Sleep Better: 8 Tips, Melatonin & Causes Explained
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Time to read 16 min
Editorial note: This article is intended to provide general information about sleep and sleep disorders. It is not a substitute for individual medical, psychotherapeutic, or pharmaceutical advice.
Partner note: CannaRoKo supports this article as a paid partner. The selection, evaluation, and classification of scientific sources are carried out independently by the editorial team.
If you want to sleep better, you shouldn't first look for the one perfect sleep aid. What matters most is a stable sleep-wake rhythm, enough daylight in the morning, less bright light in the evening, a sensible approach to caffeine, and the question of whether the bed is actually associated with sleep again instead of lying awake for long periods.
However, for prolonged insomnia, general sleep hygiene tips are often not enough. The current German S3 guideline recommends cognitive behavioral therapy for insomnia – CBT-I for short – as the first treatment option. The European insomnia guideline also rates CBT-I as a first-line therapy for chronic insomnia.
Current German S3 guideline "Insomnia in Adults"
At 2:13 a.m., the alarm clock still shows five hours until waking up. The body is tired, but the day continues in your head: yesterday's difficult conversation, tomorrow's tasks, and on top of that, the thought that you absolutely have to fall asleep now.
The next evening, you go to bed earlier just in case – and lie awake for a long time again.
This is exactly how a cycle can develop in which the desire to sleep better creates even more pressure. Not every period of lying awake is therefore already a sleep disorder. What matters are the frequency, duration, and consequences the next day.
Table of Contents
Sleep better: 8 things that can really help How much sleep do adults need? Why sleep is important for the body and mind Melatonin: pacemaker instead of sleep switch Melatonin for sleep: when is it really useful? Pharmacy check: melatonin, medications, and medical cannabis When does poor sleep become chronic insomnia? Why CBT-I is more important than sleep hacks for chronic insomnia Sleep diary: better classify sleep problems Conclusion: What really helps you sleep better? Frequently asked questions about sleeping better Sources & scientific classification Read more
Sleep better: the most important points at a glance
Adults should regularly get at least seven hours of sleep; for many adults, about seven to nine hours is appropriate.
A regular wake-up time can stabilize the sleep-wake rhythm.
Morning daylight supports the internal clock.
Bright light in the late evening can suppress melatonin release and shift the internal night.
Caffeine, alcohol, nicotine, medications, and other substances can affect sleep.
Melatonin is primarily a signal for the internal clock, not a universal "off switch".
For chronic insomnia, CBT-I is considered the first-line therapy.
According to the current German guideline, melatonin is effective for insomnia in people aged 55 and older, but long-term treatment is not recommended.
Breathing pauses, extreme daytime sleepiness, or prolonged sleep problems should be medically evaluated.
Sleep better: 8 things that can really help
1. Try to get up at the same time as much as possible
Those who want to improve their sleep often focus first on the time they go to bed.
However, the time you get up is also an important anchor for the sleep-wake rhythm. Widely varying wake-up times can cause the internal clock to shift repeatedly.
This does not mean that the same alarm clock must ring at the exact same time every day. What is more useful is a rhythm that is as stable as possible, which does not completely fall apart on weekends.
For chronic insomnia, the control of bed and sleep times is part of cognitive behavioral therapy. The German S3 guideline lists stimulus control and sleep restriction as components of CBT-I, among others.
2. Get daylight as early as possible in the morning
The internal clock is largely controlled by light.
Bright light in the morning signals to the body that the active part of the day is beginning. This also influences the timing of the circadian system.
A short walk outside can therefore be a useful part of a stable sleep-wake rhythm – especially for people who spend a lot of time indoors in the morning and during the day.
3. Reduce light in the evening – don't just turn on night mode
Those who want to sleep better should not focus exclusively in the evening on whether their smartphone has a blue light filter.
What also matters are:
Light intensity,
Duration of exposure,
Timing,
Distance from the light source.
A controlled crossover study by Chang and colleagues compared several evenings using an e-reader that emitted light with reading a printed book in twelve adults.
