If you feel like you’re doing “everything right” with your nutrition but still dragging yourself through the day, there’s a good chance your sleep habits are part of the problem. Most of the women I work with are exhausted, overstimulated and running on stress hormones instead of nourishment. Sleep isn’t just rest. It’s a metabolic, hormonal and neurological reset that your body depends on.
The tricky part is that sleep doesn’t automatically “happen.” It’s a biological process that responds to cues, rhythms and behaviors. That’s where sleep hygiene comes in. And no, sleep hygiene isn’t about having the perfect bedroom or drinking moon milk before bed. It’s the set of habits that help regulate your sleep-wake cycle so your brain actually recognizes when it’s time to power down.
What Sleep Hygiene Really Means
Sleep hygiene is the collection of environmental and behavioral habits that support high-quality sleep. Think of it as the nutrition facts label for your nighttime routine. It includes everything from your light exposure to your stress levels to what and when you eat.
Good sleep hygiene helps:
- Regulate circadian rhythm
- Support hormone balance, including cortisol, melatonin and hunger hormones
- Improve attention, memory and executive function
- Reduce anxiety and overstimulation
- Support metabolism and blood sugar regulation
- Strengthen immune health
When these pieces work together, your body sleeps better and you wake up more resilient instead of feeling like you’ve been hit by a truck.
The Habits That Support Better Sleep
These are the practices I teach clients all the time because they’re realistic and clinically useful. You can weave them into your life without feeling like you’re training for a sleep Olympics.
Limit stimulating light in the evening
Your brain reads light as information. Bright light, especially from screens, delays melatonin release and keeps your nervous system alert.
Doable version: dim the lights after dinner and reduce screen time about 60 minutes before bed. Even lowering your screen brightness helps.
Keep caffeine earlier in the day
Caffeine has a six to eight hour half-life, which means your 3 p.m. cold brew is still hanging out in your system at bedtime.
Doable version: aim for your last caffeinated drink before 1 p.m.
Build a predictable pre-sleep routine
Your brain loves patterns. Consistent cues help your body shift out of work mode and into rest mode.
Doable version: choose two or three cues you actually enjoy and repeat them each night.
Eat enough during the day
If you under-eat, your body increases cortisol and adrenaline to keep you going. That same stress chemistry makes it harder to fall asleep and stay asleep.
Doable version: aim for balanced meals with protein, carbs, fiber and fats every few hours.
Keep your sleep and wake times consistent
You don’t need perfection. You just need your body to be able to predict when rest is coming.
Doable version: keep your bedtime and wake time within a 60–90 minute window most nights.
My Actual Nighttime Sleep Hygiene Routine
This is the version I use on busy weeks when I still want to feel human in the morning. It’s simple, repeatable and realistic for corporate girlies, parents, creatives and anyone who is managing approximately 47 tabs open in their brain.
1. I shut down “input mode” by 8:30 p.m.
This includes work emails, client messages, and general doom scrolling. My brain cannot turn off if I’m still taking in information. I treat this like a boundary instead of a vibe.
2. Warm lighting and something grounding
I switch my lamps to warm light and do something that tells my nervous system “we’re done for the day.” Usually that’s:
- Hot shower
- Light stretching
- Tidying the kitchen for five minutes
Nothing intense or aspirational. Just regulating.
3. A protein-forward evening snack
When I’m hungrier, I keep it simple. Greek yogurt with berries. A slice of sourdough with nut butter. A small bowl of cereal and milk. It stabilizes blood sugar for the night and keeps cortisol from spiking at 3 a.m.
4. I protect my mornings
Sleep hygiene isn’t only a nighttime thing. What I do in the morning affects how well I sleep later. So I get morning light and eat breakfast with protein, carbs and fiber to help set my circadian rhythm.
Why Sleep Hygiene Helps Your Hormones and Energy
Better sleep supports the very things women come to me for:
- More stable hunger and fullness cues
- Fewer cortisol-driven crashes
- Better mood, focus and emotional regulation
- More consistent workouts
- More energy throughout the day
When your sleep improves, your nutrition feels easier. It’s the foundation, not the bonus.
How to Build Your Own Sleep Routine
You don’t need to copy mine. You need a pattern that feels doable most nights. Choose three things that make your body feel safe, grounded and ready to rest. Keep the routine short enough that you’ll actually stick to it. Consistency beats perfection every time.
About the Author
Claire Rifkin, MS, RDN, LDN is a women’s health dietitian and founder of Claire Rifkin Nutrition, where she helps overworked, overwhelmed women feel well-fed, energized and at home in their bodies again. She specializes in hormone-supportive nutrition, meal planning and realistic habits that actually fit into real life. Follow Claire on Instagram: @clairerifkinnutrition
