Through building good habits and breaking bad ones, we can optimise our lifestyle for a better night’s sleep. Read on for our top 5 habit-focussed tips and start down the road of healthier and more restorative sleep!

1. Avoid sleeping in on your days off. Even if you don’t have work to wake up for on the weekends, sticking to a routine is what will help keep your sleep cycle as healthy as possible. Once you are able to wake up naturally at the right time without an alarm, you’ll know you’ve established a good sleeping pattern!

2. Keep all entertainment or work devices out of the bed – if you’re watching YouTube, take your laptop or iPad to the lounge room or elsewhere in the house. Associating these things with your bed will make it harder to fall asleep at night.

3. Stay away from alcohol, caffeine and cigarettes before you try to sleep. The nicotine in cigarettes acts as a stimulant that will keep you awake, and alcohol disrupts sleep throughout the night.

4. If you’re struggling with stress, jot down a small journal entry or even a to-do list to get what’s on your mind out on paper. That way, you can clear yourself mentally and give yourself permission to worry about these tasks the next day.

5. Try to fit in some exercise before going to bed; it can stabilize your mood, decompress your mind and overall help you fall asleep faster.