With the e-reader, melatonin was more strongly suppressed, the circadian phase was delayed, and wakefulness the next morning was reduced. The study was small and the devices used at the time cannot be directly transferred to every modern display – but it clearly shows that evening light can have biological effects.
Practically, this can help:
Reduce room light in the evening,
Lower screen brightness,
Avoid very bright displays shortly before bedtime,
Plan a quiet offline period.
4. Do not underestimate caffeine
Caffeine is not only found in coffee.
It is also found in:
Energy drinks,
Cola,
black and green tea,
some medications
which can contain significant amounts.
How late caffeine still affects sleep varies individually. Therefore, a rigid time for everyone is of little use.
Those who have difficulty falling asleep can observe over a limited period whether a earlier caffeine cutoff makes a difference.
5. Do not use alcohol as a sleep aid
Alcohol can subjectively make you feel sleepy and make it easier to fall asleep.
But this does not automatically mean better sleep.
Alcohol can affect sleep structure and sleep in the second half of the night. Those who regularly use alcohol to fall asleep are also not addressing the actual cause of their sleep problems.
The same applies: Nicotine is not a suitable sleep aid and can have a stimulating effect.
6. Only go to bed when you are genuinely sleepy
Being tired and sleepy are not exactly the same.
Someone can be physically exhausted and still remain highly mentally activated.
Those who go to bed very early to "catch up" on sleep may end up spending more and more time awake in bed. This can cause the bed to become increasingly associated with rumination, frustration, and clock-watching.
Therefore, stimulus control is a central component of CBT-I. This includes, among other things, strengthening the association between the bed and sleep.
7. Don't turn lying awake into a battle
The more someone thinks:
"I have to fall asleep right now."
the more sleep can become a performance test.
If you remain awake for an extended period and your internal tension increases significantly, it may be more sensible to temporarily leave the bed and engage in a quiet activity in dim light.
The goal is not to deliberately keep yourself awake.
It is about not constantly reinforcing long periods of frustrated wakefulness.
8. Be active during the day – without making the evening a mandatory program
Regular exercise can support healthy sleep and is mentioned in the European guidelines as a possible complementary measure to CBT-I.
This does not mean that an intense workout is necessary every evening.
Walking, cycling, sports, and generally being more active during the day can be beneficial. However, some people find very intense exercise immediately before bedtime to be stimulating.
More important than a perfect program is a form of exercise that fits into your everyday life in the long term.
How much sleep do adults need?
The American Academy of Sleep Medicine and the Sleep Research Society recommend that healthy adults regularly sleep at least seven hours per night.
The underlying expert consensus rated seven to nine hours as an appropriate range for healthy adults. At the same time, individual sleep requirements vary.
AASM/SRS Consensus on Recommended Sleep Duration
More than nine hours may be appropriate for young adults, people with sleep debt, or during an illness, for example.
Therefore, it is not only crucial to consider:
"How long did I lie in bed?"
but also:
How alert am I during the day?
How regularly do I sleep?
Do I wake up frequently?
Do I feel rested?
Is there pronounced daytime sleepiness?
https://unsplash.com/de/fotos/eine-frau-die-in-einem-bett-unter-einer-decke-schlaft-OLGbPyPG6JQ
Why sleep is important for the body and mind
Sleep is not a passive phase in which the body simply shuts down.
During the night, various sleep stages occur. These include light non-REM sleep, deeper sleep, and REM sleep.
This sleep architecture changes throughout the night and with age. Therefore, the idea that more deep sleep is automatically the only measure of quality is too simplistic.
A controlled study by Van Dongen and colleagues particularly vividly demonstrates how repeatedly short nights can affect performance.
48 healthy adults spent over 14 days either four, six, or eight hours per night in bed. With four or six hours, there were increasing cognitive performance deficits, while subjective sleepiness increased significantly less than the objective deficits.
Simply put:
People can subjectively adapt to short nights, even though their performance continues to decline.
Van Dongen et al. (2003) on PubMed
Sleep is also associated with memory, emotional processing, immune function, and metabolic processes.
Those who want to sleep better should therefore consider not only falling asleep, but also sleep duration, regularity, and daytime functioning.
