Three Ways to Sleep Better This Summer
It's nearly official...
On Tuesday, 308 members of Congress finally agreed on something: Americans are tired of changing their clocks.
The House of Representatives voted 308-117 to make daylight saving time ("DST") permanent. That means no more "falling back" or "springing forward."
An extra hour of evening sunshine sounds like a good idea. But permanent DST wouldn't create more hours of sunshine... It would just move an hour of it from the morning to the evening. So that means many folks have to head to work or school in the dark for months at a time.
We've tried this before, by the way...
The experiment with year-round DST happened back in the 1970s during the energy crisis. At first, Americans loved the idea... A December 1973 national poll showed 79% of us were all for it. But by February, that support plummeted to 42%.
The problem is that our bodies don't care what Uncle Sam says the time is...
Our internal clocks take their cues from light and darkness. That's why lots of sleep experts have long argued that if we're going to stop fiddling with our clocks, permanent standard time might be better for our health than permanent DST. The main reason is that exposure to light in the morning helps keep our internal clocks aligned, while getting too much light in the evening can push them later.
And summer makes this problem worse.
Summer's long days can make it harder for your brain to recognize that bedtime is approaching. Not to mention, hot summer nights can make it harder for your body to get a good night's sleep.
But I have tips to help you fight back...
1. Start your day with light, and end it with darkness.
Nestled deep in your brain is a tiny cluster of cells called the suprachiasmatic nucleus ("SCN"). It acts as your body's master clock. And it mainly gets its cues for when it's time to sleep or wake from light.
Morning light helps anchor your internal clock to the start of the day. And the dark of the evening tells your body that it's time to prepare for slumber.
In fact, a 2025 BMC Public Health study showed that people who got more sun exposure in the morning tended to have a better overall sleep quality and earlier sleep schedules. In other words, soaking up some rays earlier in the day may help keep your internal clock on track.
Do what I do and try to get outside for some natural light during the morning. Then, as bedtime approaches, dim the lights and start limiting screen time (or at least start turning down the brightness on your devices). I also use blackout curtains and a comfy sleep mask to minimize light from early sunrises (or late sunsets) and keep them from wrecking my sleep.
2. Keep your bedroom cool.
Your core body temperature naturally starts to fall as bedtime approaches. Blood flow to your skin also increases, which helps your body get rid of some extra heat. But what interferes with these processes is a hot bedroom.
A 2023 study of 50 older adults over 16 months found that sleep quality fared best when bedroom temperatures at night ranged between 68 and 77 degrees Fahrenheit. And when temperatures rose to between 77 and 86 degrees, sleep efficiency (or basically the percentage of time spent sleeping in bed) dropped by 5% to 10%.
And a 2025 study found that higher temperatures at night were associated with poorer sleep quality and shorter sleep times, especially among participants with chronic health problems.
What's more, the older you get, the more likely it is that you'll be dealing with a chronic illness and taking medications, some of which can make it harder for the body to handle heat. Also, as we age, our ability to regulate body temperature naturally becomes less efficient.
Aim for a comfortably cool temperature. For most folks, that's somewhere between 60 and 67 degrees Fahrenheit. In addition to turning down the thermostat, I prefer using breathable cotton sheets. During the day, I also keep the blinds closed to prevent my bedroom from preheating like an oven.
3. Warm up before you wind down.
It sounds counterintuitive, but research suggests that adding some warmth to your prebedtime routine can help promote sleep...
A 2019 systematic review and meta-analysis of multiple studies found that taking a warm shower or bath an hour or two before bedtime was linked to reducing the time it takes to fall asleep and improving sleep efficiency and quality. Researchers observed these benefits from as little as 10 minutes of warm-water therapy.
Warm water increases blood flow to the skin, which helps your body release some excess heat and supports the natural evening drop in core body temperature. So if you're one who prefers to shower during the mornings, try switching to an evening shower instead.
Sure, Congress may eventually decide that Americans should stop changing their clocks twice a year if the Senate approves the bill. But no matter what goes on in Washington, your body's internal clock will keep ticking. So this summer, work with your clock instead of against it.
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Here's to our health, wealth, and a great retirement,
Dr. David Eifrig and the Health & Wealth Bulletin Research Team
July 16, 2026