The most common New Year’s resolutions tend to be vague goals intended to “get your life together” by losing weight, eating healthier food, or exercising more.

But most people don’t successfully follow through on their resolutions – largely because they’re so general and non-specific.

That’s where science can help. Using specific, science-backed resolutions, you can boost your chances of successfully transforming your life in the New Year.

These are some of our favourite resolution ideas, all backed by recent science. Some have to do with fitness, others diet or health, others productivity, and some are simply designed to help you maximise happiness.

You don’t need to attempt all at once, but pick one or two that will get you closest to your goals.

To help you lose weight, eat healthier, and feel better, resolve to fix your sleeping habits.

Recent research shows that getting enough sleep makes it easier to avoid cravings for unhealthy foods, keep off excess weight, and that it’s key for psychological health.

In the long run, sleep could be even more important: in several studies published in the summer of 2017, researchers demonstrated that after disrupted sleep, individuals had higher levels of proteins associated with Alzheimer’s and dementia in the brain.

And as sleep expert Matthew Walker, author of the new book, “Why We Sleep,” recently told Business Insider, you really can’t get by on six or seven hours of sleep – the vast majority of people need an average of eight hours a night.

To improve your sleep, experts recommend going to bed and getting up at the same time every night, improving your sleep environment, and avoiding screens for at least a half hour before bed, if not longer. If you’re struggling with insomnia, there are science-backed tips for that too.

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