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Why do you need sleep?

To rest your mind. You relax and learn while you sleep.

To rest your body. Your body heals while you sleep so you can have good energy.

You feel health, calm and happy when you sleep well.

How much sleep do you need?

Most adults need 7-9 hours of sleep each night to stay healthy.

You should sleep long enough to feel rested when you get up.

Get to sleep

Tap to flip the cards.

alarm clock next to a bed

Keep a good routine

Go to bed at the same time every day.

Get up at the same time every day.

Do the same thing every day to get ready for bed. A visual schedule can remind you what to do.

person meditating and a journal laid out on bed

Relax at bedtime

Calming your mind and body helps you fall asleep. 

Ways to relax: deep breathing, progressive relaxation, guided meditation

woman sleeping in dark room with eye mask on

Set up your bedroom

Use your bed only for sleep.

Keep your bedroom dark. Blackout curtains can help.

Night lights are OK.

Keep your bedroom cool around 68 degrees.

Keep your bedroom quiet. Earplugs or white noise can help.

woman stretching in sunlight

Light

Get sunlight in the early morning.

Turn down lights in the house 1 hour before bed.

Avoid screens for 1 hour before bed.

picture of colorful fruits and vegetables

Eat and Drink Well

Do not eat for 2 hours before bed. Food in your stomach makes it hard to sleep.

Eat healthy foods like fruits and vegetables. Sugar and sweet foods keep your body awake.

No caffeine or alcohol for at least 6 hours before bed. Caffeine keeps your body awake. Alcohol disturbs sleep. A small glass of warm milk or sleepytime tea can help. Drink lots of water during the day.

boy using weight in hand with assistance of caregiver

Exercise

Working the body helps the mind rest! 

See the Be Active page on this site for more ideas!

Stay Asleep

woman doing yoga

Manage Stress

If worries wake you, make a worry journal or worry diagram. You can get worries out of your mind to let your mind rest.

Visit Manage Stress page

cup of coffee on a desk

Daytime Routine

Go to bed and get up at the same time every day. Get 30 minutes of sunlight in the early morning. Limit naps and keep them to 20-30 minutes. Nap before 3pm so it is not too close to bedtime.

bowl of sweet potatoes, leafy greens, grains, avocado and onion

Eat a healthy diet

Visit our pages Eat Healthy and Hydrate for more ways to add healthy eating and drinking habits in your day.

Visit Eat Healthy page

  • Go to bed and get up at the same time every day. 
  • Start your morning with sunshine.
  • Use this visual schedule as an example of creating a bedtime routine: Healthy Habits Sleep Hygiene