Mohamad-Ali Salloum is a Pharmacist and science writer. He loves simplifying science to the general public and healthcare students through words and illustrations. When he's not working, you can usually find him in the gym, reading a book, or learning a new skill.
How to Sleep early?
Mohamad Ali Salloum, PharmD • January 16, 2022
Share
Our daily functions depend on how well we slept, so how can we enhance our sleep?
A lot of studies were done about why humans sleep and why do we need it, however, no direct answer is given.
Sleeping is a complex process that is important to our brain where it allows us to continue doing our daily functions and go through the day.
Although we don't know the real reason behind why humans sleep, what we are sure of is that we really need it! There are studies that show going days without sleep will drive you crazy...LITERALLY. (1)
So let us go through several tips on how to sleep early. Applying these recommendations will lead to several changes in your life, and of course to the positive side.
1) Avoid Caffeine.
Having a drink that contains caffeine before bed will make it hard to fall asleep. It can stay in your system for up to 8 hours, so it is for the best to avoid it in the late afternoon and evening.
2) Avoid Alcohol.
Drinking alcohol may make you feel sleepy at first, but it can actually disrupt your sleep later at night. (6)
3) Create a bedtime routine and stick to it.
This might include taking a hot bath, reading a book, or writing in a journal. Do whatever makes you feel relaxed and sleepy.
4) Avoid Screens before bedtime.
Avoid watching television or working on the computer in bed. The bright screens can inhibit the release of Melatonin in your brain- a hormone that helps us to sleep- and will keep your mind active and make it harder to fall asleep . In addition, having screen time before bed is positively associated with poor sleep quality (2)
5) Make sure your bedroom is dark.
Alongside to avoiding the screen-time, it is also important to have a dark room to sleep in. Back in 2011, a study showed that chronically exposing oneself to electrical lighting in the late evening disrupts melatonin signaling and could therefore potentially impact sleep, thermoregulation, blood pressure, and glucose homeostasis. (3)
6) Exercising before bed time might be a good option.
However, DON'T do it less than one hour before you sleep (4). New study has shown that doing exercises more than one hour before bedtime will not affect your quality of sleep and It will rather enhance the quality of your Sleep. (5)
7) Have a goal.
Sleeping early is already a tough task, the real deal is to be consistent with it. With time, some people lose motivation to sleep early and give up to the temptation of sleeping late. The fix for this is to have a goal you want to work for and achieve it. Having a goal will motivate you to sleep early so you can wake up early and start your day productively. Your goals can be whatever you want, like learning music, video editing, meditation, morning sports…
Resources:
1) https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6048360/
2) https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7320888/
3) https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3047226/
4) https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s40279-018-1015-0
5) https://www.health.harvard.edu/staying-healthy/does-exercising-at-night-affect-sleep
6) https://www.webmd.com/sleep-disorders/news/20130118/alcohol-sleep
List of Services
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Mohamad-Ali Salloum, PharmD
Share
Recent articles:
Why does this always happen?
Discover the best ways to learn new skills
Stuck in your head? Discover why overthinking feels productive, how it sabotages your performance, and simple ways to shift into real action.
References: Wood W, Quinn JM, Kashy DA. Habits in everyday life: Thought, emotion, and action. J Pers Soc Psychol . 2002;83(6):1281–1297. Wood W, Neal DT. The habitual consumer. J Consum Psychol . 2009;19(4):579–592. Neal DT, Wood W, Labrecque JS, Lally P. How do habits guide behavior? Perceived and actual triggers of habits in daily life. J Exp Soc Psychol . 2012;48(2):492–498. Wood W, Mazar A, Neal DT. Habits and goals in human behavior: Separate but interacting systems. Perspect Psychol Sci . 2021;16(1):1–16. Graybiel AM. Habits, rituals, and the evaluative brain. Annu Rev Neurosci . 2008;31:359–387. Smith KS, Graybiel AM. Habit formation. Dialogues Clin Neurosci . 2016;18(1):33–43. Yin HH, Knowlton BJ. The role of the basal ganglia in habit formation. Nat Rev Neurosci . 2006;7(6):464–476. Graybiel AM. The basal ganglia and chunking of action repertoires. Neurobiol Learn Mem . 1998;70(1–2):119–136. Schultz W. Dopamine reward prediction error coding. Dialogues Clin Neurosci . 2016;18(1):23–32. Schultz W, Dayan P, Montague PR. A neural substrate of prediction and reward. Science . 1997;275(5306):1593–1599. Nasser HM, Calu DJ, Schoenbaum G, Sharpe MJ. The dopamine prediction error: Contributions to associative models of reward learning. Front Psychol . 2017;8:244. Kahnt T, Schoenbaum G. The curious case of dopaminergic prediction errors and learning associative information beyond value. Nat Rev Neurosci . 2025;26:169–178. Lally P, van Jaarsveld CHM, Potts HWW, Wardle J. How are habits formed: Modelling habit formation in the real world. Eur J Soc Psychol . 2010;40(6):998–1009. American Psychological Association. Harnessing the power of habits. Monitor Psychol . 2020;51(8):78–83.
