How to sleep better

Adults should sleep 7 or more hours per night on a regular basis to promote optimal health, which is the whole recommendation from the joint consensus statement of the American Academy of Sleep Medicine and the Sleep Research Society (AASM/SRS consensus statement, SLEEP 2015). A panel of 15 experts reached it with a modified RAND Appropriateness Method, reviewing 5,314 articles across nine health categories, and wrote it for adults aged 18 to 60 years (AASM/SRS, 2015). The panel prints its own caveat in the same paper: individual variability in sleep need is influenced by genetic, behavioral, medical, and environmental factors (AASM/SRS, 2015).

The statement is short enough to carry its consequences with it. Sleeping less than 7 hours per night on a regular basis is associated with adverse health outcomes, including weight gain and obesity, diabetes, hypertension, heart disease and stroke, depression, and increased risk of death, and it is also associated with impaired immune function, increased pain, impaired performance, increased errors, and greater risk of accidents (AASM/SRS, 2015). On the top end, sleeping more than 9 hours per night on a regular basis may be appropriate for young adults, individuals recovering from sleep debt, and individuals with illnesses, and for others it is uncertain whether sleeping more than 9 hours per night is associated with health risk (AASM/SRS, 2015). The closing line covers both directions: people concerned they are sleeping too little or too much should consult their healthcare provider (AASM/SRS, 2015).

Four federal or professional sources give three slightly different adult figures, and averaging them would invent a fourth that nobody published. CDC says 7 or more hours for ages 18 to 60 (CDC, About Sleep, last reviewed May 15, 2024). NHLBI says 7 to 8 hours a day for adults 18 years or older, and states that its table reflects AASM recommendations that the American Academy of Pediatrics has endorsed (NHLBI, How Much Sleep Is Enough, March 24, 2022). MedlinePlus gives a range rather than a floor, at 7 to 9 hours a day for adults 18 years and older (MedlinePlus, December 9, 2025). The NHS says adults need 7 to 9 hours (NHS Insomnia, 19 March 2024).

CDC's table is the only one here that splits older adults into two bands, and its recommended hours of sleep run (CDC, About Sleep, May 15, 2024):

• Newborn, 0 to 3 months: 14 to 17 hours
• Infant, 4 to 12 months: 12 to 16 hours, including naps
• Toddler, 1 to 2 years: 11 to 14 hours, including naps
• Preschool, 3 to 5 years: 10 to 13 hours, including naps
• School age, 6 to 12 years: 9 to 12 hours
• Teen, 13 to 17 years: 8 to 10 hours
• Adult, 18 to 60 years: 7 or more hours
• Adult, 61 to 64 years: 7 to 9 hours
• Adult, 65 years and older: 7 to 8 hours

Older adults need about the same amount of sleep as all adults, seven to nine hours each night, though older people tend to go to sleep earlier and get up earlier than they did when they were younger (NIA, content reviewed February 6, 2025). The common belief that the number drops with age has nothing behind it. Some people think adults need less sleep as they age, but there is no evidence to support this, and older adults often get less sleep or spend less time in the deep, restful stages of sleep and wake up more easily (NIA, February 6, 2025; MedlinePlus, December 9, 2025).

Six lists were pulled for this page, and they overlap without matching. Each one is here with the name of the body that published it, because the differences between them are the part worth seeing.

AASM, Healthy Sleep Habits, updated August 2020. Keep a consistent sleep schedule and get up at the same time every day, even on weekends or during vacations. Set a bedtime that is early enough for you to get at least 7-8 hours of sleep. Don't go to bed unless you are sleepy. If you don't fall asleep after 20 minutes, get out of bed and go do a quiet activity without a lot of light exposure, and it is especially important to not get on electronics. Establish a relaxing bedtime routine. Use your bed only for sleep and sex. Make your bedroom quiet and relaxing, and keep the room at a comfortable, cool temperature. Limit exposure to bright light in the evenings. Turn off electronic devices at least 30 minutes before bedtime. Don't eat a large meal before bedtime, and if you are hungry at night, eat a light, healthy snack. Exercise regularly and maintain a healthy diet. Avoid consuming caffeine in the afternoon or evening. Avoid consuming alcohol before bedtime. Reduce your fluid intake before bedtime.

