5 habits that could be hurting your sleep and how to fix them
You’ll soon again gain an extra hour of sleep when daylight saving time ends Sunday and clocks fall back one hour. But that extra hour doesn’t necessarily mean better rest. The time change can still throw off your sleep routine, especially if you were already running short on sleep.
New findings from the Apple Health Study show Georgia’s average sleep score was 74.15, slightly below the national average of 74.7.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says adults ages 18 to 60 need at least seven hours of sleep a night. However, 30.5% of U.S. adults got less than that in 2024, according to the CDC.
The good news? Many of the habits that interfere with sleep are easy to change, according to Dr. Ana Casas, founder of Atlanta Age Management Medicine in Alpharetta.
Why the extra hour can backfire
An extra hour of sleep might seem like a welcome bonus, but our brains don’t necessarily see it that way, Casas says.
“Even though we are gaining an hour, our internal clock doesn’t automatically adjust when we change the clocks,” she told The Atlanta Journal-Constitution.
For someone who normally wakes up at 6 a.m., the time change could mean suddenly waking up at 5 a.m. because the brain is still operating on its previous schedule, she says. Earlier sunsets can also affect mood, energy and alertness.
“Changing your sleep and wake times can create a form of jet lag, even when you haven’t traveled anywhere,” said Casas, co-author of the upcoming book “Take Back Your Sleep.”
The habits hurting your sleep
Casas says she sees the same five habits affecting people’s sleep again and again.
- Keeping an inconsistent schedule. Going to bed at 10 p.m. one night, midnight the next and sleeping until 10 a.m. on weekends can send confusing signals to your body’s internal clock. “Our brains love it when we are consistent,” Casas said.
- Scrolling before bed. Checking your phone, answering emails and watching TV can keep the brain stimulated when it should be winding down. “The combination of evening light exposure and mental stimulation can make it more difficult for the brain to transition into sleep,” she said. In a 2025 American Academy of Sleep Medicine survey, 38% of adults said scrolling through news before bed made their sleep worse.
- Drinking caffeine too late. Caffeine can remain in your system for hours, affecting sleep quality even if you have no trouble falling asleep. A 2025 study in the journal Sleep found a large dose of caffeine disrupted sleep even when it was taken 12 hours before bedtime.
- Having a nightcap. “This is one of the biggest misconceptions about sleep,” Casas said. Alcohol may make you feel drowsy, but as the body breaks it down overnight, it can interrupt sleep. In 2025, a review published in Sleep Medicine Reviews found about two drinks before bed reduced REM sleep, a stage tied to memory and mood. “Being unconscious or sedated is not the same thing as having the brain create healthy sleep,” she said.
- Staying indoors all day. Healthy sleep “actually begins when we wake up in the morning,” according to Casas. Exposure to morning daylight helps regulate your internal clock, while regular physical activity supports sleep quality. “What we do during the day has a tremendous influence on what our brains can accomplish during the night,” she said.
How to reset your sleep
Getting better sleep starts with consistency. Casas recommends going to bed and waking up at the same time every day, including weekends. She suggests treating bedtime and wake-up time as “important appointment times.” The CDC recommends the same habit, along with at least seven hours of sleep a night for adults.
Getting outside in the morning can also help reset your internal clock. “Even 15 to 30 minutes of morning light exposure can help reinforce the body’s internal clock,” Casas said. This can also help you adjust to the time change faster.
Casas also encourages patients to protect what she called the “Golden Window,” the hour before bed. She and her daughter, Victoria, who is also her co-author, use the term to describe a time to disconnect from work, put away electronic devices and dim the lights. A hot shower, meditation or relaxing book can help you wind down, too.
Try avoiding caffeine and alcohol in the hours before bedtime. For people struggling to sleep, Casas suggests considering a caffeine cutoff at noon. Keeping the bedroom cool, dark and quiet can also support better rest.
When to see a sleep specialist
Most people adjust to the time change within a few days, though some may need a week or longer, according to Casas. She urges drivers to be especially cautious in the days following the time change. Sleep deprivation, she says, can make it harder to judge how well we’re functioning.
If sleep problems persist, or you experience excessive daytime sleepiness, loud snoring or gasping during sleep, she recommends getting evaluated by a sleep specialist.
“Protecting our sleep is one of the most important investments we can make in our long-term brain health,” Casas said.