If you’re lying awake at night wondering why you can’t sleep, the answer might not be complicated — it might just be one of these five common habits silently sabotaging your rest. The good news? Every single one of them is fixable.
Athena Care therapist, Kristen Marcantel, LMFT shares the top five sleep mistakes and what you can do about it starting tonight.
Mistake #1: Going to Bed at Different Times Each Night
This is the single most common sleep mistake Americans make — and for the third year running, it topped the U.S. News & World Report 2024 Sleep Habits Survey as the worst self-reported sleep habit. And it’s more serious than most people think.
Kristen says, “Consistency is key when creating new habits and routines. Something happens in our brains when we maintain a consistent bedtime, as well as structure around a bedtime routine. Our minds begin to correlate this new bedtime structure with rest and sleep the more consistent we are with it.”
Irregular sleep schedules are linked to a wide range of negative outcomes — mental health struggles, cognitive decline, metabolic problems, and more. Sleep irregularity can be an even stronger predictor of cardiovascular disease than sleep duration itself.
The Fix: Pick a bedtime and a wake time — and stick to both, even on weekends. Your internal clock (circadian rhythm) is a creature of habit. Within one to two weeks of consistency, most people notice they fall asleep faster and wake up feeling more refreshed. Start by anchoring your wake time first; it’s the easiest one to control.
Mistake #2: Scrolling Your Phone Before Bed
Screen time in bed ranked as the second most common bad sleep habit in the 2024 survey, with nearly half of Americans (46%) also preferring to fall asleep with the TV on. Science backs up the concern: a large 2025 study in JAMA Network Open analyzed 122,058 participants and found that screen use was directly linked to shorter sleep duration and worse sleep quality — especially in people who are natural “night owls.”
“Falling asleep with a comforting television series on or scrolling through our phones at night can be tempting,” says Kristen. “However, falling asleep with electronics increases the risk of fatigue and drowsiness the next day.”
The mechanism is well understood: light exposure at night delays the release of melatonin, the hormone that tells your brain it’s time to sleep. Blue light from smartphones and laptops suppresses melatonin and disrupts the body’s natural sleep-wake cycle, leading to longer time to fall asleep and reduced sleep quality.
The Fix: Set a “screens off” boundary 30 to 60 minutes before bed. Replace scrolling with something analog — a book, light stretching, or journaling. If you can’t quit cold turkey, switch your phone to night mode, lower screen brightness to minimum, or try blue-light-blocking glasses. Most importantly, keep your phone out of the bedroom entirely if possible.
Mistake #3: Drinking Caffeine Too Late in the Day
“Avoiding food at bedtime, as well as caffeine, can help improve sleep quality. Sleepy time tea is a great option during the evenings instead of caffeinated drinks,” shares Kristen.
That afternoon coffee might feel harmless, but high caffeine doses consumed within four hours of bedtime negatively impacted both perceived sleep quality and quantity — even when people thought they could “handle” it. The research showed caffeine consumed eight or more hours before bed had significantly less impact.
The half-life of caffeine is roughly five to six hours, meaning half of that 3 p.m. latte is still circulating in your system at 9 p.m. This keeps your brain more alert at exactly the time it needs to be winding down.
The Fix: Set a caffeine cutoff of 1–2 p.m. for most people. If you’re sensitive to caffeine or going to bed earlier than average, move it to noon. In the afternoon, switch to herbal tea, sparkling water, or a short walk outside — which, as a bonus, also helps regulate your circadian rhythm.
Mistake #4: Sleeping in a Warm Room
Most people never think about their bedroom temperature as a sleep tool — but it’s one of the most powerful ones you have. A 2025 review in the journal Indoor Air found that moderate thermal environments, roughly 65–72°F (18–22°C), best support sleep continuity for healthy adults. Research published in the Science of the Total Environment showed sleep efficiency dropped by a clinically meaningful 5–10% when room temperature climbed above 77°F (25°C).
Here’s why: your body needs to lower its core temperature slightly to transition into and maintain deep sleep. A warm room fights that process the whole night, leading to more wake-ups and less restorative rest.
The Fix: Aim for a bedroom temperature between 65–68°F (18–20°C). If you can’t control the thermostat, open a window, use a fan, or switch to lighter, moisture-wicking bedding. A warm shower or bath an hour before bed actually helps too — the subsequent drop in body temperature as you cool off acts as a natural sleep signal.
Mistake #5: Taking Stress and Worry to Bed
“There are great benefits to developing a new relaxation routine at night.” Kristen shares that, “A relaxation routine can help improve the quality of how we feel as we prepare for bedtime and when we wake up in the morning.”
