A proper night’s sleep can be hard to find, but good sleep hygiene habits can go a long way to giving you a restful night.

Sleep is one thing we all need; it’s the foundation of everything we do. Yet sometimes it’s the one thing we can’t get, no matter how hard we try. We can go through seasons of life when we struggle to sleep, especially when there are small children in the house or when we are unwell. There can also be temporary disruptions to sleep due to stress or hormonal changes. Sometimes, it can seem as though we might never get a good night’s sleep again. There are things that we can do to support our sleep, and by creating good habits, we are more likely to get the most out of the sleep we do have.

So what is sleep, and what does it do for us?

Sleep has several stages, including NREM and REM. NREM sleep has 3 stages, each with distinct brain wave patterns and characteristics. Rapid eye movements and vivid dreaming characterise the REM stage of sleep. Although scientists don’t know the full extent of what happens when we sleep, it is vital to our bodies because it allows them to regenerate. Sleep plays a role in allowing our brains to store memories, regenerate tissues, and support cognitive function. We need sleep to help us regulate our mood, emotions, and overall wellbeing.

Consistent Sleep and Wake Time

One of the best ways to support your sleep is to maintain a consistent sleep-wake time. Try going to bed and getting up around the same time, even on weekends. It trains your body when to expect rest, and this consistent pattern has positive implications for mood, sleep and even heart health.

Why Does It Work?

Having a consistent wake time is key to setting your circadian rhythm (body clock). This consistency sets biological processes in motion, including the timing of when your body releases cortisol, the hormone that signals your body it’s time to be awake and alert, and the timing of melatonin production in the evening to prepare for sleep.

Cut The Caffeine

If you’re having trouble sleeping, an automatic reaction is to increase caffeine intake during the day to help you stay awake, which can create a vicious cycle. You don’t sleep, so you reach for caffeine, which can, in turn, affect your sleep. Caffeine makes it harder to fall asleep, leading to lighter sleep, and causes you to need the toilet more during the night. When considering our overall caffeine consumption, we need to recognise that it is a stimulant found in foods like chocolate and in many drinks, such as tea, coffee, and cola. Controlling your caffeine intake can significantly improve your sleep.

Why Does It Work?

It is important to note that not everyone responds to caffeine the same way. Some people are more sensitive to caffeine than others, while I have found I have a lower tolerance for caffeine as I age. One way caffeine works in our brains is by blocking adenosine receptors. Adenosine is a chemical that builds up in our brains while we are awake; the more we have, the sleepier we feel. When caffeine blocks the receptors, it can be one of the factors that disrupts sleep, so reducing caffeine allows the natural process to continue. Limiting my coffee intake to two cups a day and not drinking coffee after 12pm has significantly improved my ability to fall asleep and stay asleep.

Ban Bed Rotting

Have you heard the term bed rotting? It refers to the tendency to stay in bed for long periods while awake, binging on Netflix, scrolling on devices, or reading to relax or avoid stress. Bed rotting as a one-off is not necessarily bad, but it can become habitual. Using our bed for things other than sleeping (and intimacy) can affect sleep. If you are struggling to sleep, make it a habit to only use your bed for sleeping and not treat it like a couch. If you are lying awake at night, get out of bed, sit in a darkened room and read until you feel sleepy and then go back to bed.

Why Does it Work?

When we have trouble sleeping, our brain starts to associate the bed with being awake. We can start to link it with anxiety around sleep or with stress. When we start using it as a place to hang out and watch movies or scroll, we add to that association, and before we know it, bed is for everything except sleep. Using your bed only for sleep starts to retrain your brain to see the bed as a place for rest and sleep.

Sleep is a really important part of our overall health and wellbeing, and extensive research is being conducted on the many ways it helps us. If you are struggling with sleep for an extended period and have no explanation for it, it’s worth getting some help. There are a number of specialists who can help with sleep issues, including GPs, psychologists, and naturopaths.

These are just some ways you can support your sleep. Sleep is the foundation on which everything else is built; small changes and good sleep routines can make all the difference.

