To sleep better, keep the same wake-up time every day, get daylight in the morning, dim the lights and put screens away in the last hour before bed, have your last coffee by early afternoon, keep alcohol and large meals away from bedtime, and sleep in a dark, quiet, cool room. Most adults need at least seven hours a night. If you have trouble sleeping three or more nights a week for several months, or you snore loudly and wake unrefreshed, see your doctor: there are effective, drug-free approaches for chronic insomnia.
Key facts about sleep
- Adults should sleep at least 7 hours a night on a regular basis, according to the joint consensus of the American Academy of Sleep Medicine and the Sleep Research Society (2015).
- According to EFSA, 100 mg of caffeine (about one cup of filter coffee) close to bedtime may delay sleep and shorten it in some adults.
- In a controlled study, 400 mg of caffeine taken six hours before bedtime still reduced sleep by more than one hour.
- Chronic insomnia means difficulty falling or staying asleep at least three nights a week for at least three months, with effects on the day. The European guideline recommends cognitive behavioural therapy for insomnia (CBT-I) as the first step.
- No vitamin or mineral is authorised in the EU or Switzerland to claim that it improves sleep.
10 evidence-based habits for better sleep
Sleep is regulated by two systems: your internal clock, which is set mainly by light, and sleep pressure, which builds up the longer you are awake. Good sleep habits work with both. You do not need all ten at once; start with the two or three that are weakest in your current routine and keep them for a few weeks.
1. Keep the same wake-up time, every day
A regular wake-up time, including weekends, is the strongest anchor for your internal clock. Lying in for hours on Saturday shifts your rhythm and makes Sunday night harder. If you want to go to bed earlier, start by getting up at a fixed time; the evening tiredness follows.
2. Get daylight in the morning
Morning light tells your body that the day has started and helps you feel sleepy at the right time in the evening. Spend 15 to 30 minutes outdoors in the first hours after waking, for example on the way to work. Even on a cloudy Swiss winter day, outdoor light is far brighter than indoor lighting.
3. Dim the lights and put screens away in the evening
Bright light in the evening delays the release of melatonin, the hormone that signals night. In one study, reading on a light-emitting tablet before bed delayed melatonin and made participants less alert the next morning than reading a printed book. In the last hour, use warm, dim lamps and put phones, tablets and laptops out of reach, ideally outside the bedroom.
4. Time your caffeine
Caffeine blocks the sleep-pressure signal in the brain and stays active for several hours. Have your last coffee, black or green tea, cola or energy drink by early afternoon. Remember hidden sources such as chocolate, pre-workout drinks and supplements with guarana, mate or green tea extract.
5. Go easy on alcohol in the evening
Alcohol can make you fall asleep faster, but it fragments the second half of the night and reduces dream (REM) sleep, so you wake up less rested. It also relaxes the throat muscles, which makes snoring worse. If you drink, keep it moderate and finish a few hours before bed.
6. Eat your evening meal two to three hours before bed
A large, rich or spicy meal shortly before lying down can cause heartburn and restless sleep. Plan dinner two to three hours before bedtime and keep it balanced, with vegetables, wholegrains or legumes and a source of protein. If you are hungry later, a small snack such as yoghurt, a banana or a few nuts is fine. Drink enough during the day, but less in the last hour to avoid waking up to use the bathroom.
7. Move during the day
Regular physical activity is linked to better sleep quality. Daylight walks combine two habits in one. Most people can exercise in the evening without problems, but if you notice that a hard workout late at night keeps you awake, move it earlier.
8. Make the bedroom dark, quiet and cool
Use blackout curtains or an eye mask, earplugs if you live on a busy street and a slightly cool room with fresh air. Keep the bed for sleep and intimacy, not for work, news or long phone sessions, so your brain links it with rest.
9. Build a wind-down routine
Give yourself 30 to 60 minutes to shift down: a shower, light stretching, reading a printed book, writing tomorrow's to-do list so it is out of your head, or a few minutes of slow breathing. Doing the same things in the same order each night becomes a signal for sleep.
10. If you cannot sleep, get up
Lying awake and watching the clock builds frustration. If you are still awake after about 20 minutes, get up, go to another dimly lit room and do something calm until you feel sleepy, then return to bed. Keep naps short (up to about 20 to 30 minutes) and before mid-afternoon so they do not reduce sleep pressure for the night.
Do vitamins or minerals help you sleep?
The honest answer: no vitamin or mineral has an authorised health claim for sleep in the EU or Switzerland, and that includes magnesium, calcium and the B vitamins. Large observational studies have found that people with low intakes of several nutrients, among them calcium and magnesium, more often report short or disturbed sleep. Such data show an association, not cause and effect, and there is no reliable evidence that supplements improve sleep in people who are not deficient.
