The Sleep-Deep Cheat sheet – beat insomnia and fall asleep easy.

Are you dreading bedtime? Every night lying in for hours counting the sheep and doze off minutes before your alarm?

This cheat sheet will give you all you need to get out of this and fall asleep with no hassle.

1.  Morning Habits for better sleep at night

☀️ Get Morning Sunlight: get 10 - 15 minutes of natural light within 30 minutes of waking. This can be a morning walk or sitting in the garden with no glasses or contact lenses. Remember to cover your head in hot summer days!

🏃‍♂️ Exercise in the morning: moderate daytime exercise helps sleep; avoid intense workouts late evening.

2.  Daytime: Manage Stress to sleep easy at night.

🧠 Daytime mindfulness: allowing yourself rest breaks from intense activities lower stress and cortisol level and create easier sleep onset at night.

🧘‍♀️Practice deep breathing to lower stress: take slow deep breath, breathe in for 5 seconds. Hold for 4 seconds and slowly breathe out for 5 seconds. Repeat 6 times. Practice this exercise 3 times daily or as needed during high stress periods.

3.  Bedroom Environment (Make it a Sleep Sanctuary).

🌡️ Cool environment with ideal sleep temperature: 18–19°C (60–67°F).

🌚 Total darkness. Use blackout curtains and sleep mask to create dark room and favour sleep.

🔇 Make the room quiet. Use white or pink noise machines if needed. Earplugs can help with noise sensitivity.

🛏️ Comfortable Bed. Invest in a good mattress and breathable, natural-fibre (cotton) bedding. Replace old pillows every 1–2 years.

📴 No electronic devices in the bedroom at night. Keep phones/tablets out of the bedroom or in airplane mode. Move your wi-fi router to different room where possible. Use a traditional alarm clock if needed.

4.  Evening Routine (2–3 Hours Before Bed) for deeper sleep.

🕒 Dim lights after sunset (reduce blue/white light). Avoid stimulating activities like intense exercise, news, or work. Set a consistent “wind-down” alarm to signal bedtime prep.

📴 No electronic devices for 2 hours before bedtime. Dim the lights in the room and use blue light blocking glasses to allow your body to unwind and prepare for sleep.

📅 Create a Consistent Sleep Schedule. Go to bed and wake at the same time daily — even on weekends. This creates a routine and gets your body used to certain bedtime, for easier falling asleep.

✅ Relaxing Rituals

Take a warm bath or shower in the evening.

Read a physical book (not on screen).

Gentle yoga or light stretching in the evening.

🪷 Gratitude or Positivity Journaling. Dedicate 30 minutes every evening to write your thoughts, keep a journal of the past day or write your gratitude for positive things which happened earlier on the day. It reduces bedtime rumination and calms the nervous system.

🧘 Meditation / Breathwork before bed.

When lying in bed 5–10 minutes of box breathing 6 seconds breathe in, hold for 5 seconds and breathe out slowly for 5 seconds.

Try guided sleep meditations (apps like Insight Timer, Calm) before bed.

📿 Progressive Muscle Relaxation technique helps to relax and unwind. Start with toes and gradually moving up, slowly tense and relax muscle groups.

5.     Nutrition & Lifestyle Tips.

🕗 Finish your last meal at least 2–3 hours before bed. Late eating will disrupt your sleep as your body will be busy digesting food.

☕ Avoid caffeine after 2pm (make it 12pm if you are slow metaboliser and caffeine impacts you longer). Watch for hidden caffeine sources: chocolate, green tea, some medications.

🍷 Avoid alcohol within 3 hours of bedtime — it fragments sleep.

💧 Hydration Balance. Keep hydrated during the day, don’t overhydrate in the evening. Limit liquids 1 hour before bed to reduce night wakings.

🍒 Sleep-Friendly Foods: tryptophan & magnesium foods like turkey, oats, almonds, bananas, chamomile tea. Tart cherry juice (natural melatonin booster) – 1 small glass in evening.

Bonus:  ⚠️ Sleep Disruptors to Watch Out For:

🚫 Overexposure to artificial light at night.

🚫 Irregular meal or bedtime routines.

🚫 Overuse of stimulants (caffeine, alcohol, nicotine).

🚫 Late-night scrolling or binge-watching.

🚫 Unmanaged stress or anxiety.