Better sleep starts in the morning – simple daytime habits for a restful night

When pursuing good sleep hygiene, we often think about what we can do in the hours before the slumber commences, whether it is avoiding blue light or creating the perfect wind-down routine, complete with sleepy herbal teas and blackout curtains. While much sleep advice focuses on evening routines, it is more beneficial to consider the whole day leading up to the moment we get under our duvets, says Stephanie Romiszewski, a sleep physiologist and the author of Think Less, Sleep More. “Everyone talks about bedtime routines, but there are important things we should be doing from the moment we wake up to set ourselves up for good sleep that night,” she explains, before warning that this shouldn’t prevent us from “getting on with our lives”. Here, Romiszewski shares the things we can do during daytime hours to maximise the chances of quality night time sleep. Get up at roughly the same time every day “Our body clock benefits from consistency, and getting up at roughly the same time helps regulate our sleep drive. A fixed bedtime is less useful because we won’t necessarily feel sleepy at the same time every evening – but it does become more predictable once you start with the wake time. “I’d rather someone went to bed when they genuinely felt sleepy than forced themselves to go at 10pm because that’s what they’ve decided their bedtime should be.” Get some natural daylight “Natural daylight is one of the strongest signals we can give our body clock. Getting outside in the morning helps our brain understand when it’s daytime, supporting alertness during the day and helping regulate when we feel sleepy later on.“I’d encourage people to get outside for 20-30 minutes in the morning if they can. The amount of light varies depending on the weather and season – but even on a cloudy day, outdoor light is usually much brighter than the lighting in our homes and offices. But when you can’t get natural light, bright artificial light can be very helpful. Try not to overcompensate for bad sleep “One of the biggest morning habits that can sabotage our sleep is allowing a bad night’s sleep to dictate the following day. People lie in, snooze their alarms, check their sleep trackers and start planning how they’ll compensate.” “Unfortunately, repeatedly changing our routine can make sleep less predictable. I’d encourage people to get up at their usual time and carry on with their day as normally as possible.” Remaining active can help wit poor sleep (Photo: Westend61/Getty/Westend61) Be physically active “I’d encourage people to concentrate on being physically active as both aerobic exercise and resistance training can benefit sleep, with regular activity helping to reinforce our daily rhythms. “There’s no convincing reason everyone needs to exercise in the morning, instead the best time to exercise is whenever you’re most likely to do it consistently. However, very vigorous exercise immediately before bed can be disruptive for some people. “Although sleep drive is primarily built through time awake, not how physically exhausted we’ve made ourselves, being physically inactive can contribute to poorer sleep.” Don’t avoid worries “We should absolutely try to deal with worries and problems in the daytime, particularly if you’re someone whose brain seems to come alive the moment your head hits the pillow. “I often suggest giving yourself some time during the day to think about outstanding problems, write things down or make practical plans. The aim isn’t to eliminate worrying or thinking altogether, which is impossible, but to avoid bedtime becoming the only opportunity your brain gets to process everything.” Assess caffeine intake “Caffeine blocks some of the signals that tell our brain we’re sleepy, and its effects can last for hours. Its average half-life is around five hours, although this varies considerably. “For someone struggling with sleep, I’d usually suggest experimenting with keeping caffeine to the morning, perhaps stopping around lunchtime. But if someone sleeps perfectly well after their afternoon coffee, I wouldn’t automatically tell them to give it up.” Stephanie Romiszewski explains how you can get better sleep (Photo: Gareth Iwan Jones) Preserve sleep pressure “Naps can be useful when we’re sleep deprived, but if someone has chronic insomnia, I’d generally discourage regular daytime naps because they can reduce the sleep pressure available that night.” Maintain a balanced diet “There’s no magical food that will make you sleep well, despite what social media might suggest. I’d encourage a balanced diet and reasonably regular mealtimes rather than focusing on individual ingredients or supplements. “Meal timing can provide additional signals to our body clock. I’d also avoid regularly going to bed either full or hungry. Also, there is little reason to worry about an occasional sugary snack.” Don’t overthink it “A sleep-friendly day would be waking at approximately the same time as usual, getting some daylight relatively early and having a reasonably active day. I’d eat normally, enjoy my morning tea or coffee, get outside when possible and make time for things I enjoy. “In the evening, I’d allow myself to wind down naturally and go to bed when I felt sleepy. Importantly, I wouldn’t spend the day monitoring whether I’d done everything correctly. “The most important thing to understand is that sleep is a biological process, not a performance. We can support the mechanisms that regulate it through our daytime habits, but we don’t need to control every aspect of our lives. In fact, in my clinical experience, the pressure to do everything perfectly can become one of the biggest obstacles to sleeping well.” ‘Think Less, Sleep More’ by Stephanie Romiszewski (Allen & Unwin, £14.99)