Regular bedtimes and wake-up times make it easier for the body to adjust to a rhythm and fixed times.  Routines such as drinking tea, reading a book, brushing our teeth, and other (screen-free) calming activities can help us mentally prepare our bodies for sleep. In order to define the right time to go to bed, it makes sense to calculate your own sleep requirements and orientate yourself according to your target time to get up. As soon as you have found your personal day-night rhythm, you should stick to it, even on weekends, and start each day at the same time if possible.

Regular and sufficient physical activity during the day ensures that the body is exhausted in the evening and thus falls asleep more easily. However, intense exertion that is exerted a few hours before going to bed tends to have a negative effect on restful sleep. Sport activates our body and releases stress hormones. Therefore, the timing of physical activity is crucial in determining whether exercise has a positive or negative effect on sleep. Optimally, strenuous activities should be at least 2 hours apart from bedtime.

To improve sleep quality, screen time should be reduced to a minimum before going to bed. Bright screen light suppresses the production of the sleep hormone melatonin. Just a quick glance at the smartphone at night? Regularly checking the time can also build up pressure. Thoughts like "I should have been asleep a long time ago" or "Now I only have 5 hours of sleep left" usually have negative effects. In addition, we may come across messages that keep us busy and thus prevent us from sleeping.

The more sleep your body gets during the day, the less it needs at night. A "nap" or "power nap" should therefore last a maximum of 20 minutes so that the sleep pressure remains high in the evening.

Food that is difficult to digest or large meals before going to bed should be avoided if possible. These lie heavily in our stomachs in the last hours of the day and put strain on our digestive system. Sugar in particular has a direct negative influence on our ability to fall asleep, as it provides energy quickly and thus activates the body and makes us feel awake.

Despite good sleep hygiene, it's possible that one day you lie in bed and just can't fall asleep. The most important thing then is to stay calm. Thoughts like "I should have been asleep long ago" lead to a vicious circle, build up pressure and should therefore be avoided. One possible solution to take your mind off these kinds of thoughts is to evoke a pleasant memory or think of something pleasant.

If you lie awake for more than 15 minutes and can't get back to sleep, getting up again helps. "Rolling around", "lying awake" or "brooding" usually reinforces your inability to fall asleep. By getting up, your brain learns to associate bed with sleep again and, in the long term, helps you to fall asleep faster. If possible, leave the bedroom and engage in quiet activities with the lights dimmed: read a book, listen to a relaxing audio book, or music. If you can't get your mind to rest write down your thoughts in short bullet points on a piece of paper. This way, the things are not forgotten, but they are stored "externally". As soon as you feel tired again, go back to bed. You should be able to calm down faster now.