It’s officially the season of New Year’s resolutions. Most people set goals for losing weight, getting a promotion or maybe even writing a book in the year ahead. But I think you should set a few 2025 resolutions to improve your sleep.
Everything in our lives is tied to how well we sleep at night. From our ability to concentrate at work to how our doctor’s visits go, sleep plays a part in it. Sleep deprivation also inhibits our ability to lose weight. So, if you think about it, focusing on your sleep in the new year is an effective way to ensure all your other resolutions come true. We all want to sleep better. Now’s the time to actually follow through on it.
Below, you’ll find my top recommendations for small New Year’s sleep resolutions that will have a tangible impact on your health and happiness in 2025.
For more on sleep, see why you need more sleep in the winter and how to take a nap like a pro.
- Stick to your bedtime routine
The average adult needs between 7 to 9 hours of sleep each night. Some need more, while others need less. Still, it’s a good goalpost to try to shoot for.
Getting a good night’s sleep isn’t as easy as deciding you want to sleep well. It can take a little effort to make sure you’re in the best situation to sleep. That can include adjusting your thermostat or adding blackout curtains to your bedroom.
It also includes a bedtime routine. This is one of the most important and simple things you can do to prepare yourself for sleep at night. Our bodies crave routine. That’s why it can be so hard to sleep when traveling or during a busy week; you’re out of sync with your normal habits. If you can establish a bedtime routine that you do each night, you’ll notice that you naturally start to feel tired as you progress through it.
For example, each night, I follow the same set of steps to get ready for bed. First, I turn off the lights downstairs and head up to bed. Then I turn on my bedroom lamp (not my overhead light) and head to the bathroom to brush my teeth. Then, I moisturize. Then I crawl into bed with a book, and I’m asleep within 15 minutes most nights. It’s gotten to the point where reading is so entrenched in my sleep routine that if I try to stay up late and watch a movie with subtitles, I often fall asleep. Reading puts me to sleep.
Your routine could be anything. Like taking a warm shower or listening to music as you drift off. Whatever it is, choose something that you can stick to over time.
Quick tips to make sticking to this resolution more realistic:
- Set alarms on your phone so you don’t lose track of time.
- Add relaxing activities that help you destress and relax into sleep.
- Make it a ritual that you do every night. Before long, it will become a habit that you don’t think about following.
2. Set a bedtime and wake time
A big part of the bedtime routine I mentioned is a set sleep and wake time. It might be hard to hear, but all the times your parents nagged you about going to bed on time actually served a greater purpose. A consistent schedule is essential for quality sleep.
Our sleep is based on our circadian rhythm, or the natural sleep-wake cycle in the body, which largely depends on the hormone melatonin. When the sun goes down, our brains are naturally flooded with melatonin, so we get tired. Then, as the sun rises and we’re exposed to light, melatonin is cut off, and we wake up. That’s how it’s supposed to work, though things like screens and blackout curtains can mess up the natural process.
Choosing a reasonable bedtime (that allows 7 to 9 hours of sleep) and sticking to it can help your body establish a routine. You’ll notice you naturally get tired around the same time each night and might even wake up before your alarm.
Quick tips to make sticking to this resolution more realistic:
- When you get in bed, you should be focused on sleeping. Put away your phone to avoid distractions.
- Abide by your bedtime, even on the weekends.
- Try a sunrise alarm clock if you don’t want a traditional option.
- Add melatonin or a natural sleep aid to help.
3. Try to manage your stress
Your stress levels will influence the type of sleep you get at night. Getting bad sleep while you’re stressed can make matters worse because it’s harder to regulate emotions while sleep-deprived. It can become a vicious cycle if you let it. That’s why managing your stress before bed is one of the best sleep-related resolutions you can make.
Read more: 6 Ways Your Sleep Habits Can Sabotage Your Happiness
Combating stress can look different for everyone. For some, listening to music while winding down before bed can do wonders, while others might find that journaling before bed does the trick. Some might even need to seek professional help to get their stress levels. The first step to lowering your stress for better sleep is acknowledging that you’re experiencing it.
The cognitive shuffling method has recently become popular on TikTok for reducing nighttime anxiety. This hack is a cognitive behavioral therapy tool that helps you relax by disrupting your anxious thought patterns by focusing on words, images or phases. It’s essentially a forced distraction that helps you ease into restful sleep.
Read more: Your Guide to the Cognitive Shuffling Method for Anxiety
Whatever you choose to manage your stress is a step in the right direction to getting better sleep.
Quick tips to make sticking to this resolution more realistic:
4. Cut down on caffeine
Besides the taste, many of us rely on caffeine to make it through the day as a Band-Aid for a poor night’s sleep. Drinking too much late in the day can compromise your ability to sleep at night, furthering your dependence on caffeine. Caffeine survives in the body from 5 to 7 hours, meaning the effects of caffeine linger in the body hours after you get the initial uptick in energy. This is why you might not realize it impacts your sleep. Studies have found that caffeine before bed can decrease stages three and four of sleep, two of the most restorative stages.
A good resolution for the new year is to cut down on the extra cups of coffee later in the day. Experts recommend having your last cup of coffee around noon or 8 hours before sleep. However, it depends on how your body responds to caffeine, so the exact time will vary.
Quick tips to make sticking to this resolution more realistic:
- Slowly cut back over a few weeks on your caffeine intake.
- Pay attention to how much caffeine you’re getting.
- Supplement with water.
- Switch to caffeine-free tea or decaf in the afternoon.
5. Say goodbye to late-night snacks
There’s nothing wrong with a late-night snack. Sometimes, it’s the perfect treat to finish our day. That said, indulging too many times can compromise your ability to sleep, especially if you reach for highly processed foods. Everything is okay in moderation, though you’re better off avoiding eating or drinking too close to bedtime. Generally, you should stop eating 2 to 3 hours before bed.
Some foods can upset your digestive system or cause heartburn, making it difficult to get comfortable at night. You can relieve heartburn at night by sleeping on your left side, which naturally angles the stomach to create an air pocket between the acid and the esophagus.
Drinking anything — water or alcohol — might be good at the moment, but in the middle of the night, it can backfire and wake you up at night. Whether you have to run to the bathroom or your body has metabolized the alcohol, it’s a safer bet to avoid it directly before bed so you can sleep soundly.
Quick tips to make sticking to this resolution more realistic:
- If you must snack, choose sleep-promoting foods like whole grains, milk, yogurt, nuts or fruit.
- Avoid sweets like candy, donuts and ice cream.
Many of us fall into the trap of planning elaborate resolutions that aren’t realistic for our lifestyle. Starting with sleep for 2025 may seem basic, but it’s one of the most effective ways to reach your goals in the new year.
