If you can’t sleep through the night after 70, try cutting these 6 sneaky habits from your evening routine

There’s something incredibly frustrating about being exhausted, crawling into bed, and then… staring at the ceiling for hours. Or waking up at 2:47 a.m. for the third night in a row and wondering if this is just how life is going to be now.

For many people over 70, getting through the night without interruption feels like a luxury. But it’s not necessarily inevitable.

Yes, age brings changes to sleep cycles, hormone levels, and even how our bodies regulate temperature. But what we often forget? Some of our evening habits—seemingly harmless ones—might be the very things sabotaging our sleep.

Let’s talk about the six culprits I see most often.

1. Falling asleep in front of the TV

We’ve all done it—curled up with a good show after dinner and nodded off halfway through. In fact, it can feel like a comforting bedtime ritual. But there’s a reason sleep specialists strongly advise against it.

TVs (and phones and tablets) emit blue light, which interferes with melatonin, the hormone that regulates your internal clock. Even with your eyes half-closed, your brain is still registering those flickering lights and unpredictable sound spikes—keeping your mind in a semi-alert state.

Not only that, but falling asleep on the couch often means your body doesn’t fully relax. Your head might be tilted at a weird angle. Your back unsupported. Your sleep shallow. Then, when you finally get up to go to bed, your body treats it like a full reset.

I used to tell myself it “didn’t count” if I just dozed for 20 minutes in the recliner. But I started tracking my sleep with a basic monitor, and sure enough—on TV nights, I had way more interruptions and grogginess the next morning.

So if TV is part of your routine, that’s fine. Just time it to end at least 30 minutes before bed. Use that final half hour for something lower stimulation—like listening to calm music or reading with soft lighting.

2. Snacking too late—even if it’s “healthy”

Let me be clear: this isn’t about strict food rules or late-night guilt.

This is about your body’s digestive system still working overtime when the rest of you wants to power down. Late-night snacking—especially on things like dark chocolate, yogurt, trail mix, or even fruit—can spike blood sugar or trigger wakefulness just as your body is trying to wind down.

Here’s something many people don’t realize: digestion slightly raises your core temperature. And one of the signals your body relies on for sleep is a natural drop in temperature. So a late-night snack, even a small one, can throw off that signal and delay deeper sleep.

As Dr. Shelby Harris, author of The Women’s Guide to Overcoming Insomnia, has noted, “Digestion can disrupt sleep, especially when you lie down too soon after eating. It’s best to finish eating 2–3 hours before bedtime.”

I once got into a habit of eating a banana with almond butter around 10 p.m. because I thought it was “healthy fuel.” Turns out, even that mild snack was enough to keep my sleep shallow and interrupted.

If you do need a little something, keep it light and easy to digest. A warm herbal tea, a small piece of whole grain toast, or a slice of avocado can help settle you—without overstimulating your system.

3. Having that one extra glass of wine “to unwind”

Alcohol is a common go-to for relaxation, especially in the evening. And yes, it can make you feel drowsy at first. But sleep-wise? It’s deceptive.

Alcohol messes with REM sleep—that stage where your brain does the emotional and memory processing. And it tends to wear off a few hours after you fall asleep, leading to rebound wakefulness—which is that sudden 2 a.m. alertness you can’t explain.

The reason? As your body metabolizes the alcohol, your nervous system becomes more active again, causing light sleep, vivid dreams, or frequent bathroom trips.

Sleep doctor Michael Breus puts it bluntly: “Alcohol is the number one sleep aid in the world—and also one of the worst things you can do for your sleep quality.”

Instead of relying on that nightcap, try something that mimics the ritual but doesn’t interfere with your sleep: a warm cup of tart cherry juice (which contains melatonin), a magnesium-rich cocoa tea, or even just a mindful breathing practice before bed.

And if you do have a glass of wine or cocktail with dinner, just keep it early—at least 3–4 hours before bedtime.

4. Obsessively checking the clock

This one sneaks up on a lot of us.

You wake up in the middle of the night, glance at the clock, and suddenly you’re doing math. It’s 2:46… okay, if I fall asleep in the next 20 minutes, I can still get 4 hours before the alarm…

Before you know it, you’re wide awake, irritated, and now anxious about not sleeping.

This is called sleep performance anxiety, and it’s something I see often in people who used to be “good sleepers” but find their patterns changing with age. The more we try to force sleep—or monitor it—the more elusive it becomes.

As Dr. Guy Meadows explains, “Clock-watching increases anxiety, which is one of the main enemies of sleep. You begin to fear being awake, and that fear keeps you alert.”

Try this instead: remove visual cues. Cover your bedside clock or turn your phone face-down. If you wake up, resist the urge to check the time. Remind yourself that rest—even if not fully asleep—is still valuable to your body.

Some nights you’ll still wake up. That’s okay. But by not adding pressure, you’re giving your mind a chance to ease back into sleep more naturally.

5. Having heavy conversations after dinner

Evening might feel like the natural time to talk things through—especially if you live with someone and the house finally gets quiet. But your nervous system doesn’t know the difference between a stimulating debate and an emotional argument. Either way, it kicks into gear.

I’ve been there. One minute I’m catching up with a friend or my spouse about something that happened during the day. The next thing I know, we’re deep in a serious conversation about finances or health fears… and my brain is now buzzing with cortisol.

It doesn’t always feel stressful in the moment. But your body still registers those discussions as activating.

And when you mix that with aging-related changes in cortisol regulation, it creates the perfect recipe for fragmented, anxious sleep.

Not every serious conversation can be perfectly timed. But where you can, shift those talks to earlier in the day. Or write down what you want to say and revisit it in the morning. That way, your mind isn’t left chewing on unresolved stress as you try to drift off.

6. Staying too sedentary during the day

This one surprised me when I first started digging into sleep research.

We often think of sleep issues as something to fix at night. But a key part of deep sleep comes from how we move—or don’t—during the day.

If your body isn’t getting enough physical activity, it doesn’t build up sufficient sleep pressure (that biological drive that helps you fall into deep rest). And when you do lie down, you may fall asleep lightly but struggle to stay there.

As the National Institute on Aging puts it, “Regular physical activity can help you fall asleep faster, stay asleep longer, and feel more rested.”

This doesn’t mean high-intensity exercise or exhausting routines. For many people over 70, things like gentle yoga, gardening, housework, tai chi, or even a couple of 10-minute walks a day can make a difference.

I’ve seen people improve their sleep just by switching their morning routines to include 10 minutes of movement after breakfast. It’s about consistency, not intensity.

Sleep loves rhythm. And when your body has a full, steady rhythm of movement during the day, it’s more likely to settle deeply at night.

Final thoughts

Sleep isn’t just about rest—it’s one of the most important levers we have for cognitive health, mood stability, and overall vitality as we age.

So if you find yourself waking up often, lying awake for hours, or feeling groggy despite spending eight hours in bed—it may be time to zoom out and look at what’s happening in those two to three hours before you turn out the light.

Try cutting one habit at a time. Track what works. Maybe it’s the wine. Maybe it’s the 10 p.m. bowl of granola. Maybe it’s something you hadn’t even noticed—like the conversation you’re replaying in your head.

Sleep hygiene isn’t a one-size-fits-all formula. But most of us can get better sleep not by adding more, but by gently removing the habits that sneak in over time and chip away at our rest.

A peaceful night is possible. You just might have to make space for it.