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The better-sleep guide

Sleep is a skill, not luck. The right routine rebuilds it.

Insomnia is rarely about one bad night. It's a self-feeding loop: one poor night → worry about sleeping → higher arousal in bed → another poor night.

Cognitive behavioural therapy for insomnia (CBT-I) is the gold standard and outperforms sleeping pills in long-term studies. Its principle is simple: recondition the bed for sleep and lower night-time arousal.

7-9 hrs

sleep most adults need

70-80%

improve their insomnia with CBT-I

1°C

core temperature drop needed to initiate sleep

30 min

sleep-onset threshold used in diagnosis

Signs of chronic insomnia

  • Taking more than 30 minutes to fall asleep most nights
  • Frequent or early waking with no way back to sleep
  • Daytime fatigue and brain fog despite enough time in bed
  • Anxiety about sleep that builds as evening approaches
  • Relying on pills, alcohol or your phone to fall asleep

Five things that work

Wind-down routine

45 min

Dim the lights 45 minutes before bed, put screens away, and repeat the same sequence nightly.

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Body scan in bed

10 min

Move attention slowly from feet to head — it shifts the mind from thinking to sensing.

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Brain dump on paper

5 min

Write tomorrow's tasks and worries before bed so your brain stops rehearsing them.

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4-7-8 breathing

5 min

Eight cycles in bed; the long exhale activates the parasympathetic system.

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Sleep sounds & binaural

30 min

Pink noise or delta tones to mask the environment and stabilise sleep.

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The night protocol

  1. 1

    Fix your wake time

    Your wake time matters more than your bedtime — it anchors the circadian rhythm.

  2. 2

    Manage light

    Bright light in the morning, warm and dim at night. Blue light suppresses melatonin.

  3. 3

    Cool the room

    18-20°C helps your core temperature fall, which is what triggers sleep onset.

  4. 4

    If you're awake, get up

    After 20 minutes awake, do something calm in low light, then return to bed.

  5. 5

    Cut afternoon caffeine

    Caffeine's half-life is 5-6 hours — stop by early afternoon.

Frequently asked questions

How many nights until sleep improves?

With the protocol applied consistently, most people see meaningful improvement in 2-4 weeks.

Are naps bad?

Short naps (10-20 minutes) before mid-afternoon are fine. Long naps reduce night-time sleep pressure.

Does evening exercise ruin sleep?

Intense exercise within two hours of bed can interfere, but gentle stretching helps.

Should I take melatonin?

Talk to a clinician about supplements. Fix light, temperature and routine first — the effect is usually larger.

Try the wind-down tonight

A guided 15-minute path that prepares your body for sleep.

Start the wind-down

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This content is educational and does not replace professional diagnosis or treatment. If symptoms persist or intensify, speak to a clinician.