How to achieve your sleep goals in 2025

thesleepnerdhq
Jan 5, 2025
6 min read

Updated: Jan 6, 2025

We all know by now that most people will not stick to new year's resolutions.

So why even try, right?

Or maybe there is another way to finally improve your sleep this year without falling back into old habits….

Why New Year's resolutions are doomed from the start

First we need to understand why people don't achieve their goals.

We set goals that are not linked to intrinsic motivation.

What does that mean?

We are only doing it because we feel like "we have to" and to get external validation (for example getting that beach body or making more money)

Intrinsic value goals are linked to your personal interests, motivations and values.

Ask yourself: why do you really want to improve your sleep?

Examples could include:

having the energy to be more present with your family and in relationships
feeling more emotionally balanced
being more creative and productive at work and feeling a sense of purpose and fulfillment in your career
improving other areas of health such as your diet or exercise routine to feel better and live longer
living in the moment and enjoying life more

How to set goals for better sleep

Once you've identified WHY you want to improve your sleep, you need to set realistic goals.

It can be very overwhelming to think about where you want to be in a year's time.

Break it down into quarterly, monthly, weekly and even daily goals and priorities.

For example:

Your goal for 2025 is to get 7-8 hours of quality sleep every night

If you only get 5-6 hours or even less right now, this goal will seem out of reach and unachievable.

You're likely going to fall back into bad habits if you don't see progress quickly.

So let's break down your goal into achievable short term goals and priorities.

To do this, I suggest using the SMART goals framework and ensuring that each goal is:

Specific

Measurable

Achievable

Relevant

Time-bound

Your monthly goal for January could be:

"Increase average sleep length per night by 15 mins"

15 minutes doesn't seem like a lot but even small improvements in sleep length and quality have been shown to make a significant impact on energy levels, your outlook on life, motivation, focus and even lowering blood pressure!

To achieve this goal, you need to identify key priorities to work on each week that will get you closer to the goal.

Week 1:

Assess your sleep health:

Keep a sleep diary every day of the week and identify 2-3 key areas of improvement such as :

inconsistent bedtime and wakeup time
watching TV and scrolling on your phone in bed
not getting enough sunlight during the day

Identify dysfunctional thoughts and beliefs about your sleep:

This is crucial and often overlooked!

A healthy sleep routine starts with the belief that you can actually sleep well

If you want to learn more on this topic, see my previous blog post: What really keeps you up at night

I have also created a sleep diary template you can download for FREE:

Grab your free sleep diary!

Week 2:

Pirioritise 1 area and start there. Don't try and change all your habits at once.

Having a consistent schedule is key in improving sleep length and quality.

So you goal for week 2 should be:

Wake up at the same time every day, even on weekends (with flexibility of about 45 mins)

This will in turn help you feel sleepy at the right time in the evening and lead to a more consistent bedtime routine.

Week 3:

Focus on your morning routine and get 10-30 mins of natural light as soon as you wake up.

Now that your sleep schedule is a bit more regular, you'll find it easier to get up in the morning.

By exposing yourself to sunlight as soon as you wake up will help you regulate your body clock so you feel alert and sleepy at the right time during the day.

Week 4:

Improve sleep hygiene by removing screens in bed and dimming down lights in the evening.

Many people focus on "sleep hygiene" hacks and bedtime routines first.

But it is much more important to establish a healthy relationship with sleep and developing behaviours and habits that will lead to better sleep hygiene naturally.

If you are someone who likes to scroll on their phone before bed and you know it's keeping you awake, ask yourself:

Why do you scroll?

You might be distracting yourself from other thoughts and worries about life and by removing the phone, those thoughts don't just disappear.

In fact, they are amplified and might keep you from going to sleep or may wake you up in the middle of the night.

It is important to keep anything out of the bedroom that might stimulate your brain.

You want your brain to think bed = sleep and NOT bed = being awake

But don't do it "cold turkey" before addressing the underlying problem!

Daily priorities:

Now you can break down your weekly goals and priorities even further into daily tasks.

For example in week 1 your daily tasks are:

Assess your sleep beliefs and thoughts on Monday.
Review and reframe at least 1 negative thought or belief every day.
Complete your sleep diary every morning (or evening depending on your preference and schedule)
Review your sleep diary on Sunday and start analysing trends and identifying key areas of improvement.
Set your weekly goals for the rest of the month on Sunday.

In week 2, the tasks might be:

Continue completing sleep diary every day
Wake up at 7:15 every day
Go to bed only when you feel sleepy
Review your sleep diary on Sunday and track your progress

and so on…

You can see how those weekly and daily priorities all add up to the monthly goal of increasing your sleep length by 15 mins on average.

Now you have a clear roadmap and plan on how to get there.

How to track your goals and achievements

You might think this all sounds great but how do I make sure I actually follow through on these daily and weekly priorities?

First, you need to use a tracking system that works for YOU. Some people prefer physical trackers, journals and worksheets and some prefer digital.

All the trackers in the world can't help you stick to your habits if you don't use them regularly.

Make sure to schedule time EVERY SINGLE DAY to check in on your progress. Completing your sleep diary on a daily basis will help you reflect and identify small changes you can make to your routine.

You only need 10-15 mins every day - pick a time when you know there won't be any distractions, for example if you are up first in your household, make it the first task before you do anything else.

If you have children or pets that might distract you in the morning, block out time during the evening before you go to bed.

If you have spare time during your lunch break at work, this could also be a great time!

I'm sure you can find 10-15 mins in your day to make this a priority, just think about your WHY and how this small habit will contribute to your overall goal.

In addition to the daily checkins through your sleep diary entries, you should also do a short weekly review. Pick any day or time of the week that works for you and schedule in about 15-20 mins.

I like to review my week either on Sunday evening or Monday morning.

Use the weekly review to:

Check your progress towards your monthly goal
Celebrate your wins and achievements!
Did you have a particular good night of sleep or a consistent week?
What did you do differently that you can continue to do more of next week?
What challenges did you have?
What happened on bad nights?
Were they one-off situations (such as a late night out)?
What could you do differently next week?
What are your daily priorities for next week?

Don't feel bad for having the occasional drink or staying up late.

We are not robots and we are allowed to have fun! Just make sure that you know how to get back on track and don't let one night throw you off.

Our bodies are very good at calibrating and increasing deep sleep where additional recovery is needed.

Don't fall into the trap of trying to "catch up on sleep" and stick to your regular wake up time.

Once a month, your weekly review should include a final review of your monthly goal, making adjustments as needed and setting a new goal for the following month.

By using this system, you are not only going to increase the likelihood of achieving your sleep goals but you can also use it for any other goals, intentions or resolutions that you want to set for the new year.

To summarize:

Set goals that align with your personal values and beliefs
Use the SMART goals framework (Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, Time-bound)
Break down big annual goals into smaller chunks all the way down to daily tasks and priorities to avoid overwhelm.
Use daily and weekly checkins to keep track of your goals.
Always celebrate your wins and achievements!
Adjust and update goals on a monthly basis