Melatonin: pacemaker instead of sleep switch
Melatonin is a hormone produced by the body, whose production is closely linked to the internal clock.
In biological darkness, melatonin release increases. This signal helps the body prepare for the nightly rest phase.
However, melatonin does not act alone.
In parallel, the so-called homeostatic sleep pressure builds up during wakefulness. Simply put, at least two systems work together:
How long has the person been awake?
What biological time of day is the body in?
This is exactly why someone can be exhausted and still not fall asleep.
Why light affects melatonin release
Light is one of the strongest external zeitgebers for the circadian system.
The previously mentioned study by Chang et al. showed stronger melatonin suppression and a shift in the internal clock under controlled conditions when reading on a light-emitting device in the evening.
This does not mean:
"Smartphone = automatically sleep disorder."
Rather, it means that the intensity, timing, and duration of light in the evening should be considered.
Melatonin for sleep: When is it really useful?
Melatonin products are often treated as if they were a universal shortcut to falling asleep.
The data is clearly more nuanced.
A meta-analysis by Ferracioli-Oda, Qawasmi, and Bloch examined 19 randomized, placebo-controlled studies with a total of 1,683 participants.
On average, melatonin reduced sleep latency by about seven minutes and increased total sleep time by approximately eight minutes. The effects were thus statistically detectable, but overall moderate.
Ferracioli-Oda et al. (2013) on PubMed
What the current German guideline says about melatonin
The updated German S3 guideline "Insomnia in Adults", Version 2.0, published in 2025, is now particularly important.
It states:
Melatonin is effective for patients aged 55 and over with insomnia.
Long-term treatment of insomnia with melatonin should not be recommended.
CBT-I remains the first treatment option.
The guideline authors also point out that they associate the procurement of melatonin-containing products through pharmacies with higher product safety compared to other sources.
German S3 Guideline Insomnia 2025
Fast-release or extended-release?
The European insomnia guideline also distinguishes between different melatonin products.
According to the guideline, extended-release melatonin can be used for a limited time in people aged 55 and over. Fast-release melatonin, on the other hand, is not generally recommended for the treatment of insomnia.
This shows why statements such as:
"Melatonin helps you sleep."
are too generalized.
Age, the cause of sleep problems, the product, and the goal of use all play a role.
Pharmacy Check: Melatonin, Medications, and Medical Cannabis
Anyone who is already taking medication and wants to use melatonin or other sleep aids in addition should not just look at the individual active ingredient.
Relevant factors may include:
existing daytime sleepiness,
other sedating or centrally acting medications,
times of intake,
individual side effects,
reaction time, and fitness to drive.
This also applies if there is already an medically prescribed medical cannabis therapy in place.
A blanket statement such as "Cannabis and melatonin can be combined without any problems" would not be serious. Nor should it automatically be assumed that a combination is fundamentally problematic.
What matters is the individual medication.
CannaRoKo: Pharmaceutical advice for existing cannabis therapy
Our partner CannaRoKo is the medical cannabis division of the Robert-Koch-Apotheke in Bitterfeld-Wolfen.
Pharmacist and owner Björn Arbter and his team explicitly list advice on their website regarding use and interactions as part of their service for patients with medical cannabis.
Especially when an additional sleep aid is to be used alongside existing medication, pharmaceutical guidance can help to consider the entire medication situation rather than just a single product.
CannaRoKo offers in-person advice in Bitterfeld-Wolfen and, according to its own website, also supplies medical cannabis patients throughout Germany.
Learn more about CannaRoKo and pharmaceutical advice
Important: Changes to a medically prescribed therapy should not be made independently. If in doubt, your doctor and pharmacist should be involved in the decision.
https://www.roko-apotheke.de/cannabis/
When does poor sleep become chronic insomnia?
A few bad nights do not constitute a chronic sleep disorder.
According to the ICD-11 system described in the current German S3 guideline, a chronic insomnia disorder is present when corresponding symptoms occur several times a week for at least three months.
In addition, it is not just about lying awake at night. Crucially, the symptoms must also be associated with a relevant impairment during the day.
