When we think about improving sleep, familiar advice often comes to mind: avoid caffeine late in the day, limit screen time before bed, and get enough hours of sleep. These recommendations can help, but healthy sleep is about more than what happens at bedtime.

What we do throughout the day also influences how well we sleep at night. Our daily routines, physical activity, eating habits, and exposure to light all play a role. In turn, healthy sleep helps us feel and function better during the day.

At WSCN, we encourage everyone to Own All 24 Hours by recognizing that the choices we make during the day can support better sleep at night. The goal isn’t a perfect schedule, but finding routines that work for you. Even small changes can make a difference.

Here are ten evidence-based habits to help you sleep better and thrive throughout the day.

Good sleep starts long before bedtime. How you spend your waking hours helps shape your body’s natural rhythms and influences how well you sleep at night.

Building a healthy daily routine does not mean planning every hour. It means finding a balance between activity and rest, making time for social connections, and creating opportunities to recharge throughout the day.

Small changes can help. Spending more time outdoors, staying active, or making time for activities you enjoy can support your wellbeing and help prepare your body for a better night’s sleep.

The goal is to create a routine that works for your life, rather than trying to follow a perfect schedule.

Every morning offers a chance to set the tone for the day ahead. While we cannot control everything that happens to us, we can influence how we approach the day and respond to its challenges.

Some mornings are easier than others. After a poor night’s sleep, you might feel tired, frustrated, or tempted to write off the day before it has begun. Acknowledging how you feel while focusing on what you can do to make the day better can help shift your outlook.

A positive start doesn’t mean forcing yourself to feel cheerful. It might mean taking a moment to appreciate something good in your life, getting outside for some daylight, or making time for an activity you enjoy. Small choices like these can support your mood and help you approach the day with greater confidence.

And remember, an occasional bad night doesn’t have to define the next day. If poor sleep becomes a regular problem, look for patterns in your daily routines and consider seeking support. Better sleep and better days often go hand in hand.

What we eat and when we eat can influence how well we sleep. Regular meal times also help support our body’s internal clocks, which coordinate digestion and metabolism throughout the day.

Eating a large or heavy meal close to bedtime can make it harder to fall asleep or stay comfortable during the night. Fatty or spicy foods may also disrupt sleep, particularly for people who experience indigestion or acid reflux. When possible, try to finish larger meals a few hours before bedtime to give your body time to digest.

Going to bed hungry can also interfere with sleep. If you need something to eat in the evening, a light snack is generally fine. The goal is not to follow strict eating rules, but to find meal times and food choices that work for your body and daily routine.

Pay attention to how your eating habits affect your sleep. Small adjustments to meal timing or portion sizes may help you feel more comfortable at night and support better rest.

Caffeine can help us feel more alert, improve concentration, and get through periods of daytime tiredness. It works by blocking the effects of adenosine, a chemical that builds up while we are awake and helps create the pressure to sleep.

However, caffeine can stay in the body for several hours, meaning that an afternoon coffee may still affect your sleep that night. A systematic review found that caffeine consumption reduced total sleep time by an average of 45 minutes and made it harder to fall asleep.

Both the amount of caffeine and when you consume it make a difference. Research suggests that even a regular cup of coffee may affect sleep when consumed within about eight hours of bedtime. Larger or stronger drinks can contain considerably more caffeine, and individual sensitivity varies.

If you usually go to bed at 10 p.m., consider having your last coffee by early afternoon, or earlier if you are sensitive to caffeine. Remember that tea, energy drinks, and some soft drinks also contain caffeine.

If you regularly rely on caffeine to get through the afternoon, it may be worth looking at your sleep patterns. Caffeine can temporarily mask tiredness, but consuming it later in the day may contribute to a cycle of disrupted sleep and daytime fatigue.

Regular physical activity can improve sleep quality and help you feel better throughout the day. Good sleep also supports physical recovery and helps you get the most out of your exercise.

When you exercise can make a difference, particularly if your workouts are intense. A large study involving more than 14,000 physically active people found that strenuous exercise close to bedtime was associated with later sleep onset, shorter sleep duration, and poorer sleep quality.

However, this doesn’t mean you need to avoid evening exercise altogether. Gentle activity, such as walking or stretching, is generally fine before bed. If you enjoy vigorous workouts, try finishing them several hours before bedtime, especially if you notice they make it harder to fall asleep.

The best exercise routine is one that fits your life and supports both your daytime wellbeing and a good night’s sleep.

A short daytime nap can help you recharge, improve alertness, and lift your mood. Napping can be a healthy part of your daily routine, particularly when you need an extra boost of energy.

For many people, a nap of around 20 minutes is enough to feel refreshed without waking up groggy. Taking a nap earlier in the afternoon is also less likely to interfere with nighttime sleep. Longer or later naps can make it harder to fall asleep at your usual bedtime.

Pay attention to how naps affect you. If you wake feeling refreshed and still sleep well at night, there’s usually no reason to avoid them. However, if you suddenly need more naps than usual or regularly struggle to stay awake during the day, consider discussing this with a healthcare professional.

Going to bed and waking up at roughly the same time each day helps keep your body’s internal clock on track. A consistent routine makes it easier to fall asleep when you’re ready for bed and feel alert during the day.

Try to keep your sleep schedule reasonably steady, including on weekends. Your wake-up time is particularly helpful for maintaining a regular rhythm, especially when combined with morning daylight.

Of course, life doesn’t always follow a perfect schedule. Sleeping in occasionally is fine, and catching up on lost sleep can be helpful. The goal is to find a consistent pattern that works with your daily life, rather than following a rigid timetable.

As bedtime approaches, reducing bright light can help your body prepare for sleep. Try dimming overhead lights and switching to softer lighting during the last hour before bed. This supports the natural rise in melatonin, a hormone that helps signal when it’s time to sleep.

Digital devices can also make it harder to wind down. Beyond blue light, activities such as scrolling through social media or responding to work messages can keep your mind active.

You don’t need to avoid screens altogether. Lowering screen brightness, choosing calmer activities, and silencing notifications can help you relax and prevent interruptions during the night.

After a busy day, taking time to unwind can help you transition from daytime activity to restful sleep. A relaxing bedtime routine gives your mind and body a chance to slow down.

Find activities that help you relax, whether that’s taking a warm bath, listening to calming music, reading, or practicing meditation. Relaxation techniques such as progressive muscle relaxation, which involves gently tensing and releasing different muscle groups, can also help ease physical tension and quiet a busy mind.

Try to make your wind-down routine a regular part of your evening. Over time, familiar bedtime activities can become cues that help your body recognize when it’s time to sleep.

Your sleep environment can make a difference in how easily you fall asleep and stay asleep. The goal is to create a space that feels comfortable, quiet, and restful.

Choose a mattress, pillows, and bedding that suit your needs. Breathable fabrics can help prevent overheating, while reducing unwanted noise can limit nighttime disruptions. Earplugs or gentle background sounds may help if your surroundings are noisy.

Temperature also matters. A comfortably cool bedroom generally supports sleep, but there is no single ideal temperature for everyone. Experiment with bedding and room temperature to find what works best for you.

Small adjustments can make your bedroom a more welcoming place for restful sleep.