The Do's and Don'ts of a Good Night's Sleep

Most sleep problems don't require a prescription or a specialist. They require better habits. Small, consistent changes to your routine and environment make a real difference in how quickly you fall asleep, how long you stay asleep, and how rested you feel in the morning.

Here's a practical breakdown of what helps — and what hurts.

Napping

Don't: Take long naps or nap too close to your bedtime. A nap that runs 90 minutes in the late afternoon can steal hours of sleep at night — leaving you lying awake long past when you intended to be asleep.

Do: Keep naps short and early. The ideal window is 20–30 minutes, taken in the early afternoon (around 1–2 PM). This is enough to restore alertness without disrupting your overnight sleep pressure — the built-up tiredness that helps you fall asleep at night.

Winding Down Before Bed

Don't: Take a cold shower right before bed. Cold water is stimulating — it tightens muscles and raises alertness. Better for mornings.

Do: Take a warm shower or bath 60–90 minutes before bed. The warmth relaxes your muscles, and the drop in body temperature after you get out sends a biological signal to your brain that it's time to sleep. This is one of the most underrated sleep tips out there.

Don't: Bring work, arguments, or anything emotionally activating to bed. Stress raises cortisol — the alertness hormone — and keeps your brain in problem-solving mode when it should be winding down.

Do: Build a transition ritual between your day and sleep. It doesn't have to be elaborate: 10–15 minutes of light stretching, reading something undemanding, or writing down tomorrow's to-do list so it's out of your head. Consistency matters more than what you choose.

Don't: Scroll your phone or watch intense content right up until you turn off the light. Blue light from screens suppresses melatonin production, and stimulating content keeps your brain engaged when it needs to disengage.

Do: Cut screens 30–45 minutes before bed. This alone makes a noticeable difference for most people within a week. Use that window to read, journal, or just dim the lights and decompress.

Food and Drink

Don't: Drink caffeine after early afternoon. Caffeine has a half-life of roughly 5–6 hours — meaning half of a 2 PM coffee is still active at 7 PM. If you're a slow caffeine metabolizer, even a 12 PM coffee can affect your sleep quality.

Don't: Drink a lot of alcohol close to bedtime. Alcohol may help you fall asleep faster, but it fragments sleep in the second half of the night, reduces REM sleep, and often wakes you up hours later.

Do: Wind down with a warm, non-caffeinated drink if you need something. Chamomile tea, warm milk, or warm water with honey are all time-tested options that support relaxation without disrupting sleep chemistry.

Don't: Eat a heavy or spicy meal in the 2–3 hours before bed. Digestion is active work for your body — and lying down soon after a large meal can cause acid reflux and uncomfortable bloating that interferes with sleep.

Do: Keep evening eating light if you eat close to your bedtime. A small snack — a banana, a handful of nuts, whole grain crackers — is fine. You shouldn't go to bed hungry, but a full stomach is just as disruptive.

Your Sleep Environment

Don't: Use your bed as an office, dining table, or entertainment center. The more activities you associate with your bed, the weaker the mental connection between bed and sleep. Your brain stops automatically switching into sleep mode when you lie down.

Do: Reserve your bed for sleep (and sex). When your bed is exclusively associated with sleep, your brain begins to wind down automatically as soon as you're horizontal. It's a conditioned response — and it works.

Don't: Ignore your sleep environment. Temperature, light, sound, and your mattress all directly affect sleep quality. A room that's too warm, too bright, or too loud creates unnecessary obstacles to deep sleep.

Do: Set up your room for sleep success:

  • Temperature: Most people sleep best between 65–68°F. Cool is better than warm.
  • Light: Blackout curtains or a sleep mask help if you're a light sleeper. Even small LED indicator lights can disrupt sleep.
  • Sound: Earplugs, a white noise machine, or a fan can mask disruptive noise without adding stimulation.
  • Mattress: If you wake up with aches or never feel fully rested, your mattress may be overdue for a replacement. A supportive, comfortable sleep surface is the foundation everything else builds on.

Sleep Routine

Don't: Treat sleep as something you'll "catch up on" over the weekend. Sleep debt doesn't fully repay itself with a few extra hours on Saturday. Irregular sleep timing also disrupts your circadian rhythm, making it harder to fall asleep and wake up consistently.

Do: Keep a consistent sleep schedule — including weekends. Going to bed and waking up at the same time every day (within about 30 minutes) stabilizes your body clock and makes falling asleep and waking up easier over time. This is one of the highest-impact habits you can build.

When You Can't Fall Asleep

Don't: Lie awake in bed for more than 15–20 minutes. Staring at the ceiling and watching the clock creates a negative association — your bed starts to feel like a place of frustration instead of rest. This can compound over time into chronic insomnia.

Do: Get up and do something calm in low light. Read a physical book, do some light stretching, write in a journal. Return to bed when you feel genuinely sleepy — not before. This behavioral approach, called sleep restriction, is the foundation of cognitive behavioral therapy for insomnia (CBT-I), and it works.

Frequently Asked Questions

How long before bed should I stop using screens?

Ideally 30–45 minutes. Blue light from screens suppresses melatonin. If you use your phone close to bedtime, at minimum switch to night mode or use blue-light-blocking glasses.

Does a warm glass of milk actually help you sleep?

Possibly. Milk contains tryptophan, a precursor to melatonin, though the quantities are modest. More likely, the warm temperature and the habitual ritual signal your body to wind down. It's a low-risk, often effective option.

How important is the mattress in sleep quality?

Very. A mattress that's too firm, too soft, too hot, or simply worn out will undermine every other sleep habit you build. If you wake up stiff, sore, or unrested despite following good sleep hygiene, your mattress is worth looking at. Visit one of our LA Mattress Store showrooms for a hands-on assessment.

Is it normal to wake up in the middle of the night?

Brief awakenings between sleep cycles are normal and often not remembered. Waking up fully and struggling to fall back asleep is more concerning — and is often linked to stress, alcohol, sleep apnea, or an uncomfortable sleep environment.

How many hours of sleep do adults actually need?

Most adults function best with 7–9 hours. Individual variation exists, but consistently sleeping under 7 hours is associated with increased health risks. "I function fine on 5 hours" is often more adaptation than optimization.

What's the best sleeping position?

Side sleeping is generally recommended for spinal alignment and airway openness, especially for those with back pain or sleep apnea. Back sleeping is fine for most people. Stomach sleeping puts the most strain on the neck and lower back. Your mattress firmness should match your primary sleep position — our team can help you find the right fit.

Can a new mattress help with sleep problems?

It can — especially if your current mattress is more than 7–8 years old, has visible wear, or causes pain and discomfort. A properly supportive mattress that matches your sleep position and body type can make a real difference. LA Mattress Store offers a 120-night comfort guarantee so you can make sure the mattress is right before committing.

Sleep is the one thing you do every night of your life. It's worth getting right. Start with the habits above — and if your sleep environment needs an upgrade, come see us at any of our Los Angeles showroom locations.