Scary Good Sleep: Four Simple Tricks for Darker Nights
By Dr Caitlin Chasser, Co-Founder and Sleep Specialist
As the evenings get darker, it’s tempting to retreat into the sofa to find rest – but quite often, the day hasn’t quite left us behind. How many of us find ourselves thinking about work, family, finances and the never-ending to do list? Or perhaps you pick up the phone to scroll social media. Either way, the house may be quietening, but our minds are most likely still on alert.
Add to that the clocks going back on Sunday 25th October, and suddenly we are all thinking about sleep.
So, with spooky season upon us, here are four tricks, and one treat, to ensure we are more rested this autumn.
Trick 1: Step into the daylight
Your circadian rhythm (your body’s internal clock) controls when you feel alert or sleepy. One of the most effective habits you can adopt is to absorb morning sunlight, to help you fall asleep more easily and wake up feeling energised. Morning light - even when grey outside - can:
- Shut down melatonin production. This is the hormone that makes you feel sleepy. Morning light helps stop its production, signalling to your body that it’s time to be awake.
- Boost mood and reduce stress. Sunlight triggers the release of serotonin, a hormone that promotes relaxation, focus and emotional wellbeing.
- Enhance overall sleep quality. Studies show that people who get daylight exposure tend to experience deeper, more restful sleep at night.
Take a short walk, enjoy your coffee or breakfast outside, step out after the school run, or sit by a bright window. Pair this with softer lighting as bedtime approaches. All of these small tricks are achievable and free!
Trick 2: Put your body clock under a steady spell
No fancy gadget or complicated routine required, your body thrives on rhythm and regularity. By maintaining a consistent sleep schedule you’ll fall asleep faster, wake up with more energy and improve overall wellbeing.
This practice can provide a useful anchor as the clocks change.
- Set a fixed wake-up time. Stick to the same schedule, even on weekends, holidays and days off.
- Limit weekend sleep ins. If you must lie in, keep it to under 30minutes to avoid disruption of the body clock.
- Plan naps before late nights, A short nap earlier in the day helps reduce sleep debt.
A few days before the clocks change, move your bedtime and wake up time by 10-15 minutes each day and shift your body clock gradually.
We acknowledge that parenting, caring and shifts can sometimes limit the control over routines, so just aim for consistency where life allows!
Trick 3: Put tomorrow’s scary worries to bed first
Unfinished tasks and worries can often follow us into the evening. When we are stressed, our bodies shift into a hyperalert state, where stress hormones rise, your mind becomes more vigilant and your whole system stays on guard.
To help your system switch off, we recommend that you:
- Develop a work-to-home (or end of day) ritual. Change clothes, put your laptop away, make a drink, or sit quietly for five minutes - then don’t go back to work emails or messages.
- Create a worry log. Write down what’s on your mind and what needs doing and when for each one. Your brain relaxes more easily when there is a plan in place.
- Wind your body down. This helps your nervous system move from ‘on’ to ‘safe to rest’.
- Don’t problem solve in bed. If your brain starts trying to fix tomorrow, gently remind yourself; not now. Jot it down then come back to rest.
Trick 4: Take the fright out of a restless night
The occasional difficult night doesn’t mean your sleep is broken. We live in an optimisation culture – we optimise nutrition, workouts, productivity, hormones, routines, nervous systems, sleep - and some of this is genuinely helpful, but when it comes to sleep, striving for perfection is a heavy burden to place on a biological process.
Your body knows how to sleep. It has been doing it your whole life. It may not always be perfect, but that doesn’t mean your body is broken.
Remember these simple rules:
- Avoid clock-watching or treating the next morning’s sleep score as a verdict.
- Never try to force sleep – it won’t work. If sleep won’t come, get out of bed and find a relaxing activity, returning to bed when sleepy.
- Keep your focus and emphasis on reducing pressure, rather than trying harder to sleep.
If you are regularly struggling to sleep, lying awake for long periods, waking frequently, feeling sleepy in the day, snoring heavily, waking gasping, experiencing restless legs or acting out dreams, it is worth seeking proper clinical advice.
The treat: Let the day’s cobwebs clear
Small pauses during the day can give you a chance to catch your breath, while a quieter evening can help you prepare for sleep. Remember that rest doesn’t have to wait until bedtime!
As the evenings draw in, give yourself permission to slow down. Start with one small change in your day that makes room for rest (one you can realistically make time for), and let it become something you look forward to.
With over 65+ years of combined clinical experience The Sleep Project team has treated +100,000 patients. We believe in the power of sleep to change lives for the better, making healthy sleep a reality for everyone, at every life stage.
To get started, check your sleep symptoms and receive personalised help and advice with our quick and free Diagnose Your Sleep quiz
For further guidance, personalised advice, science-backed programmes and 1:1 sleep support, visit thesleepproject.life