These may include, for example:
concentration problems,
reduced performance,
pronounced fatigue,
irritability,
impaired well-being.
S3 Guideline – Diagnosis of Insomnia
When should poor sleep be medically investigated?
An investigation is particularly useful if sleep problems persist for a long time or cause significant daytime consequences.
In addition, other possible sleep disorders should be considered.
These include, for example, signs of:
loud or irregular snoring,
observed breathing pauses,
pronounced daytime sleepiness,
uncontrollable sleepiness,
severe restlessness in the legs,
unusual behaviors during sleep.
The S3 guideline recommends further appropriate diagnostics in cases of suspected other sleep disorders; polysomnography can be used, for example, when sleep-related breathing disorders or periodic leg movements are suspected.
Severe fatigue while driving is not a problem that should be ignored until the next doctor's appointment. If you are not sure you can drive safely, you should not drive.
Why CBT-I is more important than sleep hacks for chronic insomnia
For chronic insomnia, the most important scientific message is not:
"Try three more sleep hacks."
The current German S3 guideline recommends cognitive behavioral therapy for insomnia as the first treatment option.
The European guideline also reaches the same basic recommendation.
CBT-I includes, among other things:
psychoeducation,
stimulus control,
relaxation techniques,
cognitive therapy,
targeted management of time spent in bed.
This also explains why some intuitively logical strategies can backfire.
For example, someone who always goes to bed earlier and stays in bed longer after a bad night may increase, above all, their time awake in bed.
Professional CBT-I therefore does not aim to simply spend as much time in bed as possible, but to once again meaningfully align sleep and time spent in bed.
Targeted sleep restriction should be implemented, especially in cases of health conditions, without expert guidance.
Sleep diary: Better classify sleep problems
Anyone who only assesses their nights from memory often remembers particularly bad nights more vividly than average nights.
A sleep diary can help make patterns visible.
The current German S3 guideline recommends a sleep diary for 7 to 14 days as part of the diagnosis of insomnia.
You can record, for example:
time of going to bed,
estimated sleep latency,
nocturnal awakenings,
time of waking,
daytime sleepiness,
Caffeine,
Alcohol,
Medication,
particular stressors.
The diary is not a substitute for a diagnosis.
However, it can provide a much better basis for a conversation with a doctor, psychotherapist, or pharmacist than the general statement:
“I just sleep poorly.”
Conclusion: What really helps you sleep better?
Those who want to sleep better usually do not need a single trick.
A stable sleep-wake rhythm, morning daylight, less bright light in the evening, a sensible approach to caffeine, and a bed that is associated as much as possible with sleep rather than hours of lying awake are good starting points.
Melatonin plays an important role as the body's own clock regulator – but as a supplement, its effect on sleep problems is significantly more nuanced than advertising often suggests.
For prolonged insomnia, the most important scientific recommendation is cognitive behavioral therapy for insomnia.
And if medication or medical cannabis therapy is already in place, an additional sleep aid should not be considered in isolation. Here, pharmaceutical advice – for example from our partner CannaRoKo – can help to view the individual medication in the overall picture.
Perhaps the most important insight:
Good sleep can be encouraged. It cannot be forced.
Frequently asked questions about sleeping better
How many hours of sleep do adults need?
Healthy adults are regularly recommended at least seven hours of sleep.
For many adults, a reasonable range is approximately between seven and nine hours. However, individual sleep requirements can vary.
What helps you sleep better as quickly as possible?
There is no universal immediate measure.
For occasional difficulty falling asleep, a stable rhythm, less bright light in the evening, an earlier caffeine cutoff, and less pressure to fall asleep can help.
For chronic insomnia, CBT-I is considered the first-line treatment.
Does melatonin help you fall asleep?
Melatonin can shorten the time it takes to fall asleep on average for certain sleep problems.
A meta-analysis found an average reduction of approximately seven minutes and an increase in total sleep time of around eight minutes.
The effect is therefore, on average, moderate.
For chronic insomnia, melatonin should not be considered as a blanket substitute for targeted treatment.
When should you take melatonin?
