From Lie-Ins To 3AM Wakeups: The Best Sleep Advice We Got In 2025

4) Get some morning light to regulate your body clock 

Some research suggests that our body clock might have a greater effect on our feelings of restfulness than we might think, even if we get “enough” hours in.

But experts like Dr Chelsea Perry, owner of Sleep Solutions and a Diplomate of the American Board of Dental Sleep Medicine, told HuffPost UK that morning light can help to keep your Circadian rhythm in check, even in winter. 

“One of the first things I try to do is to get outside into direct sunlight. This helps regulate my circadian rhythm, letting my body know it’s morning,” she said, adding she uses a SAD lamp “in the dead of winter or just [on] a gloomy day.”

5) Don’t lie in bed for more than 20 minutes if you can’t sleep 

Tossing and turning at 3am could make your mind associate your bed with stress, experts like Dr Browning said.

“If I find that I have been lying in bed awake for what feels like around 20 minutes, then I will get up out of bed and go downstairs to do something else for a little while,” she said.

“Even in the winter, when it’s cold downstairs, and the thought of getting up out of a warm bed is not appealing, I still recommend getting out of bed for a little while to help reset rather than staying in bed getting increasingly frustrated about not falling asleep.”

6) Stick to a regular sleep schedule, even on weekends

Look, I’m as disappointed by the news as you might be. But Dr Hana Patel, an NHS GP and resident sleep expert at Time4Sleep, told us, “there’s a lot of evidence to suggest that keeping a regular sleeping pattern has positive impacts on our mental and physical health.

“This is because it allows us to harmonise with our body’s natural rhythm, which is key for maximising energy, mood and immune system support.” 

This counts for weekend lie-ins too.

If it helps, though, Hannah Shore, a sleep scientist at Mattress Online, added that waking up does not necessarily have to mean getting out of bed.

7) Try not to obsess over your sleep

Paradoxical as it might sound, “orthosomnia,” or an obsession with sleep, could be keeping us up at night.

So no wonder sleep expert Dr Nerina Ramlakhan from Oak Tree Mobility told us, “I think people are obsessed with getting the perfect night’s sleep… This can often affect highly driven, perfectionist or A-type personalities. All of a sudden, sleep can become competitive.” 

She advised looking at sleep as a broader trend rather than stressing about a single night.