Almost every consultation about fatigue, weight or hormonal balance eventually arrives at sleep. And almost every piece of sleep advice assumes you control your evenings, which many people do not.
Fix the wake time first
Bedtime is hard to control; wake time is easier. Holding a consistent wake time — even after a bad night — does more to stabilise your rhythm than trying to force an early bedtime.
Three changes that are worth the effort
- Daylight within an hour of waking, even ten minutes on a balcony
- Caffeine cut-off eight hours before bed, not two
- A fixed, boring wind-down: same order, same 20 minutes, no screen
When to seek help
Loud snoring with daytime sleepiness, waking gasping, or months of difficulty falling asleep deserve assessment rather than another routine adjustment.
