How to sleep better and beat insomnia

Struggling to get to sleep or sleep through the night? 

You're not alone – around one third of adults in western countries experience sleep problems at least once a week, says the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (Nice), with up to one in 10 plagued by chronic insomnia. This is defined as difficulty getting to, or staying, asleep most nights for four weeks or more.

We asked Professor Guy Leschziner, professor of neurology and sleep medicine at Guy's Hospital Sleep Disorders Centre, and author of The Secret World of Sleep, about the science behind getting a better kip.

Get the lowdown on the best free ways to improve your sleep habits, and which sleep aids are worth spending money on.

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Why can’t I sleep?

Many factors can hamper your ability to get a good night's sleep, and biological and psychological influences are both at play.

Professor Leschziner says: 'Daytime stress causes physical and psychological “activation”, or disruption, which will make sleep more difficult, or of a poorer quality.' 

Over time, positive conditioned responses (such as, 'Bed is a restful place') may get displaced by negative ones (such as, 'Bed is somewhere I now associate with not being able to sleep'), creating a vicious cycle.

6 tips to help you sleep better

In most instances, disturbed sleep can be helped by addressing your sleep hygiene and establishing good practices. These include:

1. ‘Sleep less to sleep more’

This is a technique to improve poor sleep patterns. It might sound counterintuitive, but Professor Leschziner told us: 'Depriving yourself of sleep can enable your brain to re-establish a proper sleep schedule.'

Note down how much time you actually spend asleep on a typical night – as opposed to tossing and turning – then allow yourself to sleep for this amount of time plus 30 minutes.

For example, if you are trying to sleep for eight hours but only managing five, spend five and a half hours in bed, based on the time you want to get up and altering your bedtime accordingly. Then gradually increase it once you're spending the majority of time in bed sleeping.

If you have a smartwatch or fitness tracker, the sleep tracking function may help you to understand aspects of your sleep patterns. However, Professor Leschziner suggests using them with caution, as the information can sometimes be inaccurate and could even fuel your anxiety, causing further sleep issues.

Beware the nap

Professor Russell Foster, professor of circadian neuroscience at the University of Oxford, also advises limiting daytime naps to 20 minutes and avoiding napping in the six hours before bedtime. 

Lengthy naps, or those too close to bedtime, could worsen insomnia issues.

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2. Get your bedroom temperature right

Our body temperature drops by a couple of degrees when we sleep, to help conserve energy for vital functions such as breathing.

A 2012 study reported in the Journal of Physiological Anthropology, found that room temperature is one of the most important factors when it comes to achieving good-quality sleep.

If your bedroom is too cold (below about 12°C), it can be difficult to drop off, and if it's too hot (24°C or above) this can lead to restless sleep. Aim for a room temperature of 16-18°C.

An air conditioner, fan or heater can help you to manage your bedroom temperature depending on the season, but bear in mind you shouldn't leave them on at night. 

Low-tech options are worth trying first, and won't incur running costs.

Your choice of bedding material and nightwear will also impact your night-time comfort. Bed socks can make a big difference on chilly nights, and if you struggle with temperature regulation, look for materials that have beneficial qualities, such as those that are moisture wicking and breathable.

For the best and quietest temperature control gadgets, see our guides to the best air conditioners, best electric fans and best cheap electric heaters.

3. Pick the right mattress and pillow

A 2021 Italian Journal of Trauma and Orthopedics literature review on sleep quality and back pain found that a medium-firm mattress helps with sleep quality, comfort and keeping the spine in the best position.

The type of mattress also matters. When we surveyed Which? members, those with an open-coil mattress were less likely to say it helped them get a good night's sleep than those with other types of mattress.

When you're trying out a mattress with a view to buying, lie on each for 5-10 minutes, and try turning on them as well to see how comfortable they feel.

If you sleep with a partner, bear in mind any differences in weight and size between you both, as this affects what type of mattress will suit you best.

And don't neglect your pillows, which also have an impact. A memory foam pillow is a great option if you get neck pain, as it contours to your body. Discover the best-rated options in our guide to the best pillows.

Best mattresses 2023: our top picks based on rigorous lab tests and expert choosing advice

4. Get outside in the morning – and off your phone at night

If you're not sleeping properly, spending at least 30 minutes in natural light in the morning can help reset your body clock so you can get to sleep more easily at bedtime.

Daylight is typically around 10,000 lux (the measure of light intensity), while bright office lighting generally measures less than 500 lux, which is why daylight is so powerful at helping to reset the sleep-wake cycle.

