Why Sleep Matters: Healthify’s Tips for a Better Night’s Rest

On The Breakfast Show, we continued our look at SMILES — Healthify’s wellbeing framework — with Dr Janine Bycroft, focusing on the S for Sleep.

Why Sleep is So Important

“Sleep really is foundational,” Janine explained. “When our sleep is poor, it affects everything from mood and focus to immunity, metabolism and long-term health. It’s just as important as what we eat and how active we are.”

Healthify has created a dedicated Sleep Topics page within its Hauora Wellbeing hub, covering:

• Why sleep matters

• How much we need at different ages

• Tips for better sleep

• What to do if problems continue

Practical Tips You Can Try Tonight

Janine shared a few simple, evidence-based ways to improve your sleep:

• Stick to a regular bedtime and wake-up time

• Keep your bedroom calm, quiet and dark

• Avoid screens, bright light, caffeine, or heavy meals before bed

• Wind down with a relaxing pre-sleep routine — like reading, gentle stretches, or mindfulness

The Twenty Winks Sleep Questionnaire

Healthify also offers the Twenty Winks tool — a quick questionnaire that looks at your sleep habits, lifestyle and health. Once completed, you’ll receive personalised feedback with practical recommendations and links to helpful resources.

“Think of it as a quick sleep check-in,” Janine said. “It shows you where your strengths are, and where you might want to make changes to rest better.”

A Simple First Step

For anyone struggling with sleep, Janine suggests:
👉 Choose one area that’s hardest for you and focus on improving it for a week. Whether it’s putting your phone away before bed, setting a consistent bedtime, or creating a calmer bedroom, small steps can make a big difference.

You can find the Sleep Topics page and the Twenty Winks Sleep Questionnaire at Healthify.nz under Hauora Wellbeing.