Sleepy time..zzz

• Sleeping Well When You’re a Light Sleeper: What Actually Helps Me

  
  

  I’ve always been a light sleeper. The kind of person who wakes up if someone breathes slightly louder than usual in the next room...almost. Over the years I’ve found a handful of simple habits that genuinely improve the quality of my sleep. They’re personal, not prescriptive, but many of them are backed by solid sleep science.

  
  

  Here’s what makes the biggest difference for me.

  
  

  1. Get outside early in the morning

  
  

  First thing in the morning, I go outside and soak up natural light, whatever the weather. There’s something beautiful about this ritual, but more importantly, morning light sets your circadian rhythm, releasing cortisol (which is a good thing in the morning) telling your brain: “This is daytime, we’ll sleep later.”

  It’s such a simple thing and sets the rhythm of my day.

  
  

  2. Honour your natural sleep rhythm

  
  

  I’ve learned to go to bed when I start to feel sleepy, not when the clock tells me to. If I miss that natural “sleep window,” I notice the difference — I fall asleep later and I get less deep, restorative sleep. So instead of pushing through tiredness to finish “just one more thing,” I’ve started respecting the rhythm my body already knows.

  
  
  
  

  3. No caffeine after midday (even if I think I can handle it)

  
  

  Caffeine has a quarter-life of around 10–12 hours, meaning even an afternoon cup can still be stimulating your nervous system at bedtime. When I stopped having caffeine after midday, I started getting noticeably deeper sleep. I still enjoy coffee (a lot) — I just enjoy it earlier.

  
  

  4. Keep the bedroom cool

  
  

  Optimal sleep happens in cooler temperatures, so I crack a window and use light bedding.

  
  

  5. Dim the lights in the evening

  
  

  Bright lights tell the brain daytime, especially overhead lighting and screens. I now keep the lighting low in the evening and, if I’m using screens after 10pm (which is rare), I will wear blue light blocking glasses. The research is mixed on whether they work, but at the very least, they reduce overall brightness and help me mentally wind down.

  
  
  
  

  6. If I wake in the night, I don’t fight it

  
  

  Sometimes I wake up and my brain starts narrating every thought I’ve ever had.

  Instead of spiraling, I put on binaural beats, calming music or a calm factual audiobook, and let myself drift. It usually takes me back into deep, restorative sleep without effort.

  
  

  Final Thoughts

  
  

  These habits aren’t complicated, but together they’ve changed how I sleep — and how I feel the next day. I used to think being a light sleeper was just something I had to live with. Now I realise I can support my sleep by supporting my body’s natural rhythms.

  
  

  For me, good sleep is not about perfection — it’s about consistency and kindness to myself .