Olivia Arezzero is a sleep guru and author. She draws on her 15 years of experience and credentials (including health science and sleep psychology) to share simple, actionable tips for better sleep on Instagram.

Along with choosing the best mattress for you and practicing good sleep hygiene, good bedtime habits are one of the most important factors that promote good sleep.

Here we take a closer look at the bedtime steps that Alezero introduces and explore the benefits she discusses, as well as the definitive “don'ts” of the nighttime habit.

According to Arezzero, the first, non-negotiable step in the bedtime routine is to reduce light for an hour before bedtime.

Light, she says, is the main factor controlling circadian rhythms that regulate sleep-wake cycles. It also affects levels of melatonin, the hormone that makes us feel sleepy (excessive light interferes with melatonin production).

Reducing light levels can signal to the body that it's time to get ready for sleep. To this end, Arezzero suggests:

When you are ready to sleep, your body temperature drops, which signals melatonin secretion.

Arezzero says the way to start this process and optimize melatonin production is to take a shower.

Moving from a warm shower or bath to a cool bathroom or bedroom, she explains, lowers body temperature. This stimulates melatonin synthesis, which makes it easier to feel sleepy, fall asleep faster, and stay asleep. To maximize the benefits of a shower before bed, Arezzero says, take a shower 60 minutes before bed.

Putting down your phone before bed may seem daunting, but spending the 30 minutes before bed without technology is another non-negotiable step for Arezzero: according to a Sleep Foundation poll of Americans in 2011, device use for an hour before bed was significantly related” to having problems sleeping.

Arezzero recommends reading to prepare for bed. According to a 2009 study from the University of Sussex, reading reduces stress by 68%, and this calming effect begins just six minutes after turning the page.

Similarly, she recommends meditation and listening to calming music. Studies have shown that music and meditation help our brains transition from highly active alpha and beta waves to slower theta waves, and meditation can create theta waves. This means that the brain becomes more relaxed and can move into a deeper sleep.

While these three steps will help you perfect your bedtime routine, fall asleep faster, and get a good night's sleep, according to Arezzero, there is another “fundamental” to ensuring a deep sleep, and that is a quality mattress. [According to Alezero, a quality mattress is an absolute requirement to ensure that the spine and neck are aligned and to reduce pressure points. In fact, she cites a 2006 study that found that for back pain sufferers, simply changing mattresses can improve sleep quality by 55%.

So if you find yourself sleeping better away from home or waking up with aches and pains, it may be time to invest in a new mattress. See this month's best mattress sale deals.

If you're looking for a good night's sleep, there are a few habits to avoid. We'll briefly cover them here, but if you'd like a more detailed explanation, check out our complete guide to the three nighttime habits that will soon keep you up at night.

Claire Davis, certified sleep coach and sleep editor for Tom's Guide, advises that you should also have a “mini wind-down routine” in your bedroom. This is especially important if you use your bedroom for purposes other than sleep, such as work or exercise.

Avoid rooms that are cluttered, unorganized, or dirty, as this creates an environment that makes it difficult to relax or completely unwind. Keep bedrooms cool, dark, quiet and clean.

Lock the door, close the curtains, brush your teeth, and wait to get into bed until you are relaxed on the couch, inevitably waking up again. [so that when you feel sleepy, you can go straight into a blissful slumber.

For some people, the 30 minutes lying in bed before sleep is the only downtime they have to process the day and mentally prepare for the next.

However, these stimulating thoughts activate the brain and make it difficult to transition into a deep sleep; try to set aside even 10 minutes to jot down your thoughts before getting into bed, and then get under the covers with a quiet mind.