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For adults with poor sleep. These habits are part of the treatment for insomnia. They work over weeks, not nights.

Drawing: The bed, the night, a fixed alarm, no tea or coffee late in the day, and the phone put away. — The bed, the night, a fixed alarm, no tea or coffee late in the day, and the phone put away.

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Patient's name Date Your fixed wake-up time Your earliest bedtime

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The four rules that retrain sleep

Get up at the same time every day, including holidays, however badly you slept.
Go to bed only when you are sleepy, not just because it is bedtime.
If you are awake for about 20 minutes, get up. Go to another room and do something quiet in dim light. Return to bed when sleepy. Repeat as often as needed.
Use the bed only for sleep. No phone, television, eating or working in bed.

In the day

Get daylight in the morning.
Be physically active, but not in the last 4 hours before bed.
Avoid daytime naps. If you must, 20 to 30 minutes before 3 pm.
Do not sleep late to make up for a bad night.

In the evening

No tea, coffee or cola for at least 6 hours before bed.
No alcohol or tobacco in the evening. Alcohol brings sleep on but breaks it later.
A light, early dinner.
Relax for an hour before bed. Put the phone and television away.
Keep the bedroom dark, quiet and cool.
If worries keep you awake, write them down earlier in the evening, with the next step for each.
Turn the clock away. Watching the time keeps you awake.

Sleeping tablets

They are for short-term use: a few days to 4 weeks at most.
Taken for longer, the body comes to depend on them and they stop working.
Never take them with alcohol. Do not drive the next morning if you are still sleepy.
In older people they can cause falls and confusion.
If you have taken one for many weeks, do not stop suddenly. Your doctor will reduce it slowly.
They are prescription-only medicines. Do not take a tablet prescribed for someone else.

See a doctor if

Poor sleep has lasted more than a month, or is affecting your work or your mood in the day
You snore loudly, stop breathing in sleep, or are very sleepy in the day
Your legs feel restless or jumpy at night
Your mood is low, or you feel anxious most days

Questions about this sheet? Call Caspian Healthcare reception on +91 89193 41154. A doctor is on duty at all hours for problems that are not critical. Caspian has no emergency department: in an emergency call 108.

Where this comes from

Prepared by Caspian Healthcare from the sources above. Last reviewed October 2026. General information: your own doctor's written instructions come first.