How I Finally Learned to Sleep

Have you ever wanted to sleep better? Not just get through the night, but actually wake up feeling rested, clear-headed, ready for the day?

For years, I didn’t sleep well. I’d lie in bed, exhausted but wired, my mind playing an endless reel of thoughts I couldn’t switch off. Conversations replaying, decisions I should have made differently, the ever-growing to-do list stretching out into the future. I’d stare at the ceiling, knowing I needed to sleep, but my brain had other plans.

It got worse when I landed my first big promotion—Head of HR for Northern Europe. A huge step up. More responsibility, bigger expectations. I told myself I was handling it, but at night, when the world went quiet, my mind filled the silence with noise. I’d get into bed, and suddenly, I was in a boardroom, running through tomorrow’s meetings, crafting responses to emails I hadn’t even received yet.

I tried everything—breathing exercises, meditation, herbal teas. Nothing worked.

So I found my own solution: audiobooks.

I started listening to them every night, one headphone in, a soft voice telling a story until, eventually, I drifted off. And for nearly ten years, that’s how I coped. Not fixed—just coped. I never questioned it. I was getting through the nights, wasn’t I?

Then came burnout.

And with burnout came the brutal realization that everything I had been doing—grinding through exhaustion, finding ways to numb my mind instead of listening to it—wasn’t working. It was never working. I had spent a decade managing the symptoms without ever addressing the cause.

The truth hit me hard: good sleep isn’t about what happens at night. It’s about what happens in the day.

How I Finally Fixed My Sleep

Once I started focusing on my days, my nights took care of themselves. These are the changes that transformed my sleep—and my life.

1. Get Up Early. No Snoozing. No Excuses.

The first battle isn’t falling asleep. It’s waking up. I used to hit snooze, doze in and out, let the morning slip away before I even got up. Now, I put my phone across the room, so when the alarm goes off, I have to physically get out of bed to turn it off. It’s brutal at first, but over time, my body adapted. Now, I wake up naturally—sometimes just before my alarm.

2. Move Your Body. Every Single Day.

We spend our days exhausting our minds but barely using our bodies. No wonder we can’t sleep. Movement is everything. You don’t have to run marathons—just move. A walk, a workout, stretching, anything. When I’m physically active, my body wants to rest.

3. Get Outside. No Matter the Weather.

There’s something almost primal about being outside. Fresh air, sunlight, the sound of wind through trees. It resets something inside you. Even on the busiest days, I make sure I step outside. Even when it’s raining. Especially when it’s raining.

4. Cut Caffeine and Chocolate Early.

I used to think I could have an espresso after dinner and be fine. I wasn’t fine. Caffeine lingers in your system longer than you think, and yes—so does chocolate. I moved my last coffee earlier in the day and stopped the evening chocolate habit. My sleep changed almost immediately.

5. Read Before Bed (But Choose Wisely).

Audiobooks helped me fall asleep, but they didn’t help me sleep well. I switched to paper books—or a Kindle (but never an iPad; the light is different). Reading slows the mind in a way that screens never can.

6. Put the Phone Away an Hour Before Bed.

This was the hardest one. I used to scroll late into the night, convincing myself I was “just checking something quickly.” Now, I put my phone on its charger on the other side of the room, and that’s where it stays until morning. It’s uncomfortable at first. But then you realize how much better you feel without that constant stream of stimulation.

7. Sleep at the Same Time Every Night.

Your body thrives on rhythm. When I started going to bed at the same time every night, something shifted. My body began regulating itself, winding down at the right time, making sleep effortless.

Sleep Isn’t a Luxury—It’s a Choice.

For years, I thought I was just a bad sleeper. That my mind was too active, that rest didn’t come easily to me. But it wasn’t true. I just wasn’t setting myself up for sleep in the right way.

If you’re struggling, know this—change won’t happen overnight. But stay consistent, and your body will adapt. And if you’re lying in bed, staring at the ceiling? Don’t fight it. Read a little. Breathe. Let go of the need to force sleep.

Because the secret isn’t what happens in those quiet hours of the night.

It’s what you do in the daylight.