CDC, About Sleep, last reviewed May 15, 2024. Going to bed and getting up at the same time every day. Keeping your bedroom quiet, relaxing, and at a cool temperature. Turning off electronic devices at least 30 minutes before bedtime. Avoiding large meals and alcohol before bedtime. Avoiding caffeine in the afternoon or evening. Exercising regularly and maintaining a healthy diet. That is the entire CDC list, six items, with 30 minutes as its only number.

NHLBI, Healthy Sleep Habits, last updated March 24, 2022. Go to bed and wake up at the same time every day. Try to keep the same sleep schedule on weeknights and weekends, limiting the difference to no more than about an hour, because staying up late and sleeping in late on weekends can disrupt your body clock's sleep-wake rhythm. Use the hour before bed for quiet time, avoiding intense exercise and bright artificial light such as from a TV or computer screen, since the light may signal the brain that it's time to be awake. Avoid heavy or large meals within a few hours of bedtime, and having a light snack is okay. Avoid alcoholic drinks before bed. Avoid nicotine and caffeine, both of which are stimulants that can interfere with sleep. Spend time outside every day when possible and be physically active. Keep your bedroom quiet, cool, and dark, and a dim night light is fine if needed. Take a hot bath or use relaxation techniques before bed. Limit naps or take them earlier in the afternoon if you have trouble falling asleep at night, and adults should nap for no more than 20 minutes.

MedlinePlus, Healthy Sleep, last updated December 9, 2025. Go to bed and wake up at the same time every day. Avoid caffeine, especially in the afternoon and evening. Avoid nicotine. Exercise regularly, but not too close to bedtime. Avoid alcoholic drinks before bed. Avoid large meals and drinks late at night. Don't take a nap after 3 p.m. Relax before bed by taking a bath, reading or listening to calm music. Keep your bedroom cool, dark, and quiet. Get rid of distractions such as TVs, computers, and phones. Get enough sunlight exposure during the day. If you can't fall asleep for 20 minutes, get up and do something relaxing.

NIA, Sleep and Older Adults, content reviewed February 6, 2025. Follow a regular schedule by going to sleep and getting up at the same time each day, even on weekends or when traveling. Have a bedtime routine and find ways to relax before bedtime each night. Make your room comfortable for sleep and keep the temperature not too hot or cold. Try to get regular exercise, but not within three hours of your bedtime. Avoid napping in the late afternoon or evening. Avoid having caffeine late in the day, including coffee, tea, chocolate, and soda. Avoid drinking alcohol, even small amounts. Try not to watch television or use a computer, cell phone, or tablet in the bedroom. Avoid eating large meals within two to three hours of your bedtime, and avoid drinking large amounts of liquid late in the day. Talk with your doctor if you have problems with sleeping.

NHS, Insomnia, last reviewed 19 March 2024. The do list: only go to bed when you're sleepy; wake up and get out of bed at the same time every day; relax at least 1 hour before bed, for example by taking a bath or reading a book; make sure your bedroom is dark and quiet, using curtains, blinds, an eye mask or ear plugs if needed; exercise regularly during the day; make sure your mattress, pillows and covers are comfortable. The don't list: do not smoke or drink alcohol, tea or coffee at least 6 hours before going to bed; do not eat a big meal late at night; do not exercise at least 4 hours before bed; do not watch television or use devices, like smartphones, right before going to bed, because the blue light makes you more awake; do not nap during the day; do not drive when you feel sleepy; do not sleep in after a bad night's sleep, and stick to your regular sleeping hours instead.

