Learn Hardcore Portuguese (Portugal): Com pequenos ajustes, o meu sono anda a melhorar todos os dias. - With small adjustments, my sleep has been improving every day.

Com pequenos ajustes ≈ By making small adjustments / With small adjustments.
This structure is very common in Portuguese to express the idea of cause or means:
- Com tempo, tudo se resolve. – With time / Given time, everything is resolved.
- Com esforço, consegues. – With effort / By making an effort, you can do it.

So “Com pequenos ajustes” introduces the means or reason why the sleep is improving.

Why is there a comma after “ajustes”?

The phrase “Com pequenos ajustes” is an introductory clause that sets the context (the condition or cause) for the main idea:

Introductory part: Com pequenos ajustes,
Main clause: o meu sono anda a melhorar todos os dias.

In Portuguese writing, it is normal (and stylistically good) to separate this kind of initial circumstance with a comma, much like in English:
“With small adjustments, my sleep is improving every day.”

Why do we say “o meu sono” and not just “meu sono”?

In European Portuguese, it is very common to use a definite article (o, a, os, as) before possessive adjectives:

o meu sono – my sleep
a minha casa – my house
os meus amigos – my friends

You can sometimes drop the article (meu sono), but in European Portuguese it tends to sound more neutral and natural with the article, especially in everyday speech. In Brazilian Portuguese, leaving out the article (meu sono) is much more common.

What’s the difference between “sono” and “dormir”? Why can’t I say “o meu dormir”?

sono is a noun: “sleep” (as a state) or “sleepiness”.
- Tenho sono. – I’m sleepy.
- O meu sono anda a melhorar. – My sleep is improving.
dormir is a verb: “to sleep”.
- Eu durmo bem. – I sleep well.
- Quero dormir mais cedo. – I want to sleep earlier.

You cannot say “o meu dormir” because “dormir” is a verb, and in this sentence you need a noun referring to your sleep as a thing/state, which is “sono”.

What does “anda a melhorar” mean literally, and how is it different from just “melhora”?

Literally:

anda – “walks/goes”
andar a melhorar – “goes improving / is in a process of improving”.

In grammar terms, “andar a + infinitive” is a progressive aspect construction in European Portuguese. It suggests:

an ongoing, gradual process over a period of time
often with the flavour of “keeps on / has been / is in the habit of”

So:

O meu sono anda a melhorar. – My sleep has been improving / keeps improving.
O meu sono melhora. – more like My sleep improves (stated as a fact or a general truth), weaker sense of ongoing gradual change.

What is the difference between “anda a melhorar” and “está a melhorar”?

Both use a progressive structure (verb + a + infinitive) in European Portuguese, but they feel slightly different:

está a melhorar – focuses on what is happening now or around now:
- O meu sono está a melhorar. – My sleep is improving (right now / these days).
anda a melhorar – often suggests a more extended, gradual process over a period of time, like “has been improving / keeps improving lately”.

In this sentence, “anda a melhorar” fits well because it talks about a change that’s developing step by step as small adjustments are made.

Can European Portuguese also say “anda melhorando” like in Brazilian Portuguese?

In European Portuguese, the normal progressive forms are:

estar a + infinitive: estou a melhorar
andar a + infinitive: ando a melhorar

The “-ando / -endo / -indo” form (melhorando, comendo, dormindo) is:

natural and frequent in Brazilian Portuguese
possible but much less common in everyday European Portuguese and can sound more literary or marked.

So for European Portuguese, “anda a melhorar” is the standard and most natural choice here.

Why is it “pequenos ajustes” and not “pequenas ajustes”?

Adjectives in Portuguese must agree in gender and number with the noun:

ajuste is masculine, singular: o ajuste
ajustes is masculine, plural: os ajustes

So the adjective must also be masculine plural:

pequeno ajuste – small adjustment
pequenos ajustes – small adjustments

“pequenas ajustes” would be wrong because “pequenas” is feminine plural.

Why is it “todos os dias” and not just “todos dias”?

In Portuguese, when you say “every day / all the days”, you usually include the definite article:

todos os dias – every day
todas as semanas – every week
todos os anos – every year

Saying “todos dias” is not standard; it sounds incomplete in European Portuguese. The pattern is:

todo o dia – all day / the whole day
todos os dias – every day / all the days

Could I say “o meu sono está a melhorar todos os dias” instead? Would it change the meaning?

Yes, you can say:

O meu sono está a melhorar todos os dias.

This is perfectly correct and natural. The difference is subtle:

anda a melhorar – highlights ongoing, gradual change over a stretch of time, often with a sense of “has been improving lately / little by little”.
está a melhorar – focuses more on the current process of improvement.

Both are acceptable; “anda a melhorar” just adds a bit more sense of gradual evolution over time.

Is the word order “o meu sono anda a melhorar todos os dias” fixed, or can I move “todos os dias”?

You have some flexibility. All of these are possible:

O meu sono anda a melhorar todos os dias.
Todos os dias, o meu sono anda a melhorar.
O meu sono, todos os dias, anda a melhorar. (more marked/emphatic)

The original order is the most neutral and natural. Moving “todos os dias” to the start puts more emphasis on the frequency: Every day, my sleep is improving.

In European Portuguese, is there any difference in nuance between saying “o meu sono anda a melhorar” and “ando a dormir melhor”?

Yes, there’s a small nuance shift:

O meu sono anda a melhorar.
- Focuses on “my sleep” as a general state/quality.
- Slightly more abstract: your sleep pattern, sleep health, overall rest.
Ando a dormir melhor.
- Focuses on the action of sleeping.
- Very direct: I’ve been sleeping better.

Both can describe the same situation, but “o meu sono anda a melhorar” sounds a bit more about the overall condition of your sleep, while “ando a dormir melhor” sounds more personal and action-focused.