When your sleep has improved, it’s natural to wonder how much of your routine you still need. Do you have to keep doing everything? The good news is that not every habit carries equal weight. A few core ones tend to make the biggest difference.

The habits that matter most

Research on long-term sleep problems suggests the most effective approaches focus on a handful of key behaviours. These tend to be worth keeping:

• A regular wake time. This keeps your body clock steady.
• Getting up if you can’t settle. This keeps your bed linked with sleep.
• A short wind-down. Even five minutes of your VIDA video or slow breathing signals the end of the day.

Habits you can be more flexible with

Other habits can be helpful but don’t need to be strict. Sleep guidelines note that general sleep tips on their own, like rules about the bedroom or what to avoid, tend to have less effect than the core habits above. So you can relax a little on things like:

• An occasional later coffee or evening drink.
• Exact bedtimes, as long as your wake time stays regular.
• Doing your full evening routine every single night.

Keeping what helps your aches

Some habits help your aches as much as your sleep, like a supported sleep position, warmth for stiff areas or gentle evening movement. If they help you feel comfortable, they’re worth keeping.

Listening to your sleep

If you relax a habit and notice your sleep slipping, that’s useful information. You can bring it back in and keep it as part of your routine.

Something to try this week

Write down the two or three habits you think have helped your sleep most. Make those your non-negotiables, and let yourself be flexible with the rest.

What to take away

• A regular wake time, getting up if you can’t settle and a short wind-down matter most.
• General sleep tips on their own tend to have less effect.
• Keep any habits that help your aches feel more comfortable.
• If your sleep slips, bring back the habit you relaxed.

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