Hello, friends,

Spring has a sneaky way of disrupting our sleep. The daylight saving time shift alone is more disruptive to our nervous systems and circadian rhythms than we may realize – and that’s before we factor in the increasingly longer evenings, extra light, and general energy shift that comes with the body adjusting from winter into a new season.

Sleep disturbances are one of the most common things I hear about from my private yoga therapy clients – whether it’s trouble falling asleep, staying asleep, or simply not feeling rested when morning comes. If that sounds familiar, you’re in good company.

Over the years I’ve gone deep on this topic, and I keep coming back to the same core practices. Here are my top five sleep habits (that science has reinforced many times over).

Keep a consistent sleep schedule – yes, even on weekends
Science says this is the single most impactful thing you can do for your sleep. Going to bed and waking up within about an hour of the same time every day – weekday or weekend, work night or school night – gives your body’s internal clock (aka circadian rhythm) a stable anchor. I know a weekend sleep-in may feel sacred and decadent for a lot of us, but our human biology simply doesn’t support irregular schedules. Once in a rare while is fine. But as a pattern, it works against you. Consistency is the key to good sleep here.
Dim your lights in the evening
Our bodies are exquisitely sensitive to light – it’s one of the primary cues our circadian rhythms rely on. Artificial light tricks the brain into thinking it’s still midday, making it biologically harder to feel sleepy. In the hour or two before bed, turn off overhead lights, switch on small lamps, or invest in a smart bulb you can program to shift warmer and dimmer as the evening goes on. Program screens to shift to the dimmer evening setting. Small change, big effect.
Wind down with a bedtime ritual
Give yourself 30-60 minutes before bed that belongs entirely to moving the nervous system toward rest. Dim the lights, make a cup of herbal tea, take a bath, practice some gentle yoga, do a little reading, journal, and/or give yourself a gentle self-massage. It doesn’t need to be elaborate – even 20 quiet minutes counts. The key is that it’s screen-free, it’s mellow, and it’s yours.
Use a Yoga Nidra or other guided meditation practice
We live within a landscape of stressors, and while that’s not inherently a problem, we do suffer when we never give the nervous system a real chance to reset to baseline. A sleep-focused meditation or Yoga Nidra practice is one of the most effective tools I know for making that shift – moving the body and mind from “on” toward genuine down regulation. Below are a few of my personal favorites that I most frequently recommend to clients:
• Yoga Nidra For Sleep by Jennifer Piercy
• Sleep Deeply with Yoga Nidra by Hilary Jackendoff
• Yoga Nidra for Sleep & Rest by The Stillpoint
• Ambient Music: Float by Ali Khan | Yoyu
Cut off caffeine after noon
Caffeine has an average half-life of 5-7 hours – meaning that afternoon coffee at 3pm still has a significant amount of caffeine circulating in your system at 10pm, quietly working against your ability to feel tired, fall asleep, and stay asleep. One important note: decaf is not caffeine-free – it still contains a meaningful amount, so it counts too. If you love a warm afternoon or evening beverage, there are many wonderful caffeine-free herbal teas and coffee alternatives worth exploring. Your future well-rested self will thank you.

If this list feels like a lot, I want to offer you this: start with just one. Pick the habit that feels most doable right now and work with it for the next month to 6 weeks. Commit to it. Really give it a chance. Once it starts to feel natural, you can layer in the next one.

Sleep is not a luxury or an afterthought – it’s one of the most foundational pillars of a healthy, balanced life. It affects your mood, your focus, your immune system, your relationships, and your capacity for everything else you care about. You deserve to prioritize it.

Let me know how this goes for you! And, let me know if you want to be on the early mailing list for my next Better Sleep series!

Rest well,
Nicole

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Spring Sleep: 5 Habits Worth Starting Now

Nicole Bratt Yoga