What a balanced diet does is cover the nutrients your body needs every day, which matters for how you feel overall. If you want to know more about the minerals people often ask about, read what magnesium does in the body and how much calcium you need.
Tired during the day despite enough sleep?
If you sleep seven hours or more and still feel exhausted, sleep may not be the only cause. Iron, vitamin B12 and folate shortfalls, thyroid problems, stress and low mood are common reasons. Our guide to which vitamins help with tiredness explains which deficiencies to test for, and natural ways to increase energy covers the daytime habits that support a good night.
When should you see a doctor about sleep problems?
Talk to your doctor if:
- you have trouble falling or staying asleep at least three nights a week for several months, and it affects your day;
- you snore loudly, someone has noticed pauses in your breathing, or you wake up gasping or with a headache: these can be signs of sleep apnoea;
- you feel an irresistible urge to move your legs in the evening (restless legs), as your doctor may want to check your iron stores;
- you fall asleep unintentionally during the day, for example while reading or driving;
- poor sleep comes with low mood, anxiety or a chronic illness, or you rely on sleeping pills or alcohol to sleep.
For chronic insomnia, cognitive behavioural therapy for insomnia (CBT-I) is recommended before medication. It is available with trained therapists and as structured digital programmes.
Where Sanbera fits
Our evening formulas are not sleep aids, and we do not make any sleep claim for them. Nightly Reload Women and Nightly Reload Men are simply designed to be taken in the evening, as the second step of a day-and-night routine. They are caffeine-free and contain vitamin C and eight B vitamins. Per 3 tablets they provide vitamin C (43.1 mg, 54% NRV for women; 64.7 mg, 81% for men), vitamin B6 (0.7 mg, 50%), folic acid (150 µg, 75%; 100 µg, 50%) and vitamin B12 (1.88 µg, 75%). Vitamin C, vitamin B6, folate and vitamin B12 contribute to the normal function of the immune system.
Frequently asked questions
How many hours of sleep do adults need?
Most adults need at least seven hours of sleep a night on a regular basis; many feel best with seven to nine. Needs vary from person to person, and older adults often sleep a little less. A good sign that you are getting enough is waking up without an alarm on most days and staying alert through the day without relying on caffeine.
How long before bed should I stop drinking coffee?
Caffeine stays active in the body for several hours, and in one study a high dose taken six hours before bed still shortened sleep by more than an hour. A practical rule is to have your last coffee, tea, cola or energy drink by early afternoon. If you are sensitive, stop earlier and watch for hidden caffeine in chocolate and supplements with guarana or green tea extract.
Does alcohol help you sleep?
Alcohol can make you fall asleep faster, but it disturbs the second half of the night. Sleep becomes lighter and more fragmented, dream sleep is reduced and snoring gets worse, so you wake up less rested. Regularly using alcohol to fall asleep is a reason to talk to your doctor. If you drink, keep it moderate and finish a few hours before bed.
Does calcium or magnesium improve sleep quality?
Observational studies have linked low calcium and magnesium intakes with shorter or more disturbed sleep, but they do not prove cause and effect. Neither mineral has an authorised health claim for sleep in the EU or Switzerland, and there is no reliable evidence that supplements improve sleep in people who are not deficient. Getting enough from your diet is still worthwhile for your overall health.
Is it bad to eat late in the evening?
A small snack is fine, but a large, rich or spicy meal shortly before bed can cause heartburn and restless sleep, especially when you lie down. Aim to finish dinner two to three hours before bedtime. If you get hungry later, choose something light such as yoghurt, a banana or a few nuts, and keep drinks moderate in the last hour.
Sources
- Watson NF et al.: Recommended amount of sleep for a healthy adult (AASM/SRS consensus statement, Sleep, 2015)
- European Food Safety Authority (EFSA): Caffeine
- Drake C et al.: Caffeine effects on sleep taken 0, 3, or 6 hours before going to bed (Journal of Clinical Sleep Medicine, 2013)
- Chang AM et al.: Evening use of light-emitting eReaders negatively affects sleep, circadian timing, and next-morning alertness (PNAS, 2015)
- Riemann D et al.: European guideline for the diagnosis and treatment of insomnia (Journal of Sleep Research, 2017)
- Ikonte CJ et al.: Micronutrient inadequacy in short sleep: analysis of the NHANES 2005–2016 (Nutrients, 2019)
This article is for general information and does not replace advice from a doctor or pharmacist. Food supplements are not a substitute for a varied, balanced diet and a healthy lifestyle.