I tried every kind of sleep hack in 2025 — these are the only 3 I’m taking into the New Year

Mattress tester Lauren Jeffries sleeps on the Birch Elite mattress, surrounded by a collage of sleep hacks. Top left, bedding writer Becky George folds a set of bed sheets. Top right, a woman stands under the flow of a shower in darkness. Bottom right, a close up of a person writing by hand in a journal

(Image credit: Getty Images / Future)

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The number one sleep hack

Two of our mattress testers sit on the Siena Signature Mattress on a bed frame in our testing studio. On the left, Nicola Appleton sits close to the side of the mattress to test the edge support. On the right, Frances Daniels sits on the sleeping area of the bed to better understand the comfort. — (Image credit: Future)

Choosing a mattress for my sleep style has had the biggest positive impact on my rest; check out our best mattress guide for more options.

As a sleep writer, it's my duty to try every strange sleep hack and product that pops up in my orbit, whether I'm finger breathing or cognitive shuffling.

If your New Year's resolution is to sleep better, below I'll explore the three hacks I think can help. I'll also dive into the one sleep trick I hope I don't hear about in 2026.

3 sleep hacks I'll use to level-up my rest in 2026

These tips have been part of my wind-down routine for a while now and I've noticed the benefits they have on my rest. I hope they can do the same to yours.

1. Dark showering

Dark showering encourages you to switch off the lights and take your shower in the dark — yep, pretty self-explanatory. (It's important to add a candle or two, so you're not fumbling around.)

a photo of a woman in warm shower washing hair as part of nighttime routine — (Image credit: Getty/Gary John Norman)

The idea is that turning the lights off helps regulate your circadian rhythm, telling your internal body clock it's time to get sleepy. And to my surprise, it worked. I though dark showering would be a good way to injure myself while shampooing but instead it created a sleep-inducing atmosphere.

Dark showering is also the perfect 'switch off' hack, a bit like a (low budget) trip to the spa. My usual showers are inflicted with an overactive mind but my dark showers are much more calm.

2. Breathable sheets, year-round

I've been working as a sleep writer for a while now and in previous years I've upgraded my mattress and pillow. So 2025 was the year to change my sheets (not literally, I change my bedding every week.)

My new sheets are made from cotton percale, a breathable weave of natural fibers that allows air to circulate. As a result, I'm cooler and more comfortable when trying to sleep during the summer.

Woman puts a fitted sheet on the mattress — (Image credit: Future)

In winter, I thought I'd be switching to something warmer but I'm sticking with percale. They're slightly cool when I first climb into bed but they quickly warm to a neutral feel and maintain that overnight. So even when my heating kicks in, I never wake up sweating.

3. Worry time

As someone who used to find their sleep ruined by racing thoughts, the Constructive Worry Method helps my brain shut off at the end of the day.

It's a simple idea: you grab a pen and paper and set a timer for 15 minutes. Then, write down three of your worries, getting them out of your head.

Next, write down some potential solutions to each worry, for you to tackle the next day. This way if you start overthinking a problem when you're in bed, you can reassure yourself that a solution is in place.

Woman writing in a notebook — (Image credit: Marcos Paulo Prado on Unsplash)

Worry time isn't actually part of my bedtime routine — if it was, it would probably ruin my sleep. Instead, I fit it in around two hours before bed so my racing thoughts are slowed down by the time I drift off.

And one I hope I never hear about again

On the surface, sleepmaxxing sounds like something I'd be all over. It's basically dedicating your evening to getting more snooze.

However, sleepmaxxing puts a lot of pressure on upping your rest and this pressure can actually be antithetical to sleep. It's like watching the clock; as soon as I start thinking 'if I fall asleep now I'll still get five hours,' you can almost guarantee I'll be up the rest of the night.

Plus, sleepmaxxers tend to jump on any passing trend and a lot of them just aren't worth your time (or money.)

But if there's one advantage to sleepmaxxing it's that sometimes between mouth taping and drunken monkey-ing you'll stumble into a dark shower and have a whole new relaxing aspect to your routine.

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Ruth is an experienced Senior Staff writer at Tom’s Guide, covering all things sleep and mattresses. She writes to help people sleep better, from how-tos to the latest deals to mattress reviews, and has interviewed an array of experts who share her passion. She is also our specialist on memory foam — she’s flown around the world to see memory foam being made — and leads our hotel mattress content. She has a deep interest in the link between sleep and health, and has tried enough mattresses, from Helix to Nectar to Simba, to know the right bed really can make a difference to your wellbeing. Before joining the team at Tom’s Guide, Ruth worked as a sleep and mattress writer for our sister website, TechRadar.

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