Two items repeat across enough of the lists to be worth pulling out. Twenty minutes is the number for getting back out of bed: if you don't fall asleep after 20 minutes, get out of bed and do a quiet activity without a lot of light exposure (AASM, August 2020), and if you can't fall asleep for 20 minutes, get up and do something relaxing (MedlinePlus, December 9, 2025). Thirty minutes is the number for screens: turn off electronic devices at least 30 minutes before bedtime (AASM, August 2020; CDC, May 15, 2024).

The hour counts published for caffeine disagree with each other, so each one is printed here with its owner attached. The NHS says do not smoke or drink alcohol, tea or coffee at least 6 hours before going to bed (NHS Insomnia, 19 March 2024). CDC's occupational safety institute says to avoid caffeine, chocolate, and nicotine for 5 or more hours before sleep is planned (CDC/NIOSH science bulletin, June 29, 2020). NHLBI gives no cutoff at all and explains instead why one would vary, saying the effects of caffeine can last up to 8 hours, so a cup of coffee in the late afternoon can make it hard for you to fall asleep at night (NHLBI, March 24, 2022). NIOSH adds the reason the number is personal, which is that the half-life of caffeine is 5 to 6 hours but is much longer in some people (CDC/NIOSH, Work Hour Training for Nurses, Module 6, March 31, 2020).

Four of the sources give a time of day rather than an hour count. Avoid consuming caffeine in the afternoon or evening (AASM, August 2020). Avoiding caffeine in the afternoon or evening (CDC, May 15, 2024). Avoid caffeine, especially in the afternoon and evening (MedlinePlus, December 9, 2025). Avoid having caffeine late in the day (NIA, February 6, 2025).

No US federal agency and no professional society behind this page names a clock time, so this page doesn't name one either. If you want a number, take one of the ones above with its name still on it.

The hours here disagree the same way the caffeine hours do. The NIA says to try to get regular exercise, but not within three hours of your bedtime (NIA, February 6, 2025). CDC's occupational safety institute says to plan on finishing exercise at least 3 hours before sleep is planned (CDC/NIOSH science bulletin, June 29, 2020), and its nurses module repeats the same figure (CDC/NIOSH Module 6, March 31, 2020). The NHS says do not exercise at least 4 hours before bed, while also putting exercise regularly during the day on its do list (NHS, 19 March 2024). NHLBI narrows it to the final hour and to hard sessions only, asking you to use the hour before bed for quiet time and to avoid intense exercise and bright artificial light (NHLBI, March 24, 2022). MedlinePlus gives no number and says only not to exercise too close to bedtime (MedlinePlus, December 9, 2025); CDC's sleep page and AASM say to exercise regularly and give no timing at all (CDC, May 15, 2024; AASM, August 2020).

Three hours is the figure with two independent US sources behind it (NIA, February 6, 2025; CDC/NIOSH, June 29, 2020). Four hours is one UK source (NHS, 19 March 2024). Whichever one you pick, the name goes with it.

One degree figure exists in the documents behind this page, and it belongs to CDC's National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health: have a comfortably cool room temperature, about 65 to 68 degrees Fahrenheit for most of us, and use covers (CDC/NIOSH, Improve Sleep science bulletin, June 29, 2020). That is a science bulletin written for workers during a stressful stretch, so calling it the recommended temperature would overstate what it is and who published it.

Every sleep body here says cool and stops. Keep the room at a comfortable, cool temperature (AASM, August 2020). Keeping your bedroom quiet, relaxing, and at a cool temperature (CDC, May 15, 2024). Keep your bedroom quiet, cool, and dark (NHLBI, March 24, 2022). Keep your bedroom cool, dark, and quiet (MedlinePlus, December 9, 2025). Keep the temperature not too hot or cold (NIA, February 6, 2025). The NHS leaves temperature out of its advice and names it as a cause instead, listing a room that's too hot or cold among the most common causes of insomnia (NHS, 19 March 2024).