References: Baddeley A. Working memory: theories, models, and controversies. Annu Rev Psychol . 2012;63:1–29. Chai WJ, Abd Hamid AI, Malin Abdullah J. Working memory from the psychological and neurosciences perspectives: a review. Front Psychol . 2018;9:401. Rogers RD, Monsell S. Costs of a predictable switch between simple cognitive tasks. J Exp Psychol Gen . 1995;124(2):207–231. Rubinstein JS, Meyer DE, Evans JE. Executive control of cognitive processes in task switching. J Exp Psychol Hum Percept Perform . 2001;27(4):763–797. Garner KG, Dux PE. Knowledge generalization and the costs of multitasking. Nat Rev Neurosci . 2023;24:98–112. Zhou X, Lei X. Wandering minds with wandering brain networks. Neurosci Bull . 2018;34(6):1017–1028. Sorella S, Crescentini C, Matiz A, et al. Resting‑state default mode network variability predicts spontaneous mind‑wandering. Front Hum Neurosci . 2025;19:1515902. Sweller J. Cognitive load during problem solving: effects on learning. Cogn Sci . 1988;12(2):257–285.
Why do we procrastinate even when tasks matter most? Discover the emotional roots of procrastination and how to stop
Confidence and self-esteem are often confused but are psychologically distinct. Learn how they differ, how each develops, and why understanding both matters for real growth.
Confidence isn’t about eliminating fear—it’s about acting despite it. Discover how courage, discomfort, and psychological growth build real confidence over time.
References: McMurray JJV, Packer M, Desai AS, et al. Angiotensin–neprilysin inhibition versus enalapril in heart failure. N Engl J Med . 2014;371(11):993–1004. Barter PJ, Caulfield M, Eriksson M, et al. Effects of torcetrapib in patients at high risk for coronary events. N Engl J Med . 2007;357:2109–2122. Kastelein JJP, Akdim F, Stroes ESG, et al. Simvastatin with or without ezetimibe in familial hypercholesterolemia. N Engl J Med . 2008;358:1431–1443. Gerstein HC, Miller ME, Byington RP, et al. Effects of intensive glucose lowering in type 2 diabetes. N Engl J Med . 2008;358:2545–2559. Echt DS, Liebson PR, Mitchell LB, et al. Mortality and morbidity in patients receiving encainide, flecainide, or placebo. N Engl J Med . 1991;324:781–788. Packer M, Anker SD, Butler J, et al. Effect of empagliflozin on cardiovascular and renal outcomes. N Engl J Med . 2020;383:1413–1424. Ioannidis JPA. Surrogate endpoints in clinical trials: are we being misled? BMJ . 2013;346:f314.
References: Wager TD, Atlas LY. The neuroscience of placebo effects: connecting context, learning and health. Nat Rev Neurosci . 2015;16(7):403‑18. Frisaldi E, Shaibani A, Benedetti F, Pagnini F. Placebo and nocebo effects associated with pharmacological interventions: an umbrella review. BMJ Open . 2023;13:e077243. Colloca L, Finniss D. Nocebo effects, patient‑clinician communication, and therapeutic outcomes. JAMA . 2012;307(6):567‑8. Howard JP, Wood FA, Finegold JA, et al. Side effect patterns in a blinded, randomized trial of statin, placebo, and no treatment. N Engl J Med . 2021;385(23):2180‑9. Penson PE, Mancini GBJ, Toth PP, et al. Introducing the “drucebo” effect in statin therapy. J Cachexia Sarcopenia Muscle . 2018;9(6):1023‑33. Barnes K, Faasse K, Geers AL, et al. Can positive framing reduce nocebo side effects? Front Pharmacol . 2019;10:167. Caliskan EB, Bingel U, Kunkel A. Translating knowledge on placebo and nocebo effects into clinical practice. Pain Rep . 2024;9(2):e1142. von Wernsdorff M, Loef M, Tuschen‑Caffier B, Schmidt S. Effects of open‑label placebos in clinical trials: a systematic review and meta‑analysis. Sci Rep . 2021;11:3855.