The right time depends on the reason for use and the specific preparation.
For circadian problems, timing can be crucial. Therefore, “always right before bedtime” is not a universal rule.
For other medications or existing medical conditions, the timing and use should be clarified by a professional.
Can I use melatonin together with medical cannabis?
This question cannot be answered with a blanket yes or no.
Decisive factors include the existing therapy, other medications, individual drowsiness, and possible impairments in responsiveness.
Anyone who is already prescribed medical cannabis and wants to use a sleep aid in addition should discuss the combination with a doctor or pharmacist.
According to its own website, our partner CannaRoKo advises patients using medical cannabis on use and interactions, among other things.
Why am I tired, but still can't sleep?
Tiredness and actual sleepiness are not the same.
Stress, rumination, light, a shifted internal clock, or long periods of lying awake in bed can lead to someone being exhausted and still unable to fall asleep.
When should I see a doctor about sleep problems?
A medical consultation makes sense if symptoms persist, occur regularly, and interfere with daily life.
Clarification is particularly important in cases of:
observed breathing pauses,
extreme daytime drowsiness,
falling asleep in dangerous situations,
a strong urge to move the legs,
psychological or physical co-occurring conditions.
Sources & scientific classification
1. German S3 guideline “Insomnia in adults”, version 2.0 (2025)
Spiegelhalder K. et al.
AWMF registration number 063-003.
Published April 16, 2025, valid until November 2029.
Contains current German recommendations on diagnosis, CBT-I, medication, melatonin, sleep diaries, and differential diagnosis.
2. Riemann D. et al. (2023): European Insomnia Guideline
The European Insomnia Guideline: An update on the diagnosis and treatment of insomnia 2023.
Journal of Sleep Research, 32(6): e14035.
DOI: 10.1111/jsr.14035.
Current European guideline on the diagnosis and treatment of insomnia. CBT-I is recommended as first-line treatment.
3. Van Dongen H. P. A. et al. (2003)
The cumulative cost of additional wakefulness: dose-response effects on neurobehavioral functions and sleep physiology from chronic sleep restriction and total sleep deprivation.
Sleep, 26(2), 117–126.
DOI: 10.1093/sleep/26.2.117. PMID: 12683469.
Controlled sleep restriction study with 48 healthy adults.
4. Chang A.-M. et al. (2015)
Evening use of light-emitting eReaders negatively affects sleep, circadian timing, and next-morning alertness.
Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 112(4), 1232–1237.
DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1418490112. PMID: 25535358.
Controlled study on evening light, melatonin, and circadian timing.
5. Ferracioli-Oda E., Qawasmi A., Bloch M. H. (2013)
Meta-analysis: melatonin for the treatment of primary sleep disorders.
PLoS ONE, 8(5): e63773.
DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0063773. PMID: 23691095.
Meta-analysis of 19 randomized, placebo-controlled studies with 1,683 participants.
6. AASM & Sleep Research Society: Recommended amount of sleep for adults
Recommended Amount of Sleep for a Healthy Adult: A Joint Consensus Statement of the American Academy of Sleep Medicine and Sleep Research Society.
Recommendation: healthy adults should regularly sleep at least seven hours.
Original Consensus Statement of the AASM/SRS
7. CannaRoKo / Robert-Koch-Apotheke
CannaRoKo is the medical cannabis specialty department of the Robert-Koch-Apotheke in Bitterfeld-Wolfen. Pharmacist and owner Björn Arbter and his team provide information and advice on use and interactions of medical cannabis, among other things, on their own website.
Silas Kühl - Author at Canasups
An author at Canasups and for several years a key figure in the development of the brand and Grünschwert GmbH. He intensively examines the connections between consumer behavior, sleep, recovery, and functional supplements in the context of modern cannabis culture.
Thanks to his many years of experience at the company and his continuous engagement with scientific studies, user experiences, and market trends, he has a profound understanding of the challenges many consumers face in everyday life. His content combines current research with practical insights and clear explanations.
His focus is on presenting complex topics transparently, with nuance, and without exaggeration. Education, personal responsibility, and mindful use are at the heart of his work.