Every list above leads with schedule consistency, and two of them anchor it to the morning. Get up at the same time every day, even on weekends or during vacations, and then set a bedtime that is early enough for you to get at least 7-8 hours of sleep (AASM, August 2020). Wake up and get out of bed at the same time every day, and only go to bed when you're sleepy (NHS, 19 March 2024). Follow a regular schedule by going to sleep and getting up at the same time each day, even on weekends or when traveling (NIA, February 6, 2025).

NHLBI is the only source here that puts a tolerance on the drift, asking you to keep the same sleep schedule on weeknights and weekends and to limit the difference to no more than about an hour (NHLBI, March 24, 2022). It also explains why the weekend catch-up backfires: sleeping more on days off might be a sign that you aren't getting enough sleep, and although extra sleep on days off might help you feel better, it can upset your body's sleep-wake rhythm (NHLBI, How Much Sleep Is Enough, March 24, 2022).

The NHS names the specific morning where the whole thing usually breaks. Do not sleep in after a bad night's sleep, and stick to your regular sleeping hours instead (NHS, 19 March 2024). AASM treats an irregular schedule as a cause rather than a bad habit, saying that pushing your bedtime too late, working night shift, being a night owl or having wide variance in your bedtime can cause insomnia (AASM, Insomnia, September 2020).

AASM publishes one increment, and it publishes it for the clock change rather than for a chronically late schedule. Gradually adjust your sleep and wake times by shifting your bedtime 15 to 20 minutes earlier each night for a few nights before the spring time change, or 15 to 20 minutes later each night for a few nights before the fall time change (AASM, Daylight Saving Time page). AASM attaches an exception right after: if you are experiencing chronic insufficient sleep, you should avoid shifting your bedtime later before the fall time change, and you will benefit from getting an extra hour of sleep on the night when you fall back to standard time (AASM).

The rest of that transition list is the closest thing to a published protocol here. Get at least seven hours of sleep for adults, or eight hours for teens, per night before and after the time change. Adjust other daily routines such as mealtimes to match your new schedule prior to the time change. Set your clocks to the new time on Saturday evening and go to bed at your normal bedtime. Use light and darkness to help your body adjust, heading outside for some sunlight on Sunday morning and dimming the lights in the evening in the spring, and minimizing light exposure until your target morning wake time in the fall (AASM, Daylight Saving Time page).

Light is the lever underneath all of that. Light and darkness are the most powerful timing cues for alertness and sleepiness in the human body, and our daily sleep/wake rhythm closely follows the 24-hour light/dark cycle (AASM). For a schedule that has drifted late, the theory is that exposure to bright light should occur shortly after waking up at the desired time in the morning, and then bright light in the evening hours should be avoided, though AASM hedges its own paragraph by noting that the specific use of bright light therapy for delayed sleep-wake phase has not been well validated (AASM, Delayed Sleep-Wake Phase, October 2020).

Nothing behind this page publishes an increment for repairing an ordinary late schedule, so the 15 to 20 minutes above is AASM's clock-change advice and stays labelled as that. The only pace figure for a full reset comes from jet lag, where it is estimated that it takes one day per time zone for your body clock to fully adjust to local time, and flying east is usually more difficult of an adjustment than westward travel (AASM, Jet Lag, August 2020).

AASM calls it a useful way to track your sleep at home, says a typical sleep diary covers a two-week period, and says it is most effective when you complete it daily (AASM, Sleep Diary, updated March 2021). NHLBI says it may be helpful to keep a sleep diary for 1 to 2 weeks before seeing your doctor (NHLBI, Insomnia Diagnosis, March 24, 2022). The NIA says to keep a sleep diary for a couple weeks (NIA, February 6, 2025). Two weeks is the length I run, because it is AASM's and it is the longest of the three.