Article supplied with thanks to Lorrene McClymont.

About the Author: Lorrene McClymont is a writer and photographer from Hope Images. On her blog ‘Moments to Rest’, she shares about rest, faith, and family.

Feature image: Canva

Most of us think of sleep as something we “decide” to do — we go to bed, close our eyes, and hope sleep arrives.

But biologically, sleep is less about choice and more about pressure. Sleep pressure is your body’s natural drive to sleep. Understanding this can explain why sometimes you drift off easily and on others you lie awake.

In a previous post, we discussed “Sleep Hygiene” so today we’ll explore what sleep pressure is, how it builds and fades, and habits that influence it. 

What is sleep pressure? 

Sleep pressure is your body’s internal “sleep hunger.”

From the moment you wake up, chemicals begin building in your brain — most notably adenosine. The longer you’re awake, the more adenosine accumulates, increasing your drive to sleep. By evening, sleep pressure is usually strong enough to help you sleep.

When you go to sleep, your body clears adenosine away. By morning, your sleep pressure is low again, and the cycle begins again! 

This helps explain why, for example:

Waking up early can make falling asleep easier the following night- longer time for sleep pressure to build up. 

A full night’s sleep helps you feel refreshed-  because sleep pressure resets

What Decreases Sleep Pressure? 

Although sleep pressure builds throughout the day, certain habits can reduce it or interfere with how it works. Here are a few of the most common:

1. Naps

Napping can be a double-edged sword.

Short naps (10–20 minutes) may be refreshing, but any sleep — even brief — lowers sleep pressure. If you nap late in the day or nap for too long, you’re essentially “snacking” on sleep, which may leave you lying awake at bedtime with insufficient pressure to push you into slumber.

2. Caffeine

Caffeine doesn’t remove sleep pressure — it blocks your brain’s ability to detect adenosine. Think of caffeine like a hand placed firmly over your sleep pressure gauge. The adenosine is still there, but you don’t feel it until the caffeine wears off. That’s why a late-afternoon coffee can leave you wired at night, even if you drink it “all the time” and feel used to it.

3. Screen Time

Screens don’t directly reduce sleep pressure, but they can disrupt its partnership with your body clock, also known as the circadian rhythm.

Bright light (especially blue light) signals to your brain that it’s daytime, slowing down the natural evening wind-down. Mentally stimulating content — scrolling, gaming, intense shows — also keeps your brain “awake,” making it harder for sleep pressure to take the lead.

How to work for your sleep drive?

1. Wake up at the same time every day

This helps anchor your circadian rhythm and allows sleep pressure to build predictably throughout the day.

2. Get light exposure in the morning

Natural light is a powerful signal to your internal clock, helping stabilise the sleep-wake cycle.

3. Keep naps early and short

If you nap, aim for before 2pm and stick to 10–20 minutes.

4. Watch your caffeine timing

Try to avoid caffeine after the early afternoon. Let your sleep pressure build without interference.

5. Create a wind-down routine

A consistent, calming ritual helps your brain shift gears, allowing sleep pressure and your circadian rhythm to work together rather than compete with stimulation and stress.

6. Practice acceptance when sleep doesn’t come easily

Instead of “trying” to sleep, try focusing on restfulness — gentle breathing, a soothing activity, or simply lying quietly. This reduces mental arousal and allows sleep pressure to do its job naturally when it comes.

Article supplied with thanks to The Centre for Effective Living.

Feature image: Canva

Australians love their pets, but sleeping with them could be stealing hours of precious rest every year.

According to a recent survey, one in five Aussies (22%) let a pet sleep in their bed. Of those, 92% are woken at least once a week, and nearly a third are disturbed several times a week. For some, it’s every night. That adds up to an average of 1.3 hours of lost sleep per week or almost 70 hours a year.

“They take over the bed”

Sleep expert Amanda Slinger, admits she’s experienced it herself. “Whenever they are in the bed with us, they take over. We never get the sleep we’d like.”

Pets can wake owners by moving, licking, barking, meowing or simply generating extra heat under the covers. And while these disturbances may not always wake us fully, Amanda warns they can still disrupt deep sleep cycles.

