Sleep hygiene is the set of daily habits and bedroom conditions that make it easier to fall asleep and stay asleep. The core of it is simple: get up at the same time every day, keep the bedroom cool, dark and quiet, cut screens, caffeine and alcohol well before bed, wind down, and get out of bed if you cannot sleep after about 20 minutes. Good habits help most people, but on their own they are not a treatment for chronic insomnia.
A fixed wake-up time is the anchor of good sleep hygiene. Use the sleep calculator to find the bedtime that matches it.
What Is Sleep Hygiene?
The term refers to a series of healthy sleep habits that can improve your ability to fall asleep and stay asleep. What you eat and drink, the medicines you take, how you schedule your day and how you spend your evenings can all affect sleep quality (AASM). Sleep hygiene covers both your behaviour and your sleep environment, and the tips are not rigid rules: you can adapt them to your own life and build your own checklist (Sleep Foundation).
It starts with giving yourself enough time to sleep. Most adults need 7 to 9 hours a night (MedlinePlus), so set a bedtime early enough to get that before your alarm.
The Sleep Hygiene Checklist
Use this table as a quick audit. Pick the one or two rows you miss most often and start there; you do not have to change everything at once (Sleep Foundation).
| Habit | Why it helps | How to do it |
|---|---|---|
| Same wake-up time daily | A changing schedule keeps you from settling into a rhythm | Same alarm 7 days a week; keep weekends within about an hour |
| Bed only when sleepy | Builds the link between bed and sleep | Use the bed only for sleep and sex |
| Cool, dark, quiet room | Noise, light and temperature can all disturb sleep | Around 65 F (18 C), curtains or eye mask, earplugs or a fan |
| Screens off early | Bright light signals the brain to stay awake | Devices off at least 30 minutes before bed; dim lights |
| Caffeine cut-off | Its effects can last up to 8 hours | No coffee, tea, cola or chocolate in the afternoon or evening |
| No alcohol or nicotine near bed | Alcohol makes sleep lighter; nicotine is a stimulant | Skip the nightcap; avoid smoking or vaping in the evening |
| Daytime activity and daylight | Supports your body clock and makes sleep easier | Get outside every day; finish hard exercise well before bed |
| Light evening meals | A big meal means you are still digesting at bedtime | Eat dinner earlier; a light snack is fine; fewer drinks late |
| Wind-down routine | The same steps each night cue your brain that it is bedtime | 30 to 60 minutes of reading, a bath, music or relaxation |
| Get up if you cannot sleep | Stops the bed becoming a place to toss and turn | After about 20 minutes, get up and do something quiet in low light |
| Short, early naps | Long or late naps can make it harder to sleep at night | 20 minutes or less, and not after 3 p.m. |
1. Keep A Consistent Sleep Schedule
Get up at the same time every day, even on weekends and holidays, and set a bedtime early enough for at least 7 to 8 hours of sleep (AASM). If your weekends drift, limit the difference to no more than about an hour, because staying up late and sleeping in late can disrupt your body clock (NHLBI).
If you want to move your sleep times, shift them gradually rather than all at once (Sleep Foundation). The wake-up time is the part to protect most; the bedtime follows from it.
2. Make The Bedroom Dark, Quiet And Cool
Keep the bedroom quiet, cool and dark; a dim night light is fine if you need one (NHLBI). Heavy curtains or an eye mask block light, and earplugs, a white noise machine or a fan can cover disruptive sounds (Sleep Foundation).
For temperature, most people sleep best at around 65 F (about 18 C), give or take a few degrees. Your core temperature naturally drops as you sleep, so a cooler room makes it easier to fall and stay asleep, while a hot room tends to cause restlessness (Sleep Foundation). To match the room, bedding and sleepwear to your climate, try the sleep temperature calculator.
3. Manage Light And Screens In The Evening
Limit bright light in the evening and turn off electronic devices at least 30 minutes before bedtime (AASM). Bright artificial light, such as from a TV or computer, may signal the brain that it is time to be awake (NHLBI). Phones and tablets are also mentally stimulating, so a 30 to 60 minute device-free buffer before bed helps (Sleep Foundation).
Daylight works the other way. Spending time outside every day supports your body clock (NHLBI). The blue light exposure calculator shows how much evening screen time you are