While it should be as easy as breathing, sleep can evade us, despite our best efforts to get a good night's rest. However, there's hope that you can break your
According to the CDC, nearly 15% of adults have
"Many people use bedtime to ruminate over past events or worry about upcoming challenges, making it harder to relax and fall asleep," says Michael Gradisar, clinical psychologist and head of sleep science at Sleep Cycle, a bio-alarm clock app. "By middle to older adulthood, medical and biological issues such as menopause can exacerbate sleep problems. Medications used to manage these issues can sometimes further complicate sleep.''
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Why you might struggle to sleep in 2025
Gradisar predicts that financial anxiety will be a massive driver of sleepless nights this year. A 2024 CNN poll revealed that nearly 40% of U.S. adults worry most or all of the time that their income won't be enough to make ends meet. Those sentiments will show no sign of waning this year, Gradisar predicts.
"Unfortunately, I do predict an increase in financial insomnia in 2025 — various financial indicators, such as rising household debt, loan defaults and homelessness, hihlight the growing struggles many households face," says Gradisar. "When people experience insomnia, their worries don't typically start with concerns about sleep itself or how they'll function the next day. Instead, they often reflect on their current financial challenges or stress over upcoming problems they need to solve. This cycle of rumination can make it even harder to fall asleep."
Gradisar also expects to see an increase in insomnia due to coughing. He recalls how much sleep quality declined during the last few months of 2021 when the world faced a renewed surge in COVID-19 cases. Alongside other respiratory illnesses like RSV and the flu running rampant this winter, sleepless nights due to sickness are bound to tick up.
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"During the spread of the Omicron variant, Sleep Cycle observed a significant increase in nighttime coughing data across the population," says Gradisar. "Looking ahead, there are concerning signs on social media suggesting that public health measures and science may not be taken as seriously as they should. If this trend continues, we could see increased infection rates in 2025."
New year, old tricks
While Gradisar acknowledges that there's no quick fix when it comes to sleep, he highlights a few old techniques that may be worth a try. For example, "sleep reversing" is an exercise that dates back to the 1970s and centers on the idea of "paradoxical intention" — instead of trying to fall asleep, the person tries to stay awake.
"This counterintuitive approach reduces the pressure and frustration of trying to force sleep, which often backfires," says Gradisar. "Sleep isn't something that should require effort. It's a natural process that occurs when both the body and mind are ready. By shifting the focus away from trying to sleep, this technique creates a more relaxed state, allowing sleep to come naturally."
Those who struggle with sleep could also experiment with making their rooms into "sleep caves." Gradisar notes that a modern sleep cave should be dark, remain at a comfortable temperature throughout the night and contain minimal noise.
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As for phones or blue screens at large, Gradisar is happy to debunk the myth that they're the enemy of sleep. That doesn't mean doom scrolling on your phone should be part of your sleep routine, but your phone doesn't necessarily have to be banned from your room altogether.
"For blue light to meaningfully shift a person's sleep timing, the light source needs to be at least ten times brighter than what's emitted from phones, tablets or other devices," he says. "In fact, when intentionally adjusting someone's sleep schedule, such as preparing them for overseas travel to minimize jet lag, we use much brighter LED glasses."
Gradisar actually recommends using those LED glasses as part of bright light therapy to help patients realign their internal clocks. For those struggling with chronic insomnia, no matter how they try to improve their bedtime routine, Gradisar asks them to consider cognitive behavioral therapy.
"It remains the most effective approach for treating insomnia-related issues, such as difficulty falling asleep or staying asleep,'' he says. "However, not all sleep challenges are insomnia-related. Sleep struggles are highly individual, and identifying the root cause is essential before applying the correct solution."
