Establish a consistent wake time, at least five days a week, as it is the single most important input for entraining your internal biological circadian rhythm and maintaining healthy sleep. This also ensures consistent first exposure to daylight.
Do not compensate for a bad night’s sleep by waking up later, going to bed earlier, or napping during the day. Stick to your regular wake time and sleep duration to allow your internal sleep regulation mechanism to self-correct.
Recognize that sleep is an automatic, autonomic process, similar to digestion or heart rate, and you cannot consciously force yourself to sleep. Trying too hard to sleep in bed is counterproductive and will make it more difficult.
If you wake up in the middle of the night and cannot fall back asleep, get out of bed immediately. Go to another room, do something fun or relaxing, and only return to bed when you feel sleepy again to avoid associating your bed with wakefulness and rumination.
If experiencing poor sleep, don’t panic or freak out, as it is a natural, normal, and fixable reaction to stress. This mindset helps prevent acute insomnia from becoming chronic.
Determine your individual sleep need by how you feel and function throughout the day, rather than fixating on a specific number of hours. If you feel fine, are not excessively tired, and can concentrate well, you’re likely getting enough sleep.
Do not become overly fixated or anxious about your sleep, as this can undermine the natural sleep process and perpetuate insomnia.
Transition to lower light levels and quieter, more relaxing activities at least an hour or two before bedtime, avoiding work or stressful calls right up until sleep. This prepares your body for sleep.
Upon waking, expose yourself to as much natural light as possible by opening curtains, sitting by a window, or going outside. This helps entrain your circadian rhythm, especially if you are experiencing sleep problems.
Keep your bedroom as dark as possible, especially before your desired wake time, using sleep masks, room-darkening shades, or shutters. Minimizing light exposure helps prevent early awakenings and maintains circadian patterns.
Enhance circadian entrainment by maintaining regular meal times, consistent exercise schedules (e.g., a walk at the same time daily), and overall daytime activity. Being active during the day promotes better sleep.
Determine your desired wake time, set an alarm, and then backtrack the necessary sleep hours to establish an appropriate bedtime. Avoid going to bed before you feel sleepy.
If napping, aim for a short 20-minute power nap, ideally seven to nine hours after waking, and set an alarm to avoid sleep inertia. This helps compensate for lost sleep minimally without disrupting night sleep.
Do not use alcohol as a sleep aid, as it may induce initial drowsiness but can lead to fragmented sleep and awakenings in the middle of the night as its effects wear off.
If using devices (phones, tablets) during night awakenings or before bed, activate blue light filters to reduce the impact on your circadian rhythm. For general use, prefer screens at a distance (like TV) over handheld devices close to the eyes.
To combat “doom scrolling” or delaying bedtime, set an alarm on your phone for the time you intend to start your wind-down routine and prepare for bed.
If you’ve experienced insomnia for more than three months (chronic insomnia), seek professional help from a behavioral sleep medicine specialist, as targeted non-pharmacological treatment like CBT-I is often necessary to resolve the issue.
For chronic insomnia, prioritize Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Insomnia (CBT-I) as the first-line treatment, as it is a non-medication therapy recommended for long-term solutions, unlike medications which are better suited for short-term problems.
Seek treatment for insomnia through telehealth, as Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Insomnia (CBT-I) can be effectively delivered exclusively online, making professional help more accessible.
Understand that diagnosing insomnia typically does not require a sleep study, unless other occult sleep disorders are suspected, making online diagnosis and treatment feasible.
Use sleep medications, including over-the-counter options, only for short-term or acute insomnia under medical guidance, as they are not designed to fix the underlying perpetuating factors of chronic insomnia and can lead to dependency.
If using marijuana as a sleep aid, treat it like any other sleeping pill and use it only for short-term issues, as long-term use can lead to tolerance and difficulty sleeping when discontinued.
If you’re already sleeping well, aim to get up at the same time five days a week and largely go to bed at the same time or after you’re sleepy five days a week to maintain good circadian entrainment.