From bedtime myths and racing-mind remedies to surprising slumber clues, here’s how to make the hours you do get, count. The sleep doctor will see you now.

Sleeping peacefully can sometimes feel like getting extra chocolate on your cappuccino or finding a white T-shirt that isn’t see-through – great when it does happen, but totally not guaranteed. A weary four in 10 of us report snoozing well less than three times a week, as per ResMed’s 2024 Global Sleep Survey, while the quest for good-quality shut-eye means 38 per cent have seen a pro about it. 

Because here’s the thing: it’s not like we don’t know that sleep is a health superhero (in the past few months alone, science has linked it to heart health, brain power and even how we learn new languages), but sometimes scoring more hours under the doona just isn’t doable. 

The pillowy plot twist? While experts recommend seven to nine hours nightly, “Duration is generally less important than getting adequate sleep quality,” says Dr Moira Junge, registered health psychologist and CEO of the Sleep Health Foundation. “The truth around sleep is there’s a lot of nuance and a large degree of individual variation, so it’s about working out what’s right for you.” 

So, how can you hit the reset (rather than the snooze) button on your sleep for 2025? Ahead of World Sleep Day on March 14, we tapped some of Australia’s brightest bedtime minds for simple ways to improve the quality of the hours that you do get – starting tonight. It’s time to slumber smarter. Are you ready? Read on.

#1. DON’T SLEEP ON PLANT POWER

In deliciously dreamy news, enjoying a healthy plant-based diet is linked with lower risk of obstructive sleep apnoea – an exhausting condition that can spark loud snoring and a heap 

of health issues – according to 2024 Flinders research. How come? Scientists suspect this foodie approach may help to reduce inflammation and manage body weight, which are both major factors in apnoea risk. “It’s things like vegetables, legumes and wholegrains, as well as [being mindful of] ultra-processed meats and foods,” Professor Robert Adams, respiratory and sleep physician and Medical Director of the Adelaide Institute for Sleep Health at Flinders University tells Body+Soul. 

In fact, he adds, this seems to be a winning menu for sleep quality in general. What better reason to chuck some lentils into that slow cooker?

#2. BOOK A TEETH TUNE-UP

Chew on this: your dentist might be the slumber aid you never saw coming. That’s the word from a fresh review in the Journal of the American Dental Association, which found that pearly-white pros can alert patients to signs of potential sleep problems. You might crash out in the chair unexpectedly, for example, or show tongue changes that hint at an underlying issue.

“Dentists can look in the mouth, at the tonsils, how big the tongue is and that kind of thing, which are all indicative of risk of obstructive sleep apnoea,” explains Dr Jen Walsh, Senior Research Fellow and Director of the Centre for Sleep Science at The University of Western Australia. “Teeth grinding can also indicate people aren’t sleeping well, because it often happens at night-time.” She notes that some dentists are more up to speed with sleep than others, so it’s worth looking for one with a special interest if you’re curious.

#3. DIVERT A RACING MIND

Pre-sleep mind whirring faster than your NutriBullet? Give ‘cognitive refocusing’ a go – distracting yourself with pleasant thoughts and ideas, so your focus shifts from whatever’s keeping rest at bay. Dr Junge’s go-to is remembering her school teachers from prep onwards, while Dr Walsh goes on a mental walk by the river with her dog. You could imagine designing your dream house, formulating a game plan for your AFLW team or deciding how you’d bake a friend’s birthday cake. The secret? “It can’t be too stimulating,” says Dr Junge, with a caveat that it’s generally best to get up until you feel sleepy again, rather than lie awake for too long. Cognitive refocusing draws on principles of cognitive behavioural therapy for insomnia (CBT-I), which is often considered a gold-standard approach.

Dr Junge might also help someone to replace anxious thoughts with fresh beliefs. Panicking that tomorrow’s presentation will be disastrous because you’re having a tough night? “The alternative belief could be that, yes, you might not be at your optimum, but plenty of gold medallists have been nervous and not slept much before big finals, and they still did their best times,” she adds.

