Sleep is biology, not a performance
Sleep isn’t something we do—it’s something that happens when the body’s systems align. As explored earlier, sleep emerges from the interaction of light exposure, movement, social patterns, stress, and genetics. We can’t force it or “achieve” it through willpower. It’s a natural physiological outcome, not a skill to master. This understanding should fundamentally guide how we talk about sleep health.
Move away from “good sleep” language
Public health messages often repeat that “good sleep is vital for health.” While well-intentioned, this phrasing suggests that people can actively produce good sleep if they try hard enough. A more accurate message would be: creating the right conditions for restorative sleep is essential for health. This subtle shift emphasizes what people can actually influence—the environment, routines, and behaviors that support sleep—rather than sleep itself.
Normalize waking up at night and redefine nighttime as rest
Waking during the night is both normal and healthy. Even people who believe they sleep uninterrupted spend about 10–20% of the night awake when measured objectively. From an evolutionary standpoint, this makes sense: brief awakenings allow us to check our surroundings, shift position, or respond to bodily needs. When nothing requires attention, these moments often pass unnoticed.
It’s also completely typical to take up to 30 minutes to fall asleep and to wake one to three times per night for a combined total of around 30 minutes. Transitional states between wakefulness and sleep are normal, and research suggests this quiet, low-stimulus wakefulness may actually support brain health. Despite this, many people interpret these experiences as evidence that their sleep is “bad.”
Instead of treating nighttime as a period that must be fully unconscious, we should normalize it as a blend of sleep and rest. Because people often assume nighttime wakefulness is abnormal, they haven’t learned how to respond to it calmly. Many reach for their phones, which only increases stimulation. Teaching individuals about the value of quiet wakefulness—such as gentle mind wandering—and offering tools like slow breathing, mindfulness, or visualization can help reduce distress. If calm can’t be restored in bed, getting up briefly for a low-stimulus, screen-free activity like reading or listening to audio can be helpful before returning to sleep.
Prioritize circadian health over sleep duration
Rather than obsessing over how many hours someone sleeps, clinicians and educators should focus on strengthening circadian rhythms and supporting healthy daily behaviors. This includes maintaining a consistent wake-up time, spending ample time outdoors in daylight, and optimizing the broader lifestyle factors that influence sleep.
Growing evidence shows that regularity—especially consistent wake times—is more strongly linked to health outcomes than total sleep duration. Keeping wake time within about an hour of consistency across the week appears more important than rigid bedtimes, because wake time anchors the body’s internal clock. Bedtimes need flexibility to account for normal fluctuations in sleep need. Enforcing both strict bedtimes and wake times can actually increase nighttime awakenings and sleep-related anxiety.
Daytime light exposure plays a particularly powerful role. Spending time outdoors improves sleep quality far more than simply avoiding blue light at night. Research even suggests that more daylight exposure continues to benefit sleep and metabolic health without a clear upper limit.
Sleep is also deeply influenced by the other pillars of lifestyle health. Eating a plant-rich diet, engaging in both aerobic and strength-based exercise, managing stress, fostering social connection, and limiting harmful substances all support better sleep. Alcohol, in particular, is especially disruptive to sleep quality and should be minimized in any sleep health guidance.
How insomnia takes hold: the sleep-stress response
Insomnia often begins when the body’s sleep-stress response—sometimes called hyperarousal—is activated. Before insomnia develops, people usually experience occasional awakenings without concern, maintaining sleep efficiency around 80–90%. But when stress triggers this response, sleep patterns change.
The sleep-stress response is an adaptive survival mechanism. When the brain senses threat—whether from financial worries, illness, grief, work stress, or even excitement—it lightens sleep, increases awakenings, and shortens total sleep time. Historically, this helped humans remain alert to danger. During these periods, people may drift in and out of sleep or remain semi-aware of their surroundings while still receiving many restorative benefits.
Physiologically, this state is driven by increased sympathetic nervous system activity. People often feel “tired but wired”: mentally exhausted yet physically alert. Sleep duration may temporarily drop below seven hours without causing harm in the short term.
The issue arises because most people are never taught about this response. Instead, they’re told that uninterrupted seven-to-eight-hour sleep is mandatory. When sleep becomes fragmented, they panic, assuming something is wrong. Daytime fatigue is blamed on sleep itself, rather than recognized as a parallel effect of stress.
A common reaction is to spend more time in bed to “make up” for lost sleep. Unfortunately, this often worsens the problem. The core issue isn’t insufficient time in bed—it’s heightened arousal. Extending sleep opportunity increases wakefulness, weakens circadian rhythms, and amplifies anxiety around sleep. Over time, this cycle can solidify into chronic insomnia that lasts for years.
Sleep recalibration and CBT-I
Once researchers recognized the sleep-stress response, an effective treatment emerged: sleep recalibration. Originally known as sleep restriction therapy, it involves temporarily reducing time in bed to better match actual sleep ability, helping consolidate sleep. Combined with cognitive strategies, this approach forms Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Insomnia (CBT-I), now considered the gold standard treatment.
CBT-I improves sleep in roughly 75–80% of people with insomnia and produces longer-lasting benefits than sedative medications. It has also been shown to help individuals with conditions such as sleep apnea, depression, anxiety, PTSD, chronic pain, and perimenopausal symptoms. While traditionally delivered by trained clinicians, CBT-I is now available through digital programs and self-guided resources. As stress decreases and the system recalibrates, sleep typically becomes deeper and longer on its own.
Why sleep medications fall short
Sedatives—whether prescription or over-the-counter—do not resolve the underlying sleep-stress response. They may temporarily increase sleep duration or dull awareness of wakefulness, but tolerance often develops, and insomnia returns. By masking the problem, these medications delay adoption of effective behavioral and stress-management strategies.
Preventing insomnia through better sleep messaging
To reduce insomnia at a population level, sleep education should emphasize the following principles:
Explain the sleep-stress response
Stress naturally leads to lighter, shorter, and more fragmented sleep.Normalize nighttime awakenings
Waking at night is normal. Teach calming, screen-free ways to handle it.Teach sleep recovery skills
When sleep is disrupted, temporarily reduce time in bed, practice constructive worry, and increase stress-reducing activities.Support long-term stress management
Evidence-based therapies and mindfulness approaches can reduce chronic arousal.Favor consistent wake times over fixed bedtimes
Wake time consistency anchors circadian rhythms more effectively.Define sleep opportunity, not sleep quotas
Adjust time in bed based on individual needs and nighttime wakefulness.Normalize night-to-night variability
Sleep depth and duration naturally fluctuate with life demands.Strengthen circadian cues
Maximize daylight exposure and keep evenings dim and calm.Emphasize lifestyle foundations
Nutrition, movement, connection, stress management, and substance reduction all matter.Use CBT-I before sedatives
Behavioral treatment should be first-line care for chronic insomnia.
Closing perspective
Well-meaning sleep advice has unintentionally fueled anxiety and contributed to widespread insomnia. By reframing sleep as a biological process shaped by rhythms, stress, and behavior, we can help people develop a healthier relationship with rest.
Rather than chasing perfect sleep, the goal should be to create supportive conditions, embrace nighttime restfulness, and maintain strong daily rhythms. Grounded in insomnia science, this approach offers a more sustainable and compassionate path to better sleep.