Sleep is the foundation of good health. Yet, almost 40% of adults get insufficient sleep.[1] This has far-reaching consequences on health and function.
While some people are born great sleepers, many adults need strategies that help them fall asleep and stay asleep. A good night's sleep may require some extra support.
In this article, we’ll explore:
- Why sleep is so important for optimal health
- How much sleep you need each night
- The 5 best strategies to help you sleep better
- How Outwork Nutrition’s natural sleep aid can help
Why Sleep is So Important
The average person spends about ⅓ of their life sleeping. That’s almost 230,000 hours, or about 26 years, of our lives.
The sheer quantity of time we spend sleeping is a clue as to how important it is to survival. Sleep is as necessary as food and water.
While we may not be aware of what’s going on during the hours we spend asleep, the body and mind are incredibly active. Essential physiological functions occur during sleep that can’t happen at any other time of the day.
Every body system relies on adequate sleep for repair and restoration.[2][3]
- Memory consolidation
- Information processing
- Removal of waste products that accumulate during the day
- Resetting cognitive function
- Hormone production
- Appetite regulation
- Cellular repair
- Replenished energy stores
- Blood pressure regulation
- Immune function
- And so much more!
Experts agree that adults require 7-9 hours of sleep each night.[4] Sleeping less than 7 hours greatly increases the risk of many health concerns, including:[4]
- Obesity
- Heart disease
- Type 2 diabetes
- High blood pressure
- Stroke
- Depression
- Impaired immune function
- An increased risk of errors and accidents
With so many adults in the US running short of sleep, it’s no wonder people are stressed, burned out, and suffering from high rates of chronic illness.
5 Strategies to Improve Your Sleep
Sleep is non-negotiable. Yet, so many adults struggle to fall asleep and stay asleep. Add that to the general lack of enough time to sleep, and it’s no wonder we’re all so tired.
If you’re one of the almost 40% of people getting insufficient sleep, it’s time to get some rest.
Good sleep often doesn’t happen on its own. It requires habits that set the stage for a solid night of rest every night.
Here are 5 scientifically-backed strategies to get the rest you need.
1. Be Strict With Your Sleep Schedule
Go to bed at the same time and wake up at the same time every single day. While many adults do this well during the work week, weekends can be a free-for-all with late nights and disrupted schedules.
But your body doesn’t differentiate between weekdays and weekends. Every physiological function is tied to your circadian rhythm, a 24-hour sleep/wake cycle that dictates everything from hunger and alertness to hormones and heart rate.[5]
Inconsistency in the timing and length of sleep disrupts the delicate balance of your circadian rhythm.[6]
While the exact timing of your 7-9 hours of sleep will be unique to your schedule, plan at least 7 hours of sleep each night with a consistent bedtime and waketime.
2. Avoid Sleep Disrupting Stimulants
Two common beverages can really mess with your sleep: coffee and alcohol.
Coffee is, of course, a beloved stimulant that increases alertness and focus. While this can be a boon in the morning, the later in the day you consume coffee, the more it will disrupt your sleep.
Research demonstrates that caffeine from coffee or other caffeinated beverages decreases sleep quality and quantity if consumed within ~8 hours of going to bed.[7] The higher the caffeine content of a beverage, the more time you must allow for it to leave your system.
Alcohol consumption in the evening can have significant effects on sleep. Even moderate drinking disrupts deep sleep, interferes with normal circadian rhythms, and shortens sleep time.[8]
Cutting off caffeine intake early in the day and avoiding alcohol at night are important ways to protect your sleep.
3. Get Your Exercise
On top of all the other benefits of exercise, improving sleep quality ranks high.
Regular exercise influences sleep in several key ways:[9]
- Increases the production of melatonin
- Reduces stress, a primary sleep disruptor
- May reduce sleep disorders such as insomnia and sleep apnea
- Regulates body temperature to support the natural decline in temperature necessary for good sleep
- Helps you fall asleep faster and stay asleep longer
As little as 30 minutes of moderate-intensity physical activity 3 days a week has been shown to help.[9][10]
Just be sure to avoid exercise in the hours leading up to bed, as it can increase alertness and make it hard to fall asleep.
4. Bright Light During the Day, Dark at Night
Light, or the lack of it, sends important sleep-regulating signals to your brain.[7]
Photoreceptors in the eye connect with the “master clock” in the brain to tell your system the time of day. Exposure to light when you wake up signals the body to depress the secretion of the hormone melatonin.[11] Conversely, at night, as the light fades, darkness signals a rise in melatonin to make you sleepy.
Melatonin is one of the primary sleep hormones linked to the circadian rhythm. And it is strongly linked to light signals.[12]
Managing your light exposure is a simple way to improve your sleep rhythm. Here’s how.
- Get exposure to bright light as soon as you wake up in the morning.
- Natural light is best. If possible, step outside for a few minutes or stand by a bright window.
- 2 hours before bedtime, lower the lights in your house and limit exposure to light from screens. Light from screens (phones, TV, tablets, etc.), known as blue light, is particularly disruptive to circadian rhythm and melatonin secretion.[13]
5. Supplement with Melatonin
Melatonin supplements are a well-studied sleep aid.
