Seven hours: how to actually get them
Most adults need at least seven hours of sleep. These are the changes that help the most, in order.
Adults do best on seven hours of sleep or more. If you are getting less and feel it, start with the first change below and give each one a week before adding the next.
What helps most
Get up at the same time every day, weekends included. A fixed wake time does more than a fixed bedtime.
Get daylight in the first hour. Ten minutes outside sets your body clock for the evening.
Stop caffeine by early afternoon. It lingers for six hours or more.
Keep the bedroom cool, dark and quiet, and keep the phone out of reach.
If you are awake for twenty minutes, get up. Sit somewhere dim until you are sleepy, then go back.
What to skip
Alcohol helps you fall asleep and then wakes you at three. Long daytime naps borrow from the night. Sleep trackers are fine if they do not make you anxious; ignore them if they do.
When to see a doctor
Talk to us if you snore loudly and wake unrefreshed, if your legs keep you awake, or if poor sleep has lasted more than a month alongside low mood or worry.
This article is general information, not advice about your own health. If something worries you, see your doctor.