I used to think getting eight hours of sleep every night was impossible. No matter how hard I tried, I’d toss and turn, wake up groggy, or find myself scrolling my phone at midnight.

But then I realized—it wasn’t just about what I was doing. It was also about what I needed to stop doing.

Certain habits were secretly sabotaging my sleep, and once I let them go, everything changed. Now, getting a full night’s rest feels effortless.

If you want to consistently wake up feeling refreshed, it’s time to say goodbye to these seven behaviors.

1) Using your phone before bed

I used to tell myself that a few minutes of scrolling before bed wouldn’t hurt. But somehow, those “few minutes” always turned into an hour.

The problem isn’t just the time wasted—it’s the blue light from your screen. Blue light tricks your brain into thinking it’s still daytime, making it harder for your body to produce melatonin, the hormone that helps you sleep.

And let’s be honest—how often do you actually feel relaxed after scrolling through social media or reading the news?

If you want to consistently get eight hours of sleep, try putting your phone away at least 30 minutes before bed. Your brain (and your mornings) will thank you.

2) Drinking caffeine too late in the day

I used to have a bad habit of drinking coffee in the afternoon. I’d hit that midday slump, make myself a cup, and tell myself it wouldn’t affect my sleep.

But then bedtime would roll around, and I’d just lie there—wide awake. Even when I felt tired, my brain wouldn’t shut off.

Turns out, caffeine can stay in your system for hours. In fact, even six hours after drinking coffee, half of the caffeine can still be in your body. No wonder I couldn’t fall asleep!

Once I cut off caffeine after lunch, everything changed. My nights felt more restful, and I woke up actually feeling refreshed. If you’re struggling to get eight hours of sleep, try setting a caffeine curfew—you might be surprised how much of a difference it makes.

3) Letting stress and worry take over

For the longest time, I thought my racing thoughts at night were just part of life. I’d get into bed, exhausted, only to have my mind flood with to-do lists, regrets, and random worries I couldn’t seem to shake.

That’s when I realized—the problem wasn’t just my sleep routine. It was my mindset.

In my book, The Art of Mindfulness: A Practical Guide to Living in the Moment, I talk about how mindfulness can help quiet the noise in our heads. When we learn to be present instead of dwelling on the past or stressing about the future, we create space for real rest—both mentally and physically.

A simple way to start? Try a few minutes of deep breathing or meditation before bed. Training your mind to slow down makes it easier for your body to follow. And when you stop letting stress control your nights, getting eight hours of sleep becomes a whole lot easier.

4) Keeping an inconsistent sleep schedule

For a long time, I thought I could “catch up” on sleep. I’d stay up late during the week, then sleep in on weekends, convinced I was balancing things out.

But no matter how much I slept in, I still felt exhausted. Some nights, I’d crash early but wake up at 3 a.m., completely alert. Other nights, I’d struggle to fall asleep at all. My body never seemed to know what to expect.

That’s because our bodies thrive on consistency. When you go to bed and wake up at the same time every day—even on weekends—you train your internal clock to work with you instead of against you.

Once I committed to a regular sleep schedule, everything changed. Falling asleep became easier, waking up felt natural, and for the first time in a long time, I actually felt rested.

5) Staying in bed when you can’t sleep

It sounds logical—if you can’t sleep, just stay in bed and wait for it to happen, right?

Actually, that’s one of the worst things you can do.

When you lie awake in bed for too long, your brain starts to associate your bed with frustration and restlessness instead of sleep. That makes it even harder to drift off the next time.

The better approach? If you’ve been lying there for more than 20 minutes without falling asleep, get up and do something relaxing—read a book (a real one, not your phone!), do some light stretching, or practice deep breathing. Then, once you feel sleepy again, go back to bed.

It felt counterintuitive at first, but once I stopped forcing sleep and instead focused on relaxation, my nights became so much easier.

6) Eating too close to bedtime

I used to have a habit of grabbing a late-night snack, thinking it would help me sleep better. But more often than not, I’d end up feeling uncomfortable, restless, or even waking up in the middle of the night.

That’s because eating too close to bedtime forces your body to focus on digestion when it should be winding down. Spicy or heavy foods can cause heartburn, and even seemingly harmless snacks can lead to blood sugar spikes that disrupt sleep.

Now, I try to finish eating at least two to three hours before bed, and the difference is huge. Falling asleep feels more natural, and I wake up feeling lighter and more refreshed.

If you’re struggling with restless nights, it might be time to rethink that late-night snack habit.

7) Ignoring your body’s signals

For the longest time, I ignored the signs my body was giving me. I’d push through exhaustion, stay up past the point of feeling tired, and convince myself that I just wasn’t “someone who sleeps well.”

But the truth is, our bodies want to sleep. We just have to listen.

Yawning, heavy eyelids, or that natural dip in energy in the evening—these are signals that it’s time to wind down. Ignoring them, whether by forcing yourself to stay up or numbing yourself with screens, only makes sleep more difficult.

Once I stopped fighting my body’s natural rhythm and actually leaned into those cues, getting eight hours of sleep became effortless.

Bottom line: Sleep is a rhythm, not a battle

For years, I treated sleep like a struggle—something I had to force into my life rather than something my body naturally wanted to do. But the truth is, sleep isn’t about willpower. It’s about rhythm.

Our bodies crave patterns, and when we align with them instead of fighting against them, rest becomes effortless.

That’s why mindfulness plays such a big role in better sleep. When we slow down, listen to our body’s signals, and let go of habits that disrupt our natural cycles, we create the conditions for deep, restorative rest.

I explore this idea further in my book, The Art of Mindfulness: A Practical Guide to Living in the Moment, where I dive into how simple shifts in awareness can transform not just your nights, but your entire life.

Because at the end of the day, good sleep isn’t about chasing rest—it’s about making space for it.