Jamie Schneider is the former Senior Beauty Editor at mindbodygreen. She has a B.A. in Organizational Studies and English from the University of Michigan, and her work has appeared in Coveteur, The Chill Times, and Wyld Skincare.
Image by mbg Creative / George Marks/Getty, xxmmxx/iStock
August 12, 2025
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Building strength is about so much more than spending time at the weight rack (though that’s important too!). Follow along with mindbodygreen this month as we explore how to cultivate strong nutrition, strong relationships, and a strong sense of self.
Sleep is about so much more than feeling well rested. Sleep impacts basically every single function of your body—not just your energy levels but also your heart health, mental health1, cardiovascular and metabolic health2, skin health… I could go on and on! Sleep is one of the most crucial factors in your overall strength and longevity—full stop.
Yet 1 in 3 U.S. adults don’t get enough shut-eye, and a much larger chunk doesn’t get enough quality sleep. Because it’s not just about the hours spent in bed—it’s about how restorative those hours actually are for your body.
That’s why many sleep experts recommend using a sleep tracker to monitor your sleep score, an aggregate of health metrics that can clue you in to your overall sleep quality. Here, they explain how to take yours to new heights.
Why you should strengthen your sleep score
“When it comes to sleep, people are not aware that quality is more important than quantity,” says physician and sleep specialist Angela Holliday-Bell, M.D.
While you can usually estimate the quality of your sleep by how you feel when you wake up in the morning, wearable sleep trackers can provide more granular measurements. These gadgets give an overview of your sleep quality and sleep patterns, which can help you identify any issues or ways to optimize your schedule.
“The most common metrics provided by sleep trackers are total sleep time, time spent in various sleep stages, and overall activity tracking,” notes behavioral sleep doctor Shelby Harris, PsyD, DBSM.
Trackers typically break down your night into light sleep, deep sleep, REM sleep, and latency (aka, how long it takes you to fall asleep) stages. However, “these trackers are less accurate when estimating time spent in each sleep stage—though they are improving,” says Harris.
Trackers can also measure your heart rate, heart rate variability (HRV), respiratory rate, and body temperature to further shed light on your sleep architecture. See, your heart rate naturally decreases while you’re sleeping. “So when that goes down during the night can be a clue to your sleep quality,” notes Holliday-Bell.
Combined, these metrics form your nightly sleep score. Holliday-Bell considers anything above 80 a “good” score, though many sleep optimizers among us aim for the high 90s each night.
Sleep is personal, and tracking your sleep score over time can give you an idea of the habits that set you up for your deepest sleep.
To track or not to track?
Using a sleep tracker can be immensely helpful when it comes to picking up trends you might not have been aware of. For example, you may think you go to bed around the same time each night, but a wearable can clue you in to the exact hour you finally wind down. If you feel groggy one morning, maybe your wearable shows you woke up three times in the middle of the night.
Essentially, the data is great for gleaning insights on how to improve your nightly snooze. And, look, knowledge is power! But there’s a fine line between helpful data and information overload.
“Sometimes people get a bit deeper in the weeds of their sleep patterns than they need to,” Holliday-Bell notes. Let’s say your wearable says you didn’t spend much time in REM one night—will you let that information impact the rest of your day? If so, you might not be the best candidate for sleep trackers in the first place.
“If you find yourself really worrying about the numbers themselves, and when you look at the data from your wearable you become more stressed because of it, those may be signs that it’s probably not the right thing for you to utilize,” she adds.
Sleep shouldn’t be stressful (in fact, stress can harm your sleep quality!), so if tucking into bed does bring you anxiety, you might want to forgo the wearable. You can still implement the below tips and achieve stronger sleep quality—promise!
Expert tips to optimize your sleep
There are myriad ways to improve your sleep quality—whether you’re measuring it with a tracker or intuiting it based on feel. Here are a few foundational ones to prioritize:
Stick to a regular bedtime: Goingto bed at the same time, night after night, is crucial for your circadian rhythm (aka, your internal clock). “When you alter a sleep schedule more than an hour difference, your body feels tired because your circadian rhythm has not been synced,” double-board-certified integrative medicine doctor Amy Shah, M.D., once shared with mbg.
Keep a consistent wake-up schedule: Similarly, waking up at the same time each morning (yes, even on weekends!) is a must for feeling rested. The circadian rhythm thrives on routine; Holliday-Bell even notes that a consistent wake time is more important than going to sleep at the same time every night. A good night’s sleep starts in the morning!