Multiple studies have also found that the blue light emitted by many tech devices, including smartphones and laptops, contributes to poor sleep and excessive daytime sleepiness.

So stop using your screens at least an hour before bedtime, even if they are in night mode, to avoid brain overstimulation preventing good sleep.

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5. Take a warm bath or shower

It might not appeal so much in the summer months, but a 2019 study published in the journal Sleep Medicine Reviews, found that having a warm bath or shower an hour or two before bedtime improved both the quality of your sleep and the efficiency – that is, the time spent asleep when you're in bed.

It also reduced the amount of time it took to drop off to sleep by an average of 10 minutes.

During the night our temperature drops and this aids better sleep. Although it sounds counterintuitive, warming up before you go to bed by immersing yourself in warm or hot water helps.

It does this because when you are in warm water, heat from the body's core is redistributed to your skin and extremities via the blood, where it can disperse more easily.

If you are too hot and want to cool down before bed, this is why a lukewarm shower is actually more effective than a cold one.

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6. Try a sleep app

If improving your sleep hygiene doesn't seem to work, you could try one of many online self-help apps that offer cognitive behavioural therapy for insomnia (CBT-I) – in some cases, these work even better than face-to-face therapy.

Research carried out in 2020 by the Oxford Academic Health Science Network found that Sleepio, a six-week digital treatment, helped people with insomnia gain almost six extra hours' sleep a week, as well as reducing the intake of sleeping pills, time off sick and the number of GP visits.

CBT-I helps you to identify thoughts and behaviours that are causing your sleep problems and replace them with more constructive ones to promote healthy sleep through better habits.

Ask your GP about CBT-I, as you may be able to get Sleepio or Sleepstation for free on the NHS; both are accredited by Nice.

Why is it so hard to get a GP appointment? We look into what's gone wrong and how to get help when you need it

Do sleep aids such as lavender sprays, magnesium and melatonin work?

The evidence for the effectiveness of sleep aids such as lavender or magnesium sprays and other herbal aids such as CBD oil, is scant, so you're better off sorting out your sleep habits first before turning to extras such as supplements or sprays.

If you're still struggling, it's worth talking to your GP about other options, and to rule out anything else that might be contributing to the issue.

Sleep sprays

Sleep sprays typically include lavender oil along with other botanicals such as chamomile.

There is some research about the effectiveness of lavender essential oil in improving sleep quality. However, there aren’t any specific studies about pillow sprays, room mists, aromatherapy diffusers or rollerball aromatherapy applications benefitting sleep.

Professor Leschziner says the benefit may come from involving them in a sleep ritual that helps you to prepare for a good night's kip.

They typically cost £6-£35, though some are even pricier. Boots and Superdrug, have a wide selection and you'll also find options at most supermarkets. 

The cheapest we found was the Derma V10 lavender spray at Wilko, for £1.50 for 30ml.

Magnesium

2021 research reported in the journal BMC Complementary Medicine and Therapies shows there is limited evidence to support magnesium supplements as a sleep aid and it's not robust enough to suggest any 'well-informed recommendations'. 

Professor Leschziner says: 'There is some suggestion that magnesium may help with sleep in people who have restless leg syndrome, but it's anecdotal evidence only.'

The same study also suggests that because oral magnesium is very cheap and widely available, adults with insomnia might like to try it (in quantities of less than 1g three times per day) to see if it helps.

The cheapest tablets we found were 6p per tablet, own-brand versions available at Tesco and Boots. 

You can also get topical magnesium sprays and lotions, such as the Better You Magnesium Sleep Spray, currently cheapest at Amazon (£8.33).

CBD

Cannabinoids like CBD have become trendy in the past few years and some people swear they can help you sleep.

However, Professor Leschziner says: 'The jury is still out on the long-term consequences of it as an aid for sleep. There is more research to be done.'

A 2020 meta-study revealed that existing research into its use for insomnia was insufficient and further high-quality trials were needed before any conclusions could be drawn about their use for aiding a better night's sleep.

Melatonin

This hormone plays a key role in regulating sleep and can be taken as a supplement, but it can't be bought over the counter in the UK. Some people may qualify for it on the NHS, though typically for short-term use – see the full NHS melatonin guide).

Professor Leschziner says: 'It's been demonstrated that melatonin can be helpful in terms of the time it takes to get to sleep and the quality of that sleep, but the long-term effects aren't fully understood.'

Overall, trying simple routine and sleep hygiene changes is likely to be the best (and cheapest!) place to start.

*Originally published in April 2022, but checked and updated for May 2023