4 Ways to Help Your Body Sleep Longer

Before becoming a parent, I could sleep in until 10 AM easily. These days, I’m lucky if I get to sleep past 8 AM. But it’s not just parenthood that can alter your sleep schedule: As we get older, it can become harder to snooze as long as we’d like, and it can feel like our bodies just don’t know how to sleep longer. Even regardless of age, many adults struggle to get enough quality sleep each night.

To learn why so many of us struggle to get the rest we need—and to gather tips for how to sleep longer once and for all—we spoke to two experts: Valerie Cacho, MD, an integrative sleep physician and women’s sleep expert, and Angela Holliday-Bell, MD, a board-certified physician, certified sleep specialist, and CEO of The Solution is Sleep. Read on for everything you need to know.

How Much Sleep Do You Need, Again?

The amount of Zzzs you need each night depends on several factors, including age. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends at least seven hours a night for adults ages 18–60, seven to nine hours for adults ages 61–64, and seven to eight hours for adults ages 65 and older. 

But it’s not just the quantity of sleep you’re getting that matters. The quality of your rest plays a crucial role, too.

“Historically, we’ve always really cared about sleep duration, and we’re always telling people you need seven to nine hours of sleep if you’re an adult, and more than that for younger age groups,” Matthew D. Weaver, PhD, an associate epidemiologist at Brigham and Women's Hospital in Boston, previously told The Output. “And duration is only one component of sleep health. Other components that we’re increasingly viewing as important are regularity, satisfaction with your sleep, how alert you feel at any given time, and how efficient you are with your sleep.”

Possible Reasons Why You Can’t Sleep Long Enough

Many factors can negatively impact how long you sleep. Dr. Cacho groups the reasons into three categories: mind, body, and soul. 

And that’s just the start. According to Dr. Holliday-Bell, other factors that can negatively affect your sleep quantity or quality may include:

It’s also important to remember that waking up a few times throughout the night is fairly common, and it’s not necessarily waking up in the middle of the night that causes trouble. Rather, it’s what we do during those wake periods, such as checking our phones or looking at the time on our alarm clocks, that can negatively impact our sleep. 

How to Tell If Your Body Needs More Sleep

If you still feel tired when you wake up in the morning, or you’re tired throughout the day and find yourself needing naps or reaching for multiple cups of coffee to function, then you may not be getting enough sleep at night.

“I would ask how they feel when they wake up and throughout the day. Are they unrefreshed and want to hit the snooze button?” Dr. Cacho says. “Or are they running on empty and feel the urge to nap or fall asleep in passive situations?” These are hints your body may need more good quality sleep.

How to Sleep Longer

In a perfect world, we would all get the exact amount of sleep we need each night—but of course, that’s often easier said than done. Thankfully, there are a few expert- and research-backed tips that can help you sleep longer:

1. Keep a Consistent Sleep and Wake Schedule 

Aim to go to bed and wake up at the same time every day. “Going to sleep and waking up at the same time helps to reinforce your circadian rhythm so that it learns to send wake signals and sleepy cues at the same time every day,” Dr. Holliday-Bell says. “So if you are having constantly varied schedules, then your melatonin [a hormone involved in sleep] will likely be released at different times and the cortisol that is typically released in the mornings as a cue to wake up is released at different times, which can definitely affect how long you remain asleep and your sleep quality in general.”

Bonus points: Try to get exposure to natural light within an hour of waking up in the morning, says Dr. Holliday-Bell, which can reinforce your circadian rhythm by shutting off the release of melatonin.

2. Establish a Regular Bedtime Routine 

That’s right: Bedtime routines aren’t just for babies and young children. Adults can benefit from having a relaxing nighttime routine as well, whether that involves journaling, meditating, or doing a restorative yoga practice before bed.

“Giving your brain and body time to wind down and come down from the stress and anxiety of the day into the calmness of the night is helpful,” Dr. Holliday-Bell says. “Even if you’re able to fall asleep, stress can cause you to remain in lighter stages of sleep, which can lead to more broken quality sleep and early-morning wakings.”

3. Create an Environment That’s Conducive to Good Quality Sleep

It’s important to practice healthy sleep behaviors, especially when you’re trying to sleep longer. Ensure your sleep space is completely dark, whether that’s through the use of blackout curtains or a sleep mask. Try to limit sound, too, or use a noise machine to provide soothing, continuous sounds.

If you can, try to keep your bedroom temperature cool, too. (Experts typically recommend between 60–67 degrees.) “Your body’s temperature has to decrease by one to two degrees to facilitate the transition to sleep and maintain sleep,” Dr. Holliday-Bell says. “An increase in body temperature naturally happens in the early morning hours and signals to your body that it’s time to be awake, so if your sleep space is too warm and you start sending those signals too early, you can be telling your body that you want to be awake much earlier than you really do.”

4. Consider Diet and Exercise

“Foods higher in saturated fats and sugars are associated with more arousals at night and less deep sleep,” Dr. Cacho says. “Exercise is great for reducing stress and also making us feel physically tired which is great for sleep.”

When to Talk To Your Healthcare Provider

If you find yourself doing all of the recommended practices above and you’re still unable to sleep as long as you’d like, it may be time to speak with your doctor. 

“If you have an underlying cardiac issue such as high blood pressure, atrial fibrillation, or congestive heart failure and don’t sleep well, I would see a doctor to get tested for obstructive sleep apnea right away, as this can lead to worsening of your heart condition if untreated,” Dr. Cacho explains. “For those without heart disease, if you have tried some things for two to four weeks and still can’t sleep, it would be best to seek professional help.”

And if you meet the criteria for chronic insomnia—which includes difficulty falling or staying asleep or suffering from poor sleep quality for at least three or more nights per week over the course of three months—you may also benefit from speaking with your healthcare provider. They can determine the root of your sleep struggles and help you find relief.

The Takeaway

Establishing a consistent sleep schedule, creating a calming bedtime routine, and elevating your sleep environment can all help you achieve longer, more restful sleep. Keep in mind that factors such as stress, alcohol and caffeine consumption, and other health conditions can also impact the quality of your sleep. 

Getting enough rest is an important part of your overall health and can help improve your well-being and cognitive function and contribute to healthy aging. But if sleep issues persist despite trying the strategies mentioned above, it may be beneficial to seek guidance from a healthcare professional to address any potential sleep disorders or underlying health concerns.

This content is for informational and educational purposes only and does not constitute individualized advice. It is not intended to replace professional medical evaluation, diagnosis, or treatment. Seek the advice of your physician for questions you may have regarding your health or a medical condition. If you are having a medical emergency, call your physician or 911 immediately.