Getting better sleep doesn't always require a complete overhaul of your routine. Sometimes, the smallest changes can make the biggest difference.

Whether you're a parent squeezing sleep in between a busy family schedule, a night shift worker sleeping during the day, or simply someone who has trouble winding down at night, creating the right conditions for sleep can help you make the most of the hours you have.

The goal isn't a perfect sleep routine. It's finding simple, realistic habits that make it easier for your body and mind to rest.

Here are five small changes you can make to support better sleep.

1. Make Your Sleep Space Dark

One of the simplest ways to create a more sleep-friendly environment is to reduce the amount of light in your bedroom.

Light helps regulate your body's internal clock, which means exposure to light during your intended sleep period can make it harder for your brain to recognize that it's time to rest. A dark bedroom can be especially helpful when your sleep schedule doesn't follow the typical nighttime hours.

Try using the Otterspace blackout blinds and curtains to block outside light, especially if your bedroom gets morning sunlight, streetlights, or other sources of unwanted brightness.

You can also:

• Turn off or cover bright electronics.
• Keep hallway and bathroom lights low at night.
• Close doors to rooms with bright lights.

If you're sleeping during the day, making your room as dark as possible can be particularly helpful.

Small change to try: Take a look around your bedroom before your next sleep period. What sources of light could you eliminate or reduce?

2. Create a Simple Wind-Down Routine

Your body may be ready for sleep, but your brain doesn't always get the message immediately.

A short 30 minute wind-down routine can help create a transition between being active and being ready for sleep. It doesn't need to take an hour or involve an elaborate nighttime ritual.

Try choosing a few calming activities that you can repeat before bed, such as:

• Taking a warm shower or bath
• Reading a book
• Stretching
• Listening to calming music
• Dimming the lights
• Putting your phone away
• Turn on white noise

The key is consistency. Over time, repeating the same calming activities before sleep can help create a familiar signal that it's time to slow down.

And remember: "bedtime" doesn't have to happen at a certain hour. Your wind-down routine should happen before your sleep period, whether that's 10 p.m., 2 a.m., or 9 a.m.

Small change to try: Pick three relaxing activities and make them part of your regular pre-sleep routine.

3. Protect Your Sleep Window

Life is busy, and sleep is often the first thing to get pushed aside.

There is always another load of laundry, another email, another household task, another episode, or something else that feels like it needs to get done.

The amount of sleep we need changes throughout our lives. The American Academy of Sleep Medicine recommends that adults get seven or more hours of sleep per night on a regular basis, while babies and children need significantly more sleep as their bodies and brains develop.

• Infants 4–12 months: 12–16 hours per 24 hours, including naps
• Toddlers 1–2 years: 11–14 hours, including naps
• Preschoolers 3–5 years: 10–13 hours, including naps
• Children 6–12 years: 9–12 hours
• Teenagers 13–18 years: 8–10 hours

These are general recommendations, and individual sleep needs can vary. What matters most is creating healthy, consistent opportunities for sleep and paying attention to how you feel and function during the day.

Instead of treating sleep as whatever time is left over at the end of the day, try thinking of it as a time that deserves protection.

If possible:

• Set a consistent sleep window.
• Let the people you live with know when you're sleeping.
• Silence unnecessary notifications.
• Avoid scheduling nonessential tasks during your usual sleep time.
• Give yourself enough time in bed to get the amount of sleep you need.

This can be especially important when your sleep schedule doesn't match the people around you. Your sleep window is still important, even if everyone else is awake.

Small change to try: Put your sleep time on your mental calendar the same way you would any other important commitment.

4. Pay Attention to What You Drink, and When

That afternoon coffee or late-night energy drink can feel like exactly what you need to get through a busy day or long shift.

But caffeine can stay in your system for several hours and may make it harder to fall asleep when your sleep period arrives.

That doesn't necessarily mean you have to give up caffeine completely. Instead, pay attention to timing.

If you notice that you're having trouble falling asleep, try moving your last caffeinated drink earlier and see whether it makes a difference.

Also remember that caffeine isn't the only thing worth considering. Large meals, alcohol, and excessive fluids close to bedtime may also affect sleep for some people.

Small change to try: Keep track of when you have your last caffeinated drink for a few days and compare it with how easily you fall asleep.

5. Make Your Bedroom Work for Sleep

Your bedroom should make it easier, not harder, to rest.

Think about the four basics:

Dark. Quiet. Cool. Comfortable.

That can mean different things for different people. Maybe outside traffic is keeping you awake. Maybe your room gets too warm, over 68-72 degrees. Maybe sunlight wakes you earlier than you'd like. Maybe your phone constantly lights up with notifications.

You don't have to fix everything at once.

Start by identifying the one thing in your environment that is most likely to disrupt your sleep and address that first.

For example:

• Use blackout curtains to reduce unwanted light leakage.
• Try white noise if sound is disruptive.
• Adjust the room temperature.
• Keep your bed comfortable and inviting.
• Silence unnecessary notifications.
• Keep work and other stimulating activities outside of your sleep space when possible.

A few environmental changes can make your sleep space feel noticeably more restful without requiring a major lifestyle change.

Small change to try: Before your next sleep period, ask yourself: What is one thing in this room that could be making it harder for me to sleep?

Better Sleep Starts With Small Changes

There is no single perfect sleep routine.

Some people sleep at night. Others sleep during the day. Some people have uninterrupted eight-hour stretches, while others are working around children, jobs, caregiving, or changing schedules.

What matters is creating the best sleep environment and habits you can within the reality of your life.

You don't have to change everything tonight.

Start with one small thing:

• Make the room darker.
• Move your caffeine earlier.
• Put your phone away.
• Create a simple 30 minute wind-down routine.
• Protect your sleep window.

Better sleep doesn't have to begin with a major lifestyle change. Sometimes, it starts with one small change that makes resting just a little easier for you and your family.

References

1. Haghayegh S, Khoshnevis S, Smolensky MH, Diller KR, Castriotta RJ. Before-bedtime passive body heating by warm shower or bath to improve sleep: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Sleep Medicine Reviews. 2019;46:124–135. doi:10.1016/j.smrv.2019.04.008
2. Fang Y, Forger DB, Frank E, Sen S, Goldstein C. Day-to-day variability in sleep parameters and depression risk: a prospective cohort study of training physicians. npj Digital Medicine. 2021;4:28. doi:10.1038/s41746-021-00400-z
3. Kelly Y, Kelly J, Sacker A. Changes in bedtime schedules and behavioral difficulties in 7 year old children. Pediatrics. 2013;132(5):e1184–e1193. doi:10.1542/peds.2013-1906
4. Watson NF, Badr MS, Belenky G, et al. Recommended amount of sleep for a healthy adult: a joint consensus statement of the American Academy of Sleep Medicine and Sleep Research Society. Journal of Clinical Sleep Medicine. 2015;11(6):591–592. doi:10.5664/jcsm.4758
5. Paruthi S, Brooks LJ, D'Ambrosio C, et al. Recommended amount of sleep for pediatric populations: a consensus statement of the American Academy of Sleep Medicine. Journal of Clinical Sleep Medicine. 2016;12(6):785–786. doi:10.5664/jcsm.5866