Feeling tired all day, every day, has become almost so common. Long working hours, endless screen time, and daily stress can throw your body off balance, leaving you physically drained yet mentally restless by bedtime. And when it is finally time to sleep, your mind races through tomorrow’s to-do list while your body struggles to relax. It is a frustrating cycle—you are exhausted all day, but sleep does not come easily at night. This could be your body’s sign for help that your sleep cycle is off track.
If you often feel tired throughout the day and still toss and turn at night, chances are you are unknowingly making some common mistakes, says Internal Medicine specialist Dr Manjusha Agarwal. These bad sleeping habits might be disrupting your circadian rhythm and inviting constant fatigue and anxiety into your life.
Bad sleeping habits
Here are 10 habits that can disturb your sleep at night, leaving you feeling tired all day:
1. Screen use till late
Glued to your screen till bedtime? That blue light from phones, laptops, and TVs is silently wrecking your sleep cycle. It confuses your internal body clock, making it harder to fall asleep and stay asleep. A study in the Journal of Family Medicine and Primary Care found that using screens for more than 6 hours daily is linked to poor sleep quality, daytime fatigue, sleepiness, and reduced concentration. And yes, disrupted sleep can also throw off digestion. So, switch to dim lights an hour before bed and keep a consistent sleep schedule.
2. Heavy dinner
Late-night bingeing might comfort your soul, but it is an unhealthy habit for your stomach. Eating a heavy meal close to bedtime can trigger acid reflux and overload your digestive system, making it difficult to fall asleep. Your body ends up working overtime to digest when it should be winding down. Try having a light dinner at least 2–3 hours before hitting the bed.
3. Excessive intake of caffeine
Love your late evening chai or coffee? It is probably why you are tossing and turning at night. A study published in Sleep Medicine Reviews found that caffeine can reduce total sleep time by around 45 minutes and sleep efficiency by 7 percent. It stimulates your nervous system, delays melatonin release (your sleep hormone), and leaves your body too alert to rest. Cut off caffeine at least 6 hours before bedtime.
4. Bottling up your stress
Ignoring stress does not make it disappear, but it just makes it difficult to sleep. Anxiety and overthinking can activate your brain at night, making it hard to fall or stay asleep. Instead of suppressing stress, try journaling, meditation, or talking it out. So that you feel relieved and relaxed at night.
5. Drinking alcohol or smoking before bed
Drinking alcohol close to your bedtime and smoking might seem like they help you relax, but it is sabotaging your sleep cycle. Alcohol might make you drowsy initially, but it disrupts REM (rapid eye movement) sleep—the stage where real rest happens. Nicotine, on the other hand, is a stimulant. It can increase your heart rate and keep your brain alert when it should be winding down.
6. Late workouts
Exercising is great for sleep, just not too close to bedtime. A study in Cureus found that intense or prolonged evening workouts negatively affect sleep quality. The body stays too energised, your heart rate remains high, and winding down takes longer. Try morning or early evening workouts instead.
7. Long naps in the daytime
Do you tend to take a 1-2 hour afternoon nap? If so, it won’t help. Long or irregular naps can mess with your internal clock. Keep your naps short between 20-30 minutes and avoid them after 5 PM.
8. Drinking too much water at night
Hydration is key, but chugging water right before bed leads to one thing—bathroom breaks in the middle of the night. This interrupts your deep sleep cycles. Spread out your water intake throughout the day and cut back after dinner.
9. Irregular sleep schedule
Are you sleeping and waking at random hours? Well, your body hates it. An erratic sleep schedule confuses your circadian rhythm, making it harder to fall asleep when you actually want to. Stick to a fixed bedtime, even on weekends.
10. Bright lights at night, no sunlight in the day
Artificial lights at night, especially white and blue lights, trick your brain into thinking it is daytime. Meanwhile, not getting enough sunlight in the morning can also disturb melatonin production. Get some sun exposure during the day, and dim the lights after sunset to improve your sleep cycle.