Gentle New Year’s Sleep Resolutions for BCBAs

Lindsay Anderson
Dec 30, 2025
3 min read

January has a funny way of making us feel like we need to overhaul our entire lives overnight. New routines. New habits. New schedules. Suddenly you are supposed to wake up at 5 am, drink green juice, work out daily, meditate, and sleep perfectly every night.

Let’s not do that.

Instead, let’s talk about a few gentle, realistic sleep resolutions that actually fit into a BCBA’s life. The kind that support your sleep without adding another thing to your to do list.

Resolution #1: Move Your Body a Little More Than You Did Last Year

You do not need a new gym membership or a complicated fitness plan to help your sleep.

There is solid research showing that physical activity helps people fall asleep faster and improves sleep quality. The key part here is that it does not need to be intense or time consuming to be effective.

Think small. A five minute walk between clients. Ten squats while you brush your teeth. Standing up and stretching every thirty minutes while writing reports. Parking a little farther away from the clinic.

These tiny bits of movement add up. They help regulate your nervous system, build sleep pressure, and make it easier for your body to settle at night.

If your goal feels doable, you are more likely to stick with it. And consistency matters far more than intensity when it comes to sleep.

Resolution #2: Let One Bad Night Be One Bad Night

This one might be the most important resolution on the list.

Bad sleep happens. Even when you do everything right. Stressful weeks, illness, travel, hormones, late nights, or just one of those nights where your brain will not turn off.

The problem usually is not the bad night. It is the story we build around it.

Thoughts like: This is starting again. I knew my sleep was fragile. Tomorrow is going to be terrible. I have to fix this right now.

Instead, try this. You had a rough night. That is it.

Do not start changing a million things the next day. Do not panic. Do not overhaul your routine. Just come back to basics. Get up at your usual time. Move your body a little. Eat regular meals. Go to bed when you are sleepy.

Many sleep issues resolve on their own when we stop fighting them.

Resolution #3: Protect a Consistent Wake Up Time Most Days

If there is one habit that does a lot of heavy lifting for sleep, it is a consistent wake up time.

You do not have to be perfect. You do not need to wake up at the exact same minute every single day. But aiming to keep your wake up time within about thirty minutes most days can make a big difference.

A steady wake up time helps regulate your circadian rhythm, improves sleep quality, and makes falling asleep easier at night.

This is often more impactful than obsessing over bedtime.

If your sleep feels off, this is a great place to gently return to.