things far worse.
Dr Sunny Nayee shares five habits he would put on the banned list, including the cosy evening rituals that may be less sleep-friendly than they look.
Falling asleep on the sofa, then expecting a full night in bed
The blanket is out. The heating is on. Getting up feels unreasonable. You insist you are watching television, despite missing enough of the plot to need a briefing. Then you finally reach bed and no longer feel sleepy.
An evening doze can reduce your sleepiness. People who struggle to fall asleep at night are advised to limit naps or take them earlier. A substantial doze downstairs may leave you less ready to fall asleep when you get into bed.
The switch: Do your bedtime preparation before settling down. When you start nodding off near bedtime, you can head upstairs without waking yourself up with chores.
Pairing a late dinner with a ‘sleepy’ glass of wine
Autumn self-care practically writes itself: comforting food, a glass of red and nowhere to be. But a large meal just before bed – think a generous takeaway curry, creamy pasta or a loaded pizza – can leave you uncomfortably full when you lie down.
Large late meals can make falling asleep harder because your brain can only focus on the mighty task of digestion, meaning relaxing falls short. Alcohol may initially make you sleepy, but disrupt sleep later, while caffeine in after-dinner coffee, tea or cola can keep you alert.
The switch: Leave some time between your main meal and bed. If you are hungry later, try a light snack, such as a small bowl of porridge or a slice of toast. Avoid using wine as a sleep aid and check your evening drinks for caffeine.
Checking whether you are sleeping ‘well enough’
You wake feeling fine. Then your sleep app delivers a disappointing score, and suddenly every yawn feels suspicious. Overnight, the same impulse has you calculating how much sleep remains and whether any that you’ve had so far counts.
Tracking can be useful, but checking can add pressure when you are already worried. NHS guidance recommends keeping clocks out of view and avoiding trying to force sleep.
If checking your sleep makes you more anxious, consider whether it is helping. You do not need to evaluate every awakening or let one score decide how your day will feel.
The switch: Set your alarm and hide the display. Notice how you feel before opening your sleep app and take a break from tracking if it creates pressure.
Going to bed early to ‘fix’ an exhausting week
By Sunday evening, you have decided to become someone with an early bedtime, a peaceful mind and no outstanding washing. You get into bed far earlier than usual. Your body responds by staying enthusiastically awake.
Now your sensible decision feels frustrating. NHS guidance recommends going to bed when sleepy, rather than spending extra time waiting for sleep. Feeling drained and ready to sleep are not always the same.
The switch: Finish the evening’s demands earlier without insisting on immediate sleep. Read, listen to something calming or have a quiet shower, then go to bed when sleepy.
A better plan for your bedtime
You do not need a new bedtime personality. Start with a few manageable changes:
- Give yourself a stopping point: Decide when your evening entertainment ends before tiredness makes ‘one more’ tempting.
- Keep your routine familiar: Avoid having spontaneous later nights and then a much later morning.
- Make room for daylight: Get outside during the day where possible, even if it is just a short walk.
- Check the timing of your comforts: A late coffee, substantial bedtime meal or wine used to induce sleep may work against the restful evening you intended.
- Stop negotiating with the clock: If you wake early, you do not need to calculate what you have lost.
- Try a ‘3-2-1 brain clear-out’: Writedown three worries, two priorities for tomorrow and one thing that can wait. It may help clear your mind.
Falling asleep with ease and achieving a solid, undisturbed eight hours of shut eye feels like the dream – no pun intended – but it’s not as easy as it seems.
We try our hardest and puts plans in place that we think might help but actually, we could be making things far worse.
Dr Sunny Nayee shares five habits he would put on the banned list, including the cosy evening rituals that may be less sleep-friendly than they look.
Falling asleep on the sofa, then expecting a full night in bed
The blanket is out. The heating is on. Getting up feels unreasonable. You insist you are watching television, despite missing enough of the plot to need a briefing. Then you finally reach bed and no longer feel sleepy.
An evening doze can reduce your sleepiness. People who struggle to fall asleep at night are advised to limit naps or take them earlier. A substantial doze downstairs may leave you less ready to fall asleep when you get into bed.
The switch: Do your bedtime preparation before settling down. When you start nodding off near bedtime, you can head upstairs without waking yourself up with chores.
Pairing a late night dinner with a ‘sleepy’ glass of wine
Autumn self-care practically writes itself: comforting food, a glass of red and nowhere to be. But a large meal just before bed – think a generous takeaway curry, creamy pasta or a loaded pizza – can leave you uncomfortably full when you lie down.
Large late meals can make falling asleep harder because your brain can only focus on the mighty task of digestion, meaning relaxing falls short. Alcohol may initially make you sleepy, but disrupt sleep later, while caffeine in after-dinner coffee, tea or cola can keep you alert.
The switch: Leave some time between your main meal and bed. If you are hungry later, try a light snack, such as a small bowl of porridge or a slice of toast. Avoid using wine as a sleep aid and check your evening drinks for caffeine.
Checking whether you are sleeping well enough
You wake feeling fine. Then your sleep app delivers a disappointing score, and suddenly every yawn feels suspicious. Overnight, the same impulse has you calculating how much sleep remains and whether any that you’ve had so far counts.
Tracking can be useful, but checking can add pressure when you are already worried. NHS guidance recommends keeping clocks out of view and avoiding trying to force sleep.
If checking your sleep makes you more anxious, consider whether it is helping. You do not need to evaluate every awakening or let one score decide how your day will feel.
The switch: Set your alarm and hide the display. Notice how you feel before opening your sleep app and take a break from tracking if it creates pressure.
Going to bed early to fix an exhausting week
By Sunday evening, you have decided to become someone with an early bedtime, a peaceful mind and no outstanding washing. You get into bed far earlier than usual. Your body responds by staying enthusiastically awake.
Now your sensible decision feels frustrating. NHS guidance recommends going to bed when sleepy, rather than spending extra time waiting for sleep. Feeling drained and ready to sleep are not always the same.
The switch: Finish the evening’s demands earlier without insisting on immediate sleep. Read, listen to something calming or have a quiet shower, then go to bed when sleepy.
A better plan for your bedtime
You do not need a new bedtime personality. Start with a few manageable changes:
- Give yourself a stopping point: Decide when your evening entertainment ends before tiredness makes ‘one more’ tempting.
- Keep your routine familiar: Avoid having spontaneous later nights and then a much later morning.
- Make room for daylight: Get outside during the day where possible, even if it is just a short walk.
- Check the timing of your comforts: A late coffee, substantial bedtime meal or wine used to induce sleep may work against the restful evening you intended.
- Stop negotiating with the clock: If you wake early, you do not need to calculate what you have lost.
- Try a ‘3-2-1 brain clear-out’: Writedown three worries, two priorities for tomorrow and one thing that can wait. It may help clear your mind.
