Sleep Goals for the New Year
January 6, 2026 by HFS Staff
Welcome back to our Health and Wellness Tips for the New Year series! In this third blog, HFS Nutrition and Wellness Specialist Lacy Anderson highlights the importance of sleep and how building healthy routines can transform your energy, focus and overall well-being in 2026.
Develop a Sleep Hygiene Routine
When you power down, your body puts its resources into carrying out key maintenance work like consolidating memory, removing cellular waste, repairing tissue damage, and ramping up immune cell production. Many of us loathe the effects of bad or inconsistent sleep, but few of us proactively follow a plan to make great sleep a habit.
If you don’t already have a sleep routine in place, I’d encourage you to start! My top three recommendations to support great sleep are:
- Stick to a sleep schedule. Bedtime isn’t just for babies! Setting consistent bed and wake times can help your body get into a rhythm of solid, consistent sleep.
- Have a wind-down routine. Try to do relaxing activities to get your body into a comfy rest-and-digest state an hour before bed. Turn off bright lights and screens. Have some quiet time. Take a hot shower.
- Reduce sources of noise and light. A dark, quiet room is ideal for uninterrupted sleep. Eye masks, ear plugs, and white noise machines can be good options for those that can’t modify their living space (ahem, people in dorms who can’t install blackout curtains or silence their snoring roommate).
You don’t need to make New Year’s resolutions if it isn’t your thing. However, if the New Year inspires you to reflect and goal-set, I hope you pick resolutions that bring you joy, reduce your stress, and help make this a great year to be you.
I wish all you Huskies a very Happy New Year!
Lacy Anderson, MS MPP RDN CD
Nutrition and Wellness Specialist
lacyand@uw.edu
Need some recommendations for goals that will support your wellness in 2026? Read our other Health and Wellness Tips for the New Year blogs for more information:
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