Cover Quality sleep boosts your mental sharpness, enhances mood and supports overall health (Photo: Getty Images)
Quality sleep boosts your mental sharpness, enhances mood and supports overall health (Photo: Getty Images)
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From caffeine timing to pre-bed habits, here’s how to rest smarter and wake up clearer so you can be your best self in 2026
New year, new me—and if becoming a high performer is the goal, sleep should be the starting point. It’s not just about clocking eight hours; it’s about sleeping well.
Research shows that chronic sleep deprivation doesn’t only make us feel tired. It affects mood, focus and cognitive functions such as logical reasoning and working memory. Over time, poor sleep is also linked to a higher risk of accidents, injuries and long-term health issues, including obesity and diabetes.
To help your body properly restore itself overnight, we’ve put together a list of dos and don’ts to guide your sleep routine.
Read more: Can wearing socks to bed help you sleep better? Here’s what research says
What to do for better sleep
1. Keep your caffeine hit early
Caffeine works by blocking adenosine, a compound in the body that promotes drowsiness. This is why it helps you feel alert and focused. However, caffeine can linger in your system for far longer than you might expect. Around a quarter of the caffeine you consume may remain active 10 to 12 hours later, reducing deep sleep and the later sleep stages involved in emotional and cognitive processing.
Read more: Matthew Walker on why the most productive thing we can all do is sleep
Above Caffeine keeps you awake by blocking sleep-inducing chemicals in the brain (Photo: Getty Images)
Caffeine keeps you awake by blocking sleep-inducing chemicals in the brain (Photo: Getty Images)
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2. Have a small serving of low-glycaemic carbohydrates
A modest portion of carbohydrates in the early evening can support sleep by increasing levels of serotonin and melatonin. The key is choosing complex, low-glycaemic options that digest slowly and avoid sharp spikes in blood sugar, which can disrupt sleep. Think quinoa, beans or basmati rice.
3. Create a pre-sleep ritual
Gentle yoga stretches, a hot bath or journalling while listening to calming music—whatever helps you unwind, consistency matters more than the activity itself. A regular pre-sleep routine trains your brain to recognise predictable cues for rest, helping regulate your internal clock and promoting deeper sleep.
Read more: White, brown, and pink noise: Decoding frequencies for focus and sleep
What to avoid
1. Don’t drink alcohol before sleep
A nightcap may help you fall asleep faster, but alcohol disrupts sleep quality. It increases the likelihood of waking during the night and suppresses rapid eye movement (REM) sleep. REM sleep plays a critical role in memory consolidation, emotional processing and central nervous system development—all things you don’t want to miss out on.
2. Don’t scroll your phone before bedtime
Blue light from screens suppresses melatonin, the hormone that signals your body it’s time to sleep. Engaging content also keeps the brain alert when it should be winding down. Ideally, step away from doomscrolling and put screens away at least an hour before bed. If that’s not realistic, use blue-light filters and switch to warm lighting in the evening to separate rest time from daytime stimulation clearly.
Above Exposure to blue light from LED screens can disrupt your sleep by interfering with the production of melatonin, the hormone that regulates your sleep cycle (Photo: Getty Images)
Exposure to blue light from LED screens can disrupt your sleep by interfering with the production of melatonin, the hormone that regulates your sleep cycle (Photo: Getty Images)
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3. Don’t watch the clock
If you can’t fall asleep, staring at the clock often creates stress and anxiety, which only makes things worse. Instead, get out of bed and do something quiet and low-stimulation in dim lighting, such as reading, journaling or slow breathing. When drowsiness returns, slide back into those sheets.
Read more: 8 Asian sleep practices and habits for better rest and wellness
Bonus: use sleep tech, with caution
If you’re looking to track or improve sleep quality, technology can help. But be mindful not to obsess over perfect metrics, which can increase anxiety and undermine rest. Always consider data accuracy and privacy policies.
- Wearables such as Oura Ring, Whoop and Apple Watch track sleep using heart rate, movement and temperature data.
- Smart bedding, including Sleep Number and Eight Sleep, allows you to adjust mattress firmness and regulate bed temperature.
- EEG headbands from brands like Muse S and Somnee monitor brain activity to identify sleep stages and may use audio soundscapes to support rest.
- Apps focused on meditation and habit-building can also help. And if a bedtime story works for you, Calm offers plenty; some even narrated by British singer-songwriter Harry Styles.
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Based in Hong Kong, editor Yoyo Chow covers the people and ideas redefining Asia’s future—from cutting-edge innovation and AI to bold moves in sustainability and diversity. She also drives content for Tatler Gen.T in Hong Kong, a platform and community spotlighting the region’s next generation of startup founders, creatives and changemakers.
Before that, she was a video journalist producing content for international TV and digital platforms, including Reuters and South China Morning Post. If you have a powerful story to share, she’s all ears. Send press materials, event invites and any inquiries to yoyo.chow@tatlerasia.com.
