How to Get Your Best Sleep in 2026

Contributed by Brain-Body Specialist, Claudia Micco

I’ll start with a confession: even as a movement professional and teacher with decades in the fitness field, sleep is still the habit I have to work hardest to protect.

My days are full, early mornings with clients, long sessions, writing, travel, and the mental load that comes with running a small business. I’m fit, I eat well, and I move my body daily; yet, like many high-functioning adults, I don’t always get the sleep my body needs. This year, my intention is deliberate and straightforward: to get better sleep, not only for my own health, but also so I can show up clear, focused, and fully present for the people who trust me with their bodies and nervous systems.

I remind myself often that each day is a gift. When we truly treat it that way, we don’t rush through it, we pace ourselves so we can open it fully. Sleep is what allows us to keep unwrapping those gifts day after day, instead of tearing through the paper exhausted and distracted.

If that resonates, you’re not doing anything wrong. Your body is simply asking for a better rhythm.

Your Built-In Sleep System

Your circadian rhythm is your internal 24-hour clock—an exquisitely timed system that governs when you feel alert, hungry, energized, and ready for rest. Think of it as a rhythm rather than a rigid schedule. When your habits align with it, sleep becomes easier, deeper, and far more restorative.

Meet the Rhythm Makers

Behind the scenes, a few key players keep your sleep–wake cycle humming:

Cortisol often gets a bad reputation, but it’s actually your morning motivator. It naturally peaks around sunrise, helping you wake up, think clearly, and mobilize energy. Morning light is essential here.


Melatonin is the evening wind-down hormone, rising after dusk to signal that it’s time to slow down and prepare for sleep.


Adenosine builds up quietly throughout the day, creating sleep pressure that clears overnight as your brain restores and repairs.


When these hormones work together, falling asleep feels natural, not forced.

What Gets in the Way

Sleep challenges aren’t about discipline alone. Chronic pain, digestive discomfort, snoring or sleep apnea, nighttime awakenings, stress, anxiety, or a bedroom that’s too bright, noisy, hot, or cold can all interfere with your rhythm. Often, improving sleep is less about doing more and more about removing obstacles.

Daytime Habits That Set Up Nighttime Sleep

What you do during the day matters more than what you do at night:

Get natural daylight, especially in the morning or early afternoon


Move your body consistently, but avoid intense workouts late in the evening


Skip evening caffeine and refined sugar; herbal teas like chamomile are gentler on the nervous system


Treat alcohol as a social pleasure, not a sleep tool; it disrupts deep sleep later in the night


Create an Evening “Off-Ramp”

Sleep doesn’t respond well to abrupt stops—it prefers a gradual descent.

A simple wind-down ritual might include a warm shower, gentle stretching, journaling, meditation, or slow, belly-deep breathing. Dim the lights and step away from screens at least an hour before bed to help protect your melatonin levels. A hint of lavender or chamomile can help cue the body that it’s safe to rest.

Protect the Bed–Sleep Relationship

Your bed should have one primary job: sleep.

(Those who know me personally know that technically it has two jobs, but we’ll keep this a family-friendly newsletter and stay focused here.)

When your bed is treated as a place for rest, not scrolling, emailing, replaying conversations, or solving the world’s problems, your brain begins to associate it with relaxation instead of stimulation.

If your mind starts racing once you lie down, bring your attention to your breath, especially a long, slow exhale. Bring your attention to your body, breathe in and out, and imagine each body part, starting with your toes and working your way up to your head, melting into your bed.

If you’re still awake after about 20 minutes, get up briefly under low light. No phone scrolling, no productivity projects. The goal is to protect your bed’s reputation as a true sanctuary for sleep.

Wake Gently, Sleep Better

How you wake up matters. Begin slowly. Breathe. Orient to your surroundings. Swap a blaring alarm for a softer tone. Calmer mornings reduce stress hormone spikes and support better sleep the following night.

Make It Stick

You don’t need a total overhaul. Choose one or two small changes and commit to them for a week.

Research consistently shows that maintaining consistent sleep and wake times (even on weekends), exposure to morning light, minimizing blue light after dusk, and maintaining a cool bedroom temperature (around 65–68°F) all help strengthen the circadian rhythm and improve sleep quality. Just as important: letting go of perfection. Occasional restless nights happen. Anxiety about sleep only tightens the system.

A Closing Thought for the Year Ahead

As I move into 2026, prioritizing sleep is no longer optional. It's part of how I take care of myself and the people I serve. When I rest well, I move better, think more clearly, and show up as a better teacher, guide, and human.

If each day truly is a gift, then sleep is what allows us to open it fully. With enough rest, we don’t just survive the day, we unwrap it. When we treat our days that way, we’re opening presents for the rest of our lives.

Here’s to better rhythm, deeper rest, and a year that feels fully lived, one well-slept night at a time.