Aligning behaviour with biology to support healthy sleep patterns
Your body has an internal rhythm that relies on light and darkness to know when to wind down. But this system can’t work in isolation, it needs your behavioural cues to function well.
Sleep hygiene isn’t just about what happens at bedtime, it’s about what happens in the hour leading up to it. A consistent wind-down routine helps signal to your nervous system that rest is approaching.
Try building your own routine with calming, repetitive tasks: dim the lights, reduce background noise, and engage in familiar rituals like showering, brushing your teeth, or preparing your space. Consistency helps the brain associate these cues with sleep readiness.
Set the Conditions for Sleep to Unfold
Your environment matters. A room that’s cool (around 18°C) gives your body the signal to begin its natural cooling process, a key step toward deeper sleep. If the room is too warm, the body diverts energy to manage temperature, making it harder to shift into rest.
Creating a clean, quiet, and calming space also reinforces the brain’s association between bedroom and recovery. Even small habits, like changing your pillowcase regularly, can help anchor that connection.
Break the Technology-Sleep Cycle
Devices are one of the biggest barriers to quality sleep. Light from screens interferes with the body’s natural melatonin release, while mental stimulation keeps the brain in problem-solving mode.
Over time, this conditions your brain to associate your bed with alertness, not rest.
To support better sleep hygiene:
- Avoid screens in bed
- Keep device brightness low and out of view
- Resist checking the time overnight, it trains the brain to stay alert
- If using a device, remain standing to help break the lying-down + screen association
These small shifts help reinforce the message: bed is for rest, not stimulation.
Offload Worry Before Bed
One of the most common sleep disruptors is worry, not just from stress, but from unresolved mental clutter.
In the hours before bed, write down anything on your mind. This simple act helps offload mental load and reduce the brain’s tendency to stay on high alert overnight. You’re not ignoring those thoughts, you’re postponing them with intention.