The American Academy of Family Physicians recommends melatonin as a first-line therapy for insomnia due to its safety and well-established benefits.[14]
A melatonin supplement has been shown to:[15]
- Help you fall asleep faster
- Reduce night-time waking episodes
- Increase total sleep time
The optimal dose of melatonin to improve sleep is between 1-6 mg taken before bedtime.[16]
Outwork Nutrition Sleep Aid
We designed our Sleep supplement with a gentle 2 mg dose of melatonin per serving, that’s 1 mg per capsule, allowing you to adjust the dose to your specific needs.
In addition to melatonin, our Sleep formula contains:
- L-Theanine to promote relaxation
- Saffron Extract (affron®) for better sleep quality
Adding our Sleep supplement to your nightly routine can help you fall asleep faster, sleep better, and wake feeling ready for the day.
Key Takeaways
Good sleep lets you function better in every area of your life. And it starts with proven strategies to get you the best sleep.
- Set a routine
- Avoid caffeine and alcohol late in the day
- Exercise
- Optimize light exposure
- Try Outwork Nutrition Sleep
You spend ⅓ of your life asleep. Make it count.
References
1. https://www.cdc.gov/sleep/data-research/facts-stats/adults-sleep-facts-and-stats.html (accessed May 2025)
2. Eugene AR, Masiak J. The Neuroprotective Aspects of Sleep. MEDtube Sci. 2015;3(1):35-40.
3. https://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/sleep/why-sleep-important (accessed May 2025)
4. Watson NF, Badr MS, Belenky G, et al. Recommended Amount of Sleep for a Healthy Adult: A Joint Consensus Statement of the American Academy of Sleep Medicine and Sleep Research Society. Sleep. 2015;38(6):843-844. Published 2015 Jun 1. doi:10.5665/sleep.4716
5. https://nigms.nih.gov/education/fact-sheets/Pages/circadian-rhythms (accessed May 2025)
6. Chaput JP, Dutil C, Featherstone R, Ross R, Giangregorio L, Saunders TJ, Janssen I, Poitras VJ, Kho ME, Ross-White A, Zankar S, Carrier J. Sleep timing, sleep consistency, and health in adults: a systematic review. Appl Physiol Nutr Metab. 2020 Oct;45(10 (Suppl. 2)):S232-S247. doi: 10.1139/apnm-2020-0032. PMID: 33054339.
7. Gardiner C, Weakley J, Burke LM, Roach GD, Sargent C, Maniar N, Townshend A, Halson SL. The effect of caffeine on subsequent sleep: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Sleep Med Rev. 2023 Jun;69:101764. doi: 10.1016/j.smrv.2023.101764. Epub 2023 Feb 6. PMID: 36870101.
8. He S, Hasler BP, Chakravorty S. Alcohol and sleep-related problems. Curr Opin Psychol. 2019;30:117-122. doi:10.1016/j.copsyc.2019.03.007
9. Alnawwar MA, Alraddadi MI, Algethmi RA, Salem GA, Salem MA, Alharbi AA. The Effect of Physical Activity on Sleep Quality and Sleep Disorder: A Systematic Review. Cureus. 2023;15(8):e43595. Published 2023 Aug 16. doi:10.7759/cureus.43595
10. Bjornsdottir E, Thorarinsdottir EH, Lindberg E, et al. Association between physical activity over a 10-year period and current insomnia symptoms, sleep duration and daytime sleepiness: a European population-based study. BMJ Open 2024;14:e067197. doi: 10.1136/bmjopen-2022-067197
11. Blume C, Garbazza C, Spitschan M. Effects of light on human circadian rhythms, sleep and mood. Somnologie (Berl). 2019;23(3):147-156. doi:10.1007/s11818-019-00215-x
12. Zisapel N. New perspectives on the role of melatonin in human sleep, circadian rhythms and their regulation. Br J Pharmacol. 2018;175(16):3190-3199. doi:10.1111/bph.14116
13. Tähkämö L, Partonen T, Pesonen AK. Systematic review of light exposure impact on human circadian rhythm. Chronobiol Int. 2019 Feb;36(2):151-170. doi: 10.1080/07420528.2018.1527773. Epub 2018 Oct 12. PMID: 30311830.
14. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK534823/ (Accessed May 2025)
15. Fatemeh G, Sajjad M, Niloufar R, Neda S, Leila S, Khadijeh M. Effect of melatonin supplementation on sleep quality: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials. J Neurol. 2022 Jan;269(1):205-216. doi: 10.1007/s00415-020-10381-w. Epub 2021 Jan 8. PMID: 33417003.
16. Pierce M, Linnebur SA, Pearson SM, Fixen DR. Optimal Melatonin Dose in Older Adults: A Clinical Review of the Literature. Sr Care Pharm. 2019 Jul 1;34(7):419-431. doi: 10.4140/TCP.n.2019.419. PMID: 31383052.