What goes into it is nearly the same list everywhere. A sleep diary allows you to record when you went to bed, woke during the night, and woke in the morning, and you will track the time of day when you exercise, nap, or take a medication, and record the time when you have caffeine or alcohol (AASM, March 2021). NHLBI asks for when you go to sleep and wake up, naps, how sleepy you feel through the day, caffeine or alcohol, and exercise (NHLBI, March 24, 2022). The NIA asks you to note whether you had caffeine or alcohol and whether you exercised that day (NIA, February 6, 2025).

Two lines about what the diary is for belong on any page offering to keep one. This information will give your health care provider an overview of your sleep schedule, and it also may reveal other factors that are causing a sleep problem, such as drinking caffeine or taking naps late in the day (AASM, March 2021). You can share your completed sleep diary with your health care provider (AASM, March 2021). AASM also licenses a phone to do the writing, saying there are many apps and sleep trackers that have a sleep diary (AASM, March 2021).

AASM's own clinical practice guideline suggests that clinicians not use sleep hygiene as a single-component therapy for the treatment of chronic insomnia disorder in adults, graded conditional (AASM, Edinger et al., J Clin Sleep Med 2021). The same guideline recommends that clinicians use multicomponent cognitive behavioral therapy for insomnia for the treatment of chronic insomnia disorder in adults, and that one is graded strong (AASM, 2021). So everything above is one component of something larger, and by the guideline's own reading a habit list on its own is not a treatment for insomnia that has lasted three months.

The American College of Physicians drew the line five years earlier. ACP recommends that all adult patients receive cognitive behavioral therapy for insomnia as the initial treatment for chronic insomnia disorder, graded a strong recommendation on moderate-quality evidence (ACP, Qaseem et al., Ann Intern Med 2016). Medication sits behind it in that guideline, where clinicians are asked to use a shared decision-making approach, including a discussion of the benefits, harms, and costs of short-term use of medications, to decide whether to add pharmacological therapy in adults with chronic insomnia disorder in whom CBT-I alone was unsuccessful, graded a weak recommendation on low-quality evidence (ACP, 2016).

NHLBI gives it a shape you can plan around, calling CBT-I a 6- to 8-week treatment plan that is usually recommended as the first treatment option for long-term insomnia and can be very effective (NHLBI, Insomnia Treatment, March 24, 2022). It can be done by a doctor, nurse, or therapist, in person, by telephone, or online (NHLBI, March 24, 2022). AASM's consumer page puts the habits in their place inside it, saying sleep hygiene is an important part of cognitive behavioral therapy, the most effective long-term treatment for people with chronic insomnia (AASM, August 2020). About 10 percent of people have chronic insomnia (AASM, Insomnia, September 2020), and for them the answer is a clinician-delivered plan rather than a longer list.

I keep the diary from what you tell me or from what your device sends, and it holds the entries every source asks for: bed time, wakings in the night, wake time, naps, caffeine, alcohol, exercise, medication. I run it for two weeks, which is AASM's length (AASM, March 2021). I hold one consistent wake time on the calendar and text you at it, including on the morning after a bad night, because the NHS's instruction is to not sleep in after a bad night's sleep and to stick to your regular sleeping hours instead (NHS, 19 March 2024). I read the week back to you, which is what the diary is for, since it may reveal other factors that are causing a sleep problem such as drinking caffeine or taking naps late in the day (AASM, March 2021), and it is yours to hand over, because you can share your completed sleep diary with your health care provider (AASM, March 2021).

I never diagnose, I never set a sleep-restriction window, and I never describe any of this as treating insomnia. When the pattern in front of me matches the thresholds above, three months of trouble at three or more nights a week, gasping or choking noises at night, sleeping more than 8 hours a night and still not feeling rested, or sleepiness at the wheel, I say so and tell you to book someone.

No clinician reviewed this page. It restates the AASM, ACP, CDC, NIOSH, NHLBI, MedlinePlus, NIA and NHS documents linked below, and those are the documents to trust over anything here.