Why lost sleep matters

Even small disturbances can have a ripple effect. “Sleep affects everything, emotional resilience, decision-making, reaction time, even how you communicate,” Amanda explains. “When I haven’t slept well, I’m grumpy and I don’t want to see anyone.”

The upside of sharing your bed

It’s not all bad news. Many people find comfort and reduced anxiety when their pet is close by.

“Sometimes I’ll grab one of my cats for a cuddle to help me get back to sleep,” Amanda says. “They can be hugely comforting.”

The survey also revealed women are more likely than men to share their bed with a pet (27% compared to 16%.) For some, especially those living alone, the presence of a pet offers an extra sense of security.

Tips for better rest with pets

Amanda says the choice to share your bed is personal, but awareness is key. Track your sleep with a wearable device, or simply notice how you feel in the morning. If you’re constantly tired, consider alternatives such as:

• Letting pets join only in the morning for cuddles
• Providing them with a cosy bed nearby
• Creating a calming bedtime routine

And if you do wake during the night, Amanda recommends having a “toolbox” of relaxation aids like a quiet podcast or soft music at low volume to help you drift back off.

Morning habits matter most

Amanda stresses that the best way to protect your sleep isn’t just about bedtime, it starts in the morning.

“Your morning routine is the most important for setting your body clock,” she says.

Her top two “morning anchors” are:

Get sunlight for 15–20 minutes, even on cloudy days.

Wake up at the same time every day, including weekends.

If you need extra rest, try a short afternoon nap instead of sleeping in.

The Takeaway

Sharing your bed with a pet can be comforting, but it may be quietly costing you dozens of hours of rest each year. The key is knowing whether the benefits outweigh the sleep disruptions, and adjusting your habits to get the best of both worlds.

Article supplied with thanks to Sonshine.

Feature image: Canva

Sleep hygiene is a term that I hear thrown around regularly. But what is sleep hygiene, and what are four elements that support sleep?

Sleep hygiene refers to good sleep practices that protect sleep and support overall nighttime rest. There are a variety of tools that can support your sleep — these tips are just some examples that can support you in your sleep wellbeing.

Four Sleep Hygiene Tips that support sleep: 

1. Keeping your bed for sleep

Your bed should be a place your body associates with rest and sleep, not with wakeful activities. If you’re watching TV, scrolling your phone, or even studying in bed, your brain stops linking it to sleep. Over time, try reserving your bed for sleep.

2. Have a routine

Having a consistent routine signals to your body that it’s time to get ready to sleep. Going to bed and waking up at the same time each day helps regulate your internal body clock. A familiar evening ritual, like reading or a warm shower, can prepare your mind and body for sleep.

3. Stop eating before bed 

Eating late at night can activate your digestive system and make it harder for your body to relax. Heavy or rich foods especially can disrupt your ability to fall or stay asleep. Try to have your last meal or snack at least an hour before you go to bed.

4. Avoid (unnecessary) drug intake

Some substances, like caffeine, nicotine, or alcohol, can interfere with your sleep cycle. Additionally, medications and supplements can impact sleep, depending on when they’re taken. It’s helpful to review what you’re consuming in the hours leading up to sleep, perhaps with help from your GP, and consider anything that isn’t essential.

The Role of Acceptance

I used to love youth camps — except for one thing, I couldn’t get to sleep. I would lie down, be tired, and then think about how I couldn’t get to sleep on youth camps. I would blame the snoring of a friend, the discomfort of the bed, the light from the bathroom… but I couldn’t seem to get my thoughts to focus on anything other than trying to get to sleep.

After a few camps, I decided to accept that I wouldn’t get a good sleep at youth camps. I put my earphones in, focused on the music and accepted that I wasn’t going to sleep well that night. Somehow, I fell asleep much earlier.

If sleep hygiene practical tips don’t seem to support sleep for you; consider the worry and anxiety that may be keeping you awake. 

Article supplied with thanks to The Centre for Effective Living.

Feature image: Canva