The secret to better sleep might have less to do with bedtime—and more with what you’re doing the rest of the day.

We don’t talk enough about what actually leads to good sleep. Not just eight hours of laying in bed and hoping for the best, but waking up genuinely rested—refreshed, not groggy, alert instead of annoyed.

Turns out, science has quite a bit to say about it. And no, the solution isn’t just taking melatonin or blacking out your room like a cave.

From daily choices to mindset shifts, the quality of your sleep is mostly determined by what you do long before you hit the pillow.

Here are six daily habits backed by research that lead to deeper, more restorative sleep.

1. Get sunlight exposure within the first hour of waking

If I had to pick one habit that made the most difference to my energy and sleep quality, it’s this one.

Getting outside for even 5–20 minutes of sunlight in the morning regulates your circadian rhythm—that internal clock that controls sleep and wakefulness.

As Dr. Andrew Huberman, a neuroscientist at Stanford, explains, “Viewing sunlight within the first hours of waking (as soon as you can, even if through cloud cover) increases early-day cortisol release (the ideal time for elevated cortisol) and prepares the body for sleep later that night. ”

Even on cloudy days, the natural light outside is far more powerful than indoor lighting. Morning light suppresses melatonin production and signals to your brain that it’s time to be awake.

When you delay that exposure or avoid it entirely, your internal clock drifts. That’s when people start feeling wired at night and sluggish in the morning.

I like to take a short walk or just drink my coffee on the balcony. It sounds small, but it resets everything.

2. Move your body (but not too late)

You don’t need to run marathons to sleep better. Even a brisk 30-minute walk improves sleep quality.

Exercise has been shown to reduce sleep onset (how fast you fall asleep), increase deep sleep, and reduce symptoms of insomnia.

Here’s the catch: timing matters.

Exercising too close to bedtime raises your core body temperature and releases stimulating hormones like cortisol, which can make falling asleep harder. Experts generally recommend exercising at least 2 hours before bedtime.

I learned this the hard way after doing 9pm strength workouts that left me restless for hours. Now I aim for lunchtime or late afternoon activity—a rhythm that works with my body instead of against it.

3. Cut off caffeine earlier than you think

Most of us underestimate just how long caffeine hangs out in our system.

According to a study published in the Journal of Clinical Sleep Medicine, consuming caffeine even six hours before bedtime significantly reduced sleep quality and duration.

Caffeine has a half-life of about 5–6 hours, meaning if you have a cup at 3pm, half of it is still active at 9pm.

If you’re a habitual coffee drinker, try shifting your last cup to before noon. That one tweak alone can reduce tossing and turning at night.

Personally, I switched to herbal teas after lunch. It wasn’t easy at first, but my sleep felt noticeably deeper within a few days.

4. Eat meals on a consistent schedule

We often focus on what we eat for health, but when we eat also plays a major role in how we sleep.

Eating late at night, especially heavy meals, can disrupt the body’s natural overnight repair processes. Your digestion is still working overtime when it should be winding down.

As noted by experts at Johns Hopkins University, “Misalignment of your mealtimes with your bodily clock can cancel out all the benefits of your healthy diet.”

What helped me most? Keeping dinner at least 2–3 hours before bed and avoiding big meals after 8pm. My sleep started to feel cleaner—less interrupted, fewer wakeups.

5. Wind down without screens

You’ve heard this before. But it bears repeating because it’s still one of the biggest culprits of poor sleep.

The blue light from screens suppresses melatonin production—the hormone that tells your brain it’s time to sleep.

But it’s not just the light. It’s the stimulation. Newsfeeds, emails, social scrolling—they keep your brain in a state of anticipation and alertness. Not exactly ideal when you’re trying to wind down.

Try a 30-minute no-screen buffer before bed. Read a physical book. Journal. Stretch. Listen to music.

I switched to an old-school alarm clock so I could charge my phone in the other room. Best decision I made this year.

6. Do something that reduces stress before bed

Lastly, your body can’t sleep if your mind is still in fight-or-flight mode.

Stress activates the sympathetic nervous system, keeping cortisol levels elevated and preventing deep rest. That’s why even if you’re tired, racing thoughts or unresolved stress can sabotage your sleep.

The fix? A pre-bed ritual that shifts you into parasympathetic mode (aka rest-and-digest).

That could be meditation, breathwork, writing down your worries, or even something tactile like folding laundry.

As Dr. Shelby Harris, author of The Women’s Guide to Overcoming Insomnia, says: “Sleep is not an on/off switch. Instead, think of the brain on a dimmer switch to ease your mind and body into sleep.”

For me, it’s writing 3 lines about my day in a notebook. Not a full-blown journal, just a few bullet points. It signals closure.

Final thoughts

Good sleep isn’t just a nighttime activity. It’s the byproduct of what you do all day.

You don’t need a perfect routine, but a consistent one that tells your body: this is when we rise, this is when we rest.

Start small. Stick to one or two habits and watch how your nights (and mornings) change.

Your future self will thank you before the alarm even goes off.