It's well-established that sleep is essential to our physical and mental health. But despite its importance, a troubling percentage of people find themselves regularly deprived of quality sleep and are notably sleepy during the day.

Though there's a wide range of causes and types of sleeping problems, expert consensus points to a handful of concrete steps that promote more restful sleep.

For many people, trying to implement all these strategies can be overwhelming. But remember that it's not all-or-nothing; you can start with small changes and work your way up toward healthier sleep habits, also known as sleep hygiene.

To make these sleep hygiene improvements more approachable, we've broken them into four categories:

Creating a Sleep-Inducing Bedroom

Optimizing Your Sleep Schedule

Crafting a Pre-Bed time Routine

Fostering Pro-Sleep Habits During the Day

What to do If You Can't Fall Asleep

In each category, you can find specific actions that you can take to make it easier to fall asleep, stay asleep, and wake up well-rested.