4 Ways to Improve Your Sleep in 1 Week
1. Worry more
Many people struggle with suppressing or postponing their stress, worries, and unresolved problems throughout the day. These mental burdens then resurface and become more intense just when they're trying to relax and fall asleep. If you often find a never-ending to-do list or a string of worries racing through your mind when you close your eyes at night, simply counting sheep won't be a lasting solution. Trying to force yourself to sleep often doesn't work and can make you feel more anxious about bedtime.
A more effective and surprisingly different approach is to deal with your worries proactively. While it might seem strange for a mental health professional to suggest more worrying, intentionally setting aside a specific time during your day to confront and process these concerns can greatly improve your ability to sleep well at night. More specifically, worry more at more efficient times of the day.
Try this strategy: keep a pen and paper by your bedside. If any bothering thoughts, anxieties, or tasks come to mind while you're trying to sleep—the very things your mind would usually stress about—just write them down. Then, set aside a specific 5-minute period each day (maybe in the late afternoon or early evening) to review this list and actively work on these problems. If you didn't write anything down, that's fine—use that time to make a list of other potential worries and address them. Once the five minutes are up, put the list away until the next day, and firmly decide not to worry about those specific items until your next "worry time." This structured approach helps to control and manage anxiety, preventing it from interfering with your valuable sleep hours.
2. Maintain a consistent sleep schedule
Your body naturally needs sleep, and this need is controlled by several biological factors. One main factor is your body's desire for sleep, which builds up the longer you're awake, pushing you to rest. This drive is important for keeping a balance between how much time you're awake and how much restorative sleep you need.
When your sleep schedule isn't consistent, this balance gets messed up, leading to various problems. Sometimes, an inconsistent schedule might not allow your body to build up enough sleepiness, making it hard to fall asleep. Other times, staying awake for too long because of a changing schedule can make you overwhelmingly tired. The key is to give your body a predictable rhythm, allowing its natural sleep-wake cycles to work best. This regularity will improve both the quality and quantity of your sleep.
3. Build a positive relationship with your bedroom
In today's busy world, many people sadly don't prioritize sleep when it comes to what they do in their bedrooms. When this important space, meant for rest, becomes a multi-purpose area—like an office, a movie theater, a daycare, or a place to deal with bills—your mind's connection to your bed changes, often for the worse.
While some life situations are unavoidable, and it's not always possible to follow this rule perfectly, it's important to try your best to make your bedroom a private, calming sanctuary. Its main uses should be only for sleep and intimate relations. For those in studio apartments or smaller homes where separate rooms aren't an option, creative solutions can make a big difference. Using things like carefully chosen lighting, soothing scents, or strategically placed curtains and room dividers can help separate your living area. This creates a clear mental and physical change between your waking activities and your dedicated sleep space. These efforts help you form a more positive mental connection with your bedroom, signaling to your brain that this is a place for rest and renewal.
A room with a bed to sleep in.
A room to work and watch movies in with a bed, desk, and TV.
4. Ask for help sooner rather than later
The close connection between sleep and mental well-being is clear and cyclical. Even minor sleep problems can quickly lead to big changes in mood and increased anxiety. This, in turn, often creates a harmful cycle where more mood problems and anxiety make existing sleep issues worse, making it even harder to get restful sleep. This tricky cycle highlights how important it is to get help early and make proactive changes to break free from the damaging effects of ongoing poor sleep.
Taking the important step of scheduling an appointment with a qualified sleep specialist is about much more than just getting a good night's sleep; it can deeply impact years of your life, leading to a significantly better overall quality of life. A complete sleep evaluation can help identify underlying sleep disorders, lifestyle factors, or medical conditions that might be causing your sleep problems. By dealing with these issues directly, you are not only investing in better physical health but also in clearer thinking, emotional strength, and overall energy. Taking this first step towards understanding and improving your sleep can be the start of a healthier, more fulfilling life, beginning today.