Professor Colin Espie
Professor of Sleep Medicine, University of Oxford
Learn how to prioritise better sleep in 2025 with expert advice on personalised sleep hygiene, modern challenges and setting boundaries for a healthier, restorative rest.
The sleep pioneer Dr Nathaniel Kleitman referred to the ‘hygiene of sleep’ in a 1939 book.1 Another famous researcher, Dr Peter Hauri, developed the idea in 1977, providing information about lifestyle (diet, exercise, caffeine, alcohol) and environmental factors (light, noise, temperature) that affect sleep.2 This is all good advice even today.
What sleep hygiene means for you
Interestingly, Dr Hauri never intended sleep hygiene to be static and, although the name stuck, he never liked it. However, he was positive that individuals could discover the one or two rules that would unlock better sleep for them. What might your one or two rules be?
You need to find out and directly
address what interferes with your sleep.
Perhaps limiting coffee or keeping your bedroom dark. Perhaps more up-to-date enemies of sleep need to be addressed, like creating a deadline for social media use. You need to find out and directly address what interferes with your sleep.You also need to do so firmly and consistently. This is a point I made in my 2021 ‘refresh’ of sleep hygiene, part of an NHS campaign during the Covid-19 pandemic and published in a self-help book.3
How to prioritise sleep today
It’s time we prioritise our sleep. Yet, it is easier said than done. Who likes to be the first to admit they are tired or leave the party early, especially if it’s just getting started? You may feel guilty that you’re letting other people down by prioritising your sleep. However, it gets easier with practice and sets a good example. Let’s make 2025 the year of discovering how to value and prioritise good sleep. If you need help with a sleep problem that has become persistent, seek help from a qualified health professional.
[1] Kleitman, N. (1939). The hygiene of sleep and wakefulness. Chapter 30 in Sleep and Wakefulness. Chicago, IL: University of Chicago Press.
[2] Hauri P.J. (1977) The sleep disorders: current concepts. Kalamazoo, MI: Scope Publications, Upjohn.
[3] Espie, C.A. (2021) Overcoming Insomnia: A Self-Help Guide Using Cognitive Behavioural Techniques, 2nd edition. Little, Brown Book Group, London.
