Good sleep is the highest-return health habit that costs nothing. These nine practices have real evidence behind them — start with any three.
Timing habits
Fixed wake time (even weekends), morning daylight within an hour of waking, and no caffeine after Asr. Your body clock responds to consistency above all.
Environment habits
A cooler room than you think you need, genuinely dark (cover LED indicators), and phone charging out of arm’s reach. Each one removes a common mid-night waking trigger.
Evening habits
Dim household lights an hour before bed, keep dinner at least two hours before sleeping, and park tomorrow’s worries on paper — a two-minute list stops the 2 AM mental replay.
What about naps?
Twenty minutes before 4 PM helps most people. Longer or later naps steal from the night — the classic post-lunch two-hour nap is usually why 1 AM feels wide awake.
