How to get more deep sleep
Skip naps. Keep one wake time. Deep sleep builds the longer you’re awake. And one everyday drink cut it by about 11 minutes a night in trials. It isn’t alcohol.
On this page
How do you get more deep sleep?
Give your body more time awake to build it. Sleep research finds deep sleep builds up the longer you’re awake, then drains away as you sleep. Naps and long lie-ins use some of it up.
No NHS page gives a deep sleep plan. These findings come from sleep lab studies.
| Habit | Effect on deep sleep |
|---|---|
| Longer awake in the day | More deep sleep that night |
| Naps and lie-ins | Use up some of the build-up |
| Caffeine | About 11 minutes less a night |
| Alcohol | More early in the night, more broken sleep later |
| Most sleeping pills, such as zopiclone | Less deep sleep |
| One bout of exercise | A small boost |
Sources: Dijk 2009; Gardiner 2023; Ebrahim 2013; Kredlow 2015
Start with naps and your wake time. They cost nothing and you can begin tomorrow.
Then judge the result by how you feel, not by your watch. Most trackers in one study missed 30 to 50% of deep sleep on average. For the lab numbers, see how much deep sleep you need.
Why does staying awake longer give you deeper sleep?
Think of an hourglass that fills while you’re awake. Deep sleep is how your body empties it, mostly in the first couple of sleep cycles of the night.
A nap empties some of it early. The Royal College of Psychiatrists tells people with insomnia that a nap uses up some of your sleepiness, which can make your night worse.
A lie-in does the same from the other end. Less time awake means less to empty.
The NHS says don’t sleep in after a bad night. Stick to your regular hours instead.
Four habits that keep the hourglass full by bedtime
- 1
Same wake time
Get out of bed at the same time every day, weekends too.
- 2
No naps
Plan something active for when you usually feel like a nap.
- 3
Bed when sleepy
Only go to bed when you’re sleepy.
- 4
No lie-in
After a bad night, get up at your usual time anyway.
Sources: NHS: insomnia; Royal College of Psychiatrists
Feeling sleepy? Don’t drive. The NHS lists no driving when you feel sleepy among its sleep habits.
Pick tomorrow’s wake time now and keep it every day. Used to catching up at weekends? See whether weekend lie-ins work.
Does caffeine affect deep sleep?
Yes. That everyday drink is coffee, or anything else with caffeine in it.
A 2023 review of 24 studies found caffeine cut deep sleep by about 11 minutes a night. It cut total sleep by 45 minutes.
The same review worked out how early to stop to protect your total sleep. Here’s what that means with an 11pm bedtime.
| Drink | Stop at least | Last one by |
|---|---|---|
| A 250 ml coffee (107 mg caffeine) | 8.8 hours before bed | About 2pm |
| A pre-workout drink (217.5 mg caffeine) | 13.2 hours before bed | About 9.45am |
Source: Gardiner 2023
These times protect total sleep. The review gave no separate cut-off for deep sleep.
The NHS line is shorter: no tea or coffee for at least 6 hours before bed. To protect your total sleep as well, try the review’s earlier times. More in when to stop caffeine.
Does alcohol or a sleeping pill give you deeper sleep?
Alcohol gives some, then takes your night back. Most studies found more deep sleep in the first half of the night. The second half was more broken, at every dose tested, in healthy volunteers.
So a nightcap helps you drop off, then breaks up the rest of your sleep. See how alcohol affects sleep.
Most sleeping pills go the other way. Benzodiazepines and Z-drugs, two kinds of prescription sleeping pill, reduce deep sleep. Zopiclone is a Z-drug.
GPs now rarely prescribe sleeping pills for insomnia. Never stop or change a prescribed medicine without your prescriber.
Does exercise or a warm bath help deep sleep?
Exercise helps a little. A review of 66 studies found one bout of exercise gave a small boost to deep sleep. Regular exercise improved how well people rated their sleep.
Do it in the day. The NHS says not in the 4 hours before bed.
A warm bath helps you drop off rather than sleep deeper. A review found a bath or shower at 40 to 42.5°C, 1 to 2 hours before bed, helped people fall asleep faster. As little as 10 minutes worked.
Your deep sleep checklist for this week
- Get out of bed at the same time every day, weekends too.
- Skip daytime naps, and plan something active for when you usually feel like one.
- Have your last coffee at least 8.8 hours before bed, to protect your total sleep.
- Don’t drink alcohol for at least 6 hours before bed.
- Exercise in the day, but not in the 4 hours before bed.
- Keep your bedroom dark and quiet, with blinds, an eye mask or ear plugs if needed.
Sources: NHS: insomnia; Royal College of Psychiatrists; Gardiner 2023
Pick two to start tonight. For the full list of habits, see sleep hygiene.
When to speak to a GP
Go by how you feel in the day, not by a tracker score. See a GP if:
- You’ve felt tired for a few weeks and don’t know why, or your tiredness affects your daily life.
- You feel tired and have other symptoms, such as weight loss or mood changes.
- Your breathing stops and starts in your sleep, or you make gasping, snorting or choking noises. These can be signs of sleep apnoea, where your airway keeps closing while you sleep.
- You’ve had trouble sleeping for months, changing your habits hasn’t helped, or it makes daily life hard to cope with.
If someone has seen you stop breathing in your sleep, the NHS says it can help to bring them with you. If you have sleep apnoea, don’t take sleeping pills unless a doctor recommends them. They can make it worse.
A GP may offer CBT, a talking therapy that changes the thoughts and habits that keep you awake. See CBT for insomnia.