You might be doing everything right from setting a sleep schedule to turning off screens, and still find yourself tossing and turning at night. The truth is, sometimes it’s not just what you do, but what you need to stop doing that makes the biggest difference in getting quality rest. Continue reading to explore a few habits that quietly interfere with deep, restorative sleep, and what you can do instead.

Helpful Tips for Preventing Sleep Problems

Sleep disorders are conditions that affect the quality, amount and timing of sleep you’re able to get at night. Common sleep disorders include insomnia, restless legs syndrome, narcolepsy and sleep apnea. Sleep disorders can affect your mental health and physical health. Preventing sleep problems generally includes a combination of lifestyle changes. While treatment is available, the following are tips to help you prevent sleep problems in the meantime.

1. Avoid Late or Long Naps

Naps can be helpful, but timing is everything. Napping too late in the afternoon or for longer than 30 minutes can make it harder to fall asleep at night. If you need to recharge, aim for a short power nap in the early afternoon and keep it under half an hour.

2. Skip Caffeine Before Bed

That evening cup of coffee or tea may feel comforting, but caffeine is a powerful stimulant that blocks the neurotransmitter adenosine, the chemical that tells your brain it’s time to rest. Because it takes about six hours for your body to process just half the caffeine you consume, even coffee at 8 p.m. can keep you awake past midnight. Choose herbal tea, warm water with lemon, or golden milk instead.

3. Limit Heavy or Late Meals

Eating a large meal right before bed can disrupt digestion and make it harder for your body to relax. Allow at least three hours between your evening meal and bedtime. If you feel hungry before bed, opt for a light, calming snack like fruit, yogurt, or a handful of almonds.

4. Steer Clear of Late-Night Stimuli

Using your phone, watching TV, or scrolling on social media before bed can over-activate your mind. The blue light from screens suppresses melatonin, the hormone that helps you fall asleep. Try a bedtime ritual instead: journal, pray, meditate, or read something soothing to help your body transition into rest mode.

5. Don’t Engage in Strenuous Activity Before Sleep

While exercise promotes better rest overall, working out within six hours of bedtime can increase your metabolism and make it harder to wind down. Save intense workouts for earlier in the day and focus on gentle stretching or breathing exercises in the evening.

6. Avoid Alcohol or Smoking

Another tip for preventing sleep problems is to avoid alcohol at specific times of the day. Alcohol may make you drowsy at first, but it interferes with your natural sleep stages, leading to poor-quality rest. Similarly, smoking disturbs sleep and increases health risks. Try swapping evening habits with calming herbal teas or aromatherapy to ease tension naturally.

The Inside-Out Connection

These tips are a great start for preventing sleep problems because your nightly routine does more than help you fall asleep. It also directly affects your body’s ability to heal, repair, and restore balance. Poor sleep habits don’t just leave you tired; they can influence your skin’s glow, your mood, and even your hair’s health. When your body is well-rested, cell turnover improves, hormone levels stabilize, and your beauty radiates from within.

So tonight, think of rest not as a task, but as a ritual — a sacred act of self-renewal from the inside out.

In Beauty & Wellness,
Marcey, Certified Health Coach & Trichologist