Wind down: Read a book, take a warm shower, meditate… any activity that will calm your mind and prepare your body for sleep. “Trying to slow down an hour before bed is helpful, but don’t stress if you can’t commit to that every night; even 15-30 minutes of relaxation helps,” says Harris.
Optimize your bedding: Don’t underestimate the power of a good pillow. “A quality mattress and pillow can significantly impact sleep by providing support, relieving pressure, and enhancing comfort,” says Harris. “If overheating during sleep is a problem, look for cooling bedding materials like breathable sheets or a cooling pillow.”
Stow the electronics: While you wind down, try to refrain from scrolling through your phone or computer. The blue light from your tech suppresses melatonin production3, which can keep you from falling asleep.
Dim the lights: “Even if you are not watching television or have your phone away, if you’re existing in typical light, you’re sending cues to your brain that it’s time to be awake,” says Holliday-Bell, so consider dimming the lights as you tuck into bed. If you want to go the extra mile, she also recommends investing in a red light lamp. “Certain wavelengths of red light actually help stimulate melatonin production,” she adds.
Get natural light in the morning: Getting some natural light exposure within an hour of waking is a great way to increase alertness in the morning. It helps regulate your circadian rhythm, which, in turn, impacts how well you sleep at night. If you rise when it’s still dark out, you can use a warm, sun-mimicking lamp to signal your circadian rhythm that it’s time to wake.
Enlist natural sleep aids: Natural sleep aids such as magnesium, GABA and L-theanine, melatonin, and valerian root can help promote a sense of calm and increase sleep quality. (Find our favorite options here.) While melatonin is popular, you should know that it isn’t the best choice for long-term use. “Taking melatonin, particularly at higher doses, can be linked to undesirable desensitizing phenomena, such as nightmares, grogginess, and headaches,” says nutrition scientist Ashley Jordan Ferira, Ph.D., RDN.
Limit alcohol: “Alcohol can make you more sleepy initially, but it can ruin overall sleep quality,” says Harris. That’s not to say you can never enjoy a cocktail again—experts simply advise you to have your last beverage four to six hours before going to bed.
Monitor your naps: For most people, a midday nap can provide a quick burst of energy and even boost cognitive function4. If you do find yourself in need of a nap (it happens!), just try to keep it under 30-45 minutes. And know that if you nap after 2 p.m. (for most people), it has more of a chance of impacting your sleep later on.
Stay cool: Experts have found 65 to 68 degrees Fahrenheit to be the optimal temperature range for sleep. That’s because our core body temperature drops5 during the nocturnal sleep phase and increases during the wake phase. By lowering the temperature of your room a few hours before bed, you can initiate your body’s cool-down process—which, in turn, can help you feel sleepier.
Try not to stress: “While aiming for better sleep consistently throughout the week is smart, try to avoid fixating on ‘perfect’ sleep every single night,” says Harris. It’s easier said than done, but know that stressing about sleep will only hinder your sleep. Everyone (even sleep doctors) has bad nights every once in a while—that’s OK!
Your best sleep plan
Set a strong base
So many tips can easily become overwhelming. If you’ve never thought much about improving your sleep quality, here are the basics you need to get started:
Set a morning & bedtime alarm: Before your body settles into a natural sleep-wake pattern, you may need to mark specific times to wind down and rise. Do your best to commit to these alarms—even on weekends.
Swap your lightbulbs: Use warm-color temperature bulbs in your home, especially in rooms you spend the most time in after dark. Think really warm, incandescent bulbs that resemble candlelight—these don’t have as much blue and green light to suppress melatonin.
Keep the room dark: A completely dark room is essential for sleep. If you live in an urban area, it can be difficult to evade the glow from lampposts, neighboring buildings, and such, which may call for an eye mask.
Get natural light first thing in the a.m.: “Open your blinds as soon as you wake up, and be sure to spend at least some time every day outside in broad daylight,” holistic psychiatrist Ellen Vora, M.D., once shared with mbg.
The level-up
Sleep pros, lean in. You may have a solid sleep score, but here’s how to move the needle even further:
Journal for 15 minutes before bed: Addressing concerns before bedtime can help clear your head from worry and stress to help sleep. Creating a to-do list or engaging in activities like journaling or meditation during the day can help release concerns before bedtime.
Take a sleep supplement: This one increased an editor’s nightly REM by over 400%!
Invest in a red light lamp: Just make sure you find one with a wavelength of 600 to 700 nanometers, as there are a lot of knockoffs out there. This device is backed by NASA research and personally tested by our editors.
Here’s to actually feeling well rested going foward. Sleep tight!