#4. STOP 3AM OVERTHINKING

Waking during the night is quite normal (so much so, that Dr Walsh refers to her wake-free ones as “unicorn sleeps”), but if 3am worries stop you from drifting back off, start by calling them out. As Dr Gina Cleo, Assistant Professor of Habit Change at Bond University and author of The Habit Revolution, explains: “Labelling overthinking can be really helpful. As soon as you catch yourself spiralling, acknowledge what you’re doing and that it’s just a habit and [there’s no pressure] to solve it right in that moment. You could then interrupt it with a quick action, like adjusting your position or taking a ‘physiological sigh’ – two quick breaths in through the nose, one long breath out the mouth.” When her own mind goes rogue? Dr Cleo might do breathwork on a beanbag, then get back under the covers when she feels tired again. She has a Sensate, too – a pebble-shaped device designed to sit on your chest that emits soothing vibrations and soundscapes. Race you to the *add to cart* button.

#5. WAKE UP WITH A BEAT

Sound of your alarm more jarring than someone cutting the coffee line? Tune into the latest from RMIT University experts, who are exploring the optimum tones for AM alertness. Findings so far suggest something melodic (and not too, well, alarming) is best for easing us into a waking state. Think: a track you can easily sing or hum along to, ideally with a tempo of 100 to 120 beats per minute and a frequency around 500 Hz. Luckily, RMIT’s Stuart McFarlane and team have created one to hit all the rise-and-shine notes – search for “Dawn Birds Deliberate” on YouTube, Bandcamp and other platforms. Oh, and another PSA: cover time displays in the night, since research found clock-watching can add to sleep anxiety.

#6. PERSONALISE YOUR REST RITUALS

Your socials might be awash with sleep-seekers enjoying tart-cherry mocktails before bed, but here’s the true secret to wind-down routines: they should be true to you. “When it comes to changing any habit, it has to resonate,” says Dr Cleo. “If you say to me, ‘Research shows you should journal before bed,’ it’s not going to happen – I’m not a journaller. So when we talk about routines, they have to suit your personality and lifestyle.” For her, that looks like turning off screens an hour before bed, putting her phone in the bathroom on ‘aeroplane’ mode, plus a warm shower, a few stretches and aromatherapy with lavender essential oil. “My husband and I also don’t have difficult conversations in the evening.” Other smart moves? Keeping your bed as a sleep-and-sex-only zone and dimming bright lights so melatonin can do its thing. Dr Cleo swears by Red Light Therapy lamps, which emit a blue-light-free glow and are portable for travelling.

#7. LET’S TALK BEDROOM NEEDS

Whether it’s wriggling, snoring or cover stealing, a quarter of bed-sharers in the Real Sleep Report 2023 revealed a partner’s sleep issues can be the stuff of their own nightmares. That’s why it’s worth checking in about what’s keeping you awake (literally) at night. “It’s really important to both be on the same page,” says Dr Junge. “You can love everything about each other, but may not be compatible in terms of the bedroom environment.” Try a split king mattress or separate doonas, she suggests, or even sleeping separately. As for how to broach the topic? Raise conversations during the day, not in the heat of the moment when you’re frustrated,” she tips. “Consider professional support if you need it, too. After all, this is a form of counselling around communication and compromise.” Your chat might be a game changer: a 2024 study in aptly named journal, Sleep, found when people stuck with measures to manage sleep apnoea, it was linked with greater harmony in their relationships (#couplegoals).

#8. EXPECT THE UNEXPECTED – AND ASK FOR HELP

Real (pillow) talk: it’s important to know that bumps in the road are par for the course. “People can have unrealistic expectations about sleep,” shares Professor Christopher Gordon, a Research Leader of Insomnia and Chronobiology at the Woolcock Institute of Medical Research. “They think it should be perfect all the time and they’ll feel fantastic every morning – that’s just not true. Everyone is different and our sleep changes across the lifespan.” Just a few examples? We’re often disrupted just before our period, as per recent intel in The Journal of Sleep Research, while perimenopause and shift work can put rest through the wringer, too.

Dr Walsh also points out there’s often a trigger for insomnia – stress or grief, for example – so go easy on yourself: “[Remind yourself] it’s understandable if your sleep isn’t the best right now, but that’s OK and it won’t be this way forever,” she says. That could mean seeking expert support, whether you’re after insomnia therapies, night-sweat remedies or ways to talk to your boss about those 9pm emails. Trust us, your sleep – and wellbeing – will thank you.