This one might be the hardest to fix but is arguably the most impactful. In the 2024 U.S. News & World Report survey, three in four Americans (74%) said stress had affected their sleep, and two-thirds (66%) reported not feeling well-rested most nights. A 2024 study published in Neurology found that people who had more disrupted sleep in their 30s and 40s were more likely to experience memory and thinking problems a decade later — making the stakes of unmanaged nighttime stress real and long-term.
When you’re anxious, your body stays in a low-grade stress state, keeping cortisol elevated and your nervous system on alert — the opposite of the calm state needed for deep, restorative sleep.
The Fix: Build a 10–15 minute “wind-down ritual” into your evenings. Options backed by research include: writing down tomorrow’s to-do list (which offloads mental load), progressive muscle relaxation, or light reading. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Insomnia (CBT-I) is also considered the gold-standard treatment for chronic stress-related sleep issues, often outperforming sleep medication.
Kristen offers more ideas: “There are several strategies to try for relaxation, such as using lavender scents/oils, dimming the lights, breath work (square breathing where you inhale for four counts, hold for four counts, exhale for four and hold again for four), reading a book, and journaling. Gratitude journaling is a great tool for reflection of positive experiences throughout the day. Keep in mind that most likely at 1AM, not much can be done about the stressors dominating our thoughts that keep us awake. If the brain chatter does not slow down when trying to sleep, it can be helpful to keep a notepad next to the bed to write down those thoughts keeping us awake.”
The Bottom Line
“Restorative rest is like pressing a reset button in our brains,” says Kristen. “Have you ever been so tired, but after a solid night’s rest you are able to think clearer and feel better the next day? Restorative rest decreases stress, anxiety, and depression and improves cognitive functioning. A medical evaluation with your physician can rule out any underlying medical problems If you are continuing to feel poorly and struggle to sleep at night after trying new strategies.”
You don’t have to overhaul your entire life to sleep better. Start with just one of these fixes this week — most likely the irregular sleep schedule, since it tops every survey and has the broadest ripple effect on overall sleep health. Small, consistent changes compound quickly when it comes to sleep. Better rest is closer than you think.
If any of the above resonated with you, reach out to Athena Care to understand learn how we can help you. You can contact us by filling out the short form below or call/text us at +1 877-641-1155 or email [email protected].
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Kristen Marcantel, LMFT
Therapist
Kristen is passionate about creating a safe and relaxing environment that offers hope and healing for individuals and couples who experience anxiety and depression. As a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist, she is eager to build a strong connection and walk alongside you on the healing journey.
Meg Stein, CFP
Editor
Meg is a certified mindfulness instructor and works at Alive and Aware Practice in Durham, NC. She has over ten years of experience as a content creator and marketing consultant, working in mental healthcare and social justice.
Sources:
Alam, M., Abbas, K., Sharf, Y., & Khan, S. (2024). Impacts of blue light exposure from electronic devices on circadian rhythm and sleep disruption in adolescent and young adult students. Chronobiology Medicine, 6, 10–14. https://doi.org/10.33069/cim.2024.0004
American Academy of Neurology. (2024, January 4). Even in midlife, disrupted sleep tied to memory, thinking problems later on. ScienceDaily. https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2024/01/240104002759.htm
Kalkanis, A., & colleagues. (2025). Sleep regularity as an important component of sleep hygiene: A systematic review. Sleep Medicine Reviews. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.smrv.2025.101
Kocak, A., Georgousopoulou, E., Knight-Agarwal, C. R., Matthews, R., & Minehan, M. (2025). The effect of consuming caffeine before late afternoon/evening training or competition on sleep: A systematic review with meta-analysis. Sports, 13(9), 317. https://doi.org/10.3390/sports13090317
U.S. News & World Report. (2024). 2024 sleep habits survey: Americans prioritize worry over rest. https://sleepsavvymagazine.com/sleep-savvy-feature-stories/consumer-corner/2024-sleep-habits-survey-americans-prioritize-worry-over-rest/
Yasmeen, H., & Hong, X. (2025). Exploring the interconnection of sleep quality, indoor environmental factors, and energy efficiency: Strategies for sustainable sleep environments. Indoor Air, 2025, Article 8245786. https://doi.org/10.1155/ina/8245786
Zhong, C., & colleagues. (2025). Electronic screen use and sleep duration and timing in adults. JAMA Network Open, 8(3), e252493. https://doi.org/10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2025.2493