Five things you need to know about sleep

by Clare O'Shea, Media and Communications Officer

March 7, 2025
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woman lying in bed with a content expression

Lack of sleep is a frequent complaint amongst Aussies, with a third of us admitting to only squeezing in one good night’s sleep a week.

Many would be shocked to know this lack of sleep could be doing more than just leaving us feeling a bit lousy the next day. Research has revealed that restricted or poor quality sleep is associated with higher body weight, which can increase the risk of chronic disease in the long run.

Want to develop a healthier sleep pattern and set yourself up for sweet dreams? These are the five things you need to know.

1. Not getting enough sleep can increase your risk of chronic disease

Many people may be shocked to know that regularly missing out on a good night's sleep increases the risk of health problems such as cancer, type 2 diabetes and heart disease by a startling 20 - 40 per cent.

A lack of sleep can make us feel less motivated to get up and moving the next day. Being tired can also make us more likely to reach for high sugar and high saturated fat foods that don’t tend to fill us up. Eating too many of these foods over time can lead to weight gain. High amounts of body fat, especially around our middle, increases the risk of 13 types of cancer and other diseases like type 2 diabetes and heart disease.

2. Eat these foods for a better night’s sleep

While most of us already know that eating more fruit and vegies, having wholegrains and swapping saturated fats for unsaturated fat (nuts, plants oils, fish) has health benefits. However, we now know that these foods can also improve the quality of our sleep.

3. Alcohol is stopping you from getting a good quality sleep

Alcohol is a diuretic, which means it makes us need to go to the toilet more. These annoying disruptions overnight get in the way of a solid night’s sleep. Drinking alcohol before bed can affect levels of sleepiness and performance the next day. Looking to cut back or ditch alcohol altogether? Check out our tips!

4. That cheeky cup of coffee in the afternoon might be impacting your sleep

Tea, coffee, cola drinks and energy drinks contain caffeine that can affect both the duration and quality of your sleep. That means that skipping that afternoon coffee is a great way to enhance your sleepy game.

5. Smoking is stopping you from getting a good sleep

Nicotine found in cigarettes, like the caffeine found in tea and coffee, is a stimulant which affects the quality and length of your sleep.

Want to quit smoking but not sure where to start? Quit can help you succeed, wherever you’re at. Visit www.quit.org.au or call Quitline on 13 78 48 and speak to a trained Quit Specialist who can help you to plan and develop strategies to quit smoking.