The 8 easiest ways to set a good sleeping routine in January, according to experts

Here are some simple habits to help you get back into a good sleeping routine as a new year begins

The festive period often sees many of us losing track of our usual routines, leading to a significant impact on our sleep patterns. As the Christmas and New Year celebrations draw to a close, a collective "sleep debt" frequently emerges, leaving individuals feeling more tired than rested.

"At this time of year, people have often had far too much alcohol, they’re tired and have accumulated a sleep debt, so good sleep is at an all-time low," reflects Dr Marion Sloan, a GP partner at Sloan Medical Centre in Sheffield and chair of the Primary Care Society for Gastroenterology.

While the natural inclination is to focus on evening and nighttime habits when sleep falters, Dr David Garley, a GP and director of The Better Sleep Clinic, suggests this approach overlooks a crucial element.

"When you aren’t sleeping well, it’s quite natural to focus on the night, but actually by shifting your focus to the day and carrying out activities that reinforce the wake phase of your circadian rhythm can help the sleep phase arrive a bit more naturally at night," explains Dr Garley.

For those whose sleep has veered off course over the holidays, a reset is entirely achievable. Here are eight expert-backed strategies to help restore healthy sleep patterns this January:

1. Embrace Daylight Exposure

Re-establishing healthy rhythms begins with natural light. "Early January is a really good time to look for a fresh start and to try and re-establish some healthy rhythms, and one of the most natural ways to do that is to get out in that early-morning sunshine," recommends Dr Sloan. Dr Garley concurs, highlighting light’s role in setting our circadian rhythm. Even a brief walk during a lunch break can significantly aid nighttime sleep, despite the shorter, darker days.

Exposing yourself to natural light will help re-establish some healthy rythyms (PA)

2. Incorporate Daytime Movement

Physical activity during the day is vital for preparing both body and mind for restful sleep. "We sleep to charge our batteries back up again, so in an ideal world you would be physically tired to get into a decent night’s sleep," says Dr Sloan. While individual optimums vary, aiming for 10,000 steps daily is suggested as a beneficial target.

3. Maintain a Consistent Wake Time

Taking control of your sleep schedule is paramount. "You want to be the boss of your own sleep, so have a fixed wake-up time and try not to vary it by too much more than an hour at the weekend," advises Dr Garley.

4. Develop a Wind-Down Routine

A period of relaxation before bed is essential. "It’s important to have a bit of wind-down time before you try to go to sleep," Dr Sloan explains. Activities such as reading a book for half an hour can effectively prepare the body for sleep. "Whether your wind-down routine is floating through Facebook to see what’s happening, or reading a book or just laying quietly, it can help you fall off into a natural sleep."

Activities such as reading a book for half an hour can effectively prepare the body for sleep (Alamy/PA)

5. Explore Journaling

For those struggling with sleep-related worries, journaling can offer clarity. "If you are really struggling with your sleep, it can be good to try and explore what it is about your sleep that you’re worried about, so journaling can be a really good way to understand that," suggests Dr Garley. He recommends journaling two or three hours before bed, as writing down thoughts makes them "defined, and a defined thought is much easier to think about in a constructive way."

6. Resist the Urge to Lie In

Prolonged lie-ins can disrupt the crucial association between your bed and sleep. "If you lie in, it tends to blur the boundaries between sleep happening in the bed and wake happening out of the bed and it’s actually that association between the bed and sleep that tends to trigger sleep," explains Dr Garley. Getting out of bed promptly in the morning helps maintain this division.

Lie-ins are nice but aren’t beneficial to your sleep (Alamy/PA)

7. Consider a Daylight Alarm Clock

For chronic alarm snoozers, a daylight alarm clock can provide a gentler awakening. "You can get these daylight alarm clocks that just set off a bit of light before the alarm goes off," says Dr Garley. This gradual illumination helps transition from deeper to lighter sleep states, making the eventual alarm less jarring and promoting a fresher start to the day.

8. Avoid Forcing Sleep

Sleep is often elusive when pursued too aggressively. "Sleep is one of these quite unusual things that the more you try to do it, the less likely it is to happen," highlights Dr Garley. If sleep doesn't come within 15 to 20 minutes, it’s better to leave the bed and engage in a relaxing, distracting activity, such as reading or watching television, until the urge to sleep returns.