How to get better sleep in 2 weeks
Last Updated: Feb 4 2025
Table of Contents
Getting a good nights sleep is important for the brain.
Your mind is like those old hard-drives on computers. We too need to be de-fragmented so we don’t get clunky, move slower, and break down. Sleep is your body’s way of de-fragmenting the mind.
If you feel like your sleep could be better, this article will explain what’s normal, what causes poor sleep, and what you can do to improve sleep in as little as two weeks.
Step 1: What is normal?
Before talking about “improving” something, it’s important to know what the “normal” is that you’re aiming for.
The sweet spot for sleep is 7-8 hours a night, based on the latest Canadian Movement guidelines (read here). We definitely don’t want less than 6 or more than 9.
However, as we get older it is absolutely normal to:
Spend less time in deep sleep
Have more frequent nighttime awakenings
Go to bed earlier and wake up earlier in the morning as a result
It is normal and okay to go to bed at 9pm and wake up at 5am. You are still getting 8 hours of sleep!
Their body is working exactly as it should, keeping their total sleep time in a normal range.
If you’re interested in learning how your brain makes you sleep, check out this article.
Going to bed early and waking up for the sunrise isn’t abnormal - it can be a good way to live.
Step 2: What causes poor sleep?
If you find that you are not getting 7-8 hours of sleep at night, there can be a few reasons that are triggering this change.
To happen well, sleep requires 3 things:
A calm mind
A comfortable body
A quiet room
1) A calm mind
Common causes of an un-calm mind include:
feeling worried or anxious about yourself or others
ruminating on past events
taking medications that activate, rather than relax, the mind
going to bed at odd times which can disrupt your natural circadian rhythm (i.e. your “internal clock”).
Feeling worried, sad, awake from a disrupted internal clock, or being on certain medications can make it hard to sleep.
2) Comfortable body
Our bodies need to relax before our brains can follow suite. You might struggle to sleep if you have:
breathing trouble due to sleep apnea, lung disease, or heart failure
pain, related to sore joints or other pains
frequent urination overnight
restless legs (cramps or jerking movements)
Trouble breathing, join pain, frequent urination, or restless legs can all keep you up at night.
3) Quiet room
Our bedrooms need to be optimized for the best sleep possible, which includes being:
dark
quiet
the right temperature
the right softness or firmness of our pillows and bed
a bed-partner who doesn’t kick, snore, or move around too much!
Having a quiet, cool, and tranquil environment is key to restful sleep.
Step 3: Simple fixes
The good news is that there are many simple fixes to solve each of the sleep problems outlined above.
Read the following list and see if any options sound like a good idea to you.
Easy steps to better sleep:
Calm the mind by:
Avoid screen-time 2 hours before bed
Keep the same bedtime every night
Limit naps to 20 minutes once a day
Write down worries before bedtime (or during the night) in a bedside journal
Ask your pharmacist to switch the timing of any pills that are “activating” to the morning
Comfortable body by:
Exercise 10-20 minutes a day to keep limber
Do NOT exercise within 6 hours of bedtime.
Have a good dinner to avoid going to bed hungry
Do NOT drink liquids 6 hours before bedtime to cut down on frequent urination overnight
Talk to your doctor about restless leg symptoms (and ask them to check iron and magnesium levels)
Ask to be tested for sleep apnea if you snore loudly or wake up not feeling rested
Take one tablet of regular Tylenol 500mg before bedtime for pain
Quiet environment by:
Get blackout curtains
Set the thermostat automatically to go higher or lower at bedtime
Wear an eye mask and ear plugs
Have a big enough bed to not be awoken by your bed-mate
Successful steps to help you sleep the 7-8 hours you need - personalized to you with the Sleep Better Course.
Step 4: What about sleeping pills?
Many people ask - are there medications that can help you sleep?
Yes… and no. As outlined below, melatonin is the only pill that is largely recognized as safe by most physicians. Other pills, like ativan, trazodone, zopiclone, etc can cause other problems (see this article).
Melatonin
Melatonin is made in our brains naturally. In some people, the amount of melatonin goes down as we get older or when we have a disrupted internal clock. Giving back some melatonin with this supplement can help some people sleep better.
Here’s what you need to know:
Getting it: You do not need a prescription. You can simply buy it in the vitamin section of most pharmacies.
Dose: you only need 1-3mg a night to regulate your internal clock.
When: take it 30-60 minutes before you plan to go to bed.
How long: Give it a good go for a full 2 weeks. You can keep taking it for as long as you want.
Side effects: there are no significant side effects, as long as you are taking it at <10mg (and remember, 1-3mg is the ideal dose).
Natural remedies like melatonin tend to be safer than prescription pills when it comes to sleep.
Other Sleeping Pills
Most other sleeping pills (like lorazepam, clonazpepam, temazepam, trazodone, zopiclone, etc) come with risks.
Studies have also shown that people who take these medications are 5x more likely to have memory problems.
If you’re currently taking one, and are interested in reducing your dose, check out this article for a helpful guide.
In closing…
There are lots of simple and safe things you can do to improve your sleep, outlined in Step 3 above.
Take a look at the list and write down the ones that sound most applicable to you.
Pick 2 that you want to try for the next 1-2 weeks
Keep the other items for later - you might fix your problem with just 2 simple tips, as long as you stay consistent!
For more guidance on sleep, join the Sleep Better Course.
Good luck, and happy slumbering!
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