Why hacks and supplements can't fix your bad sleep

thesleepnerdhq
Mar 17, 2025
7 min read

Updated: Mar 30, 2025

There is one thing I see over and over again in Facebook groups, Reddits forums and other communities where people ask for help with their sleep:

The sheer amount of supplements, pills and hacks that people rely on to get just a few hours of sleep.

It's almost heartbreaking because many people in those groups have convinced themselves that they need all of these things to sleep.

But let me be real for a second - you don't need any special supplements or pills to sleep.

Unless a medical professional has identified an actual deficiency in your body that requires you to take specific supplements, you do not need to take anything to sleep well.

Somehow we have convinced ourselves that this is the only way, we get so desperate for a solution and latch onto things that promise quick results.

Sleep is a natural process - just like breathing. You don't think about it - you just do it.

Don't get me wrong, medication can be a great tool to alleviate symptoms and make it easier for you to tackle the underlying problem.

As someone with ADHD who is currently on medication, I never want to demonise people for taking medication but I also know that medication alone is not a solution or a cure. My ADHD doesn't magically go away because I take a pill - I still need to learn skills and develop strategies that work regardless of whether I take medication or not.

The same applies to sleep. You can't expect a pill to solve all of your problems.

But fixing your sleep can seem overwhelming because you're already exhausted from not sleeping well and you feel like you have already tried everything… cutting out caffeine, alcohol, turning off screens 2 hours before bed, meditation and the list goes on.

And this is where the problem lies.

Did you know that sleep hygiene advice is being used in insomnia studies as a placebo?

That sounds crazy, right?

It's because these tips don't address the root cause of long-term sleep issues and can make them worse in many cases.

Typical sleep hygiene advice can improve sleep quality but only work for those who have been depriving themselves of sleep by choice.

Think of someone who works late or does an all-nighter studying for an exam chugging coffee to stay awake, someone who is actively sleeping less due to their habits and lifestyle.

However, people with insomnia or long term sleep issues have an entirely different problem:

They actively try to get to sleep and try everything they possibly can to get to sleep but still struggle to fall or stay asleep. They are in a state of hyperarousal at night which prevents their body from falling asleep.

They struggle during the day and worry about how their lack of sleep is affecting their health.

So if you're following every sleep hack and tip you see online and it's still not working - it's not you. You need a different approach.

You need to build a healthy relationship with sleep and learn how to invite sleep back into your life without the need to "control" or "hack" it. How do you do that?

The first and most important step is to understand yourself. Don't try implementing sleep advice from random people who don't know you or your lifestyle.

You wouldn't take advice from a doctor who hasn't run diagnostics or tests before prescribing a solution so why would you follow random advice you see online?

First: Assess your sleep schedule

Keep a sleep diary every day for at least a week. This step is crucial because our perception of our sleep is often warped and we think that we sleep less than we actually do.

You can use any format you like but it should include at least the following:

What time you went to bed
How long it takes you to fall asleep
How many times you wake up at night
How long you are awake for
What time you wake up
What time you actually get up
How you feel when you wake up
Whether you take any naps during the day and the duration

You can download my free template here: Sleep diary download

I suggest doing this as soon as you get up so it's fresh on your mind and don't worry about being exact - even sleep trackers and devices will not be 100% accurate.

After the first week, review your diary and see if you can spot any trends:

Are your bedtimes and wake times inconsistent?

Do you spend a lot of time in bed awake?

Do you take naps or feel the need to catch up on sleep after a particularly bad night?

You'll probably notice that you have a few good days of sleep here and there and some bad nights which means you can sleep well, you just need to learn how to trust your body and invite sleep naturally into your life.

Next: Assess your sleep beliefs

I've talked about this many times before but how we think about sleep is the foundation to a healthy relationship with sleep.

What do I mean by that?

There are many common beliefs about sleep that not only make you more worried about your sleep but also prevent you from introducing healthy behaviours that lead to more consistent sleep schedule.

Here are a few of the most common sleep beliefs and myths:

I need 8 hours of sleep every night.
If I have a bad night of sleep, I have to catch up the next day by sleeping longer or taking naps
If I don't sleep well, I'm not able to function the next day.
If I wake up at night, something must be wrong with me
I need to go to bed earlier so I can get more sleep

Do you agree with any of them? If yes, then let me help you reframe them:

I need 8 hours of sleep every night

The number of hours you get is irrelevant - it's all about the quality of your sleep. You could be sleeping 9 hours and still feel exhausted the next day or 6.5 hours but feel refreshed. Stop worrying about the number and focus on consistency and quality. Don't calculate your bedtime based on number of hours and stop looking at the clock when you wake up.

If I have a bad night of sleep, I have to catch up the next day by sleeping longer or taking naps

This is a trap - it's much better to get up at the same time consistently even after a bad night. You're more likely to fall asleep faster at night and you'll likely go into a deeper sleep as your body will try and recover from the previous night. But if you nap or sleep longer, you'll find it much harder to fall asleep at night - so stick to a consistent wake up time, even on bad nights and weekends.

If I don't sleep well, I'm not able to function the next day.

Of course sleep deprivation leads to lower energy and focus but telling yourself that your sleep is responsible for how you function on any given day is not helpful. Our bodies are more resilient than we think and even 5 hours of sleep can give our body the basic functions to get through the day - this concept is called "core sleep". It's better to simply move on and accept that you might be a bit tired but not to give it too much thought.

If I wake up at night, something must be wrong with me

Waking up at night is completely normal - in fact everyone wakes up multiple times a night as we cycle through various sleep stages. We often don't remember these short awakenings but they still happen. We wake up for various reasons like temperature changes, needing the bathroom, sudden noise, nightmares etc.

So when you wake up at night, don't worry.

Try to relax
If you need to the bathroom get up and go
Don't look at the clock or at your phone.
If you feel too hot, keep one leg out of your blanket to regulate your temperature
Just think to yourself: "this is normal, I will go back to sleep soon"

There is nothing to worry about. It takes time to reframe this belief because you will have experiences many sleepless nights previously. But the truth is that the more we worry, the harder it becomes to get back to sleep.

I need to go to bed earlier so I can get more sleep

The truth is we can't force our body to sleep when it's not ready. So if you're trying to go to bed earlier to get more sleep, it's not going to work because your sleep drive will not be high enough. Go to bed when you feel ready and not because you think you need to be in bed at a specific time (or because your partner goes to bed at that time)

Start with the basics, assess your own life situation and question your beliefs and thoughts about sleep.

Then, introduce new habits, behaviours and beliefs that promote good sleep step-by-step:

Get up at the same time everyday, even on weekends (use an alarm if you need to)
Go to bed when you actually feel sleepy
Avoid naps after 2pm and keep them within 30mins
Stop worrying about the number of hours your get
Don't worry about waking up at night
Don't think about your sleep during the day - just enjoy your life
Accept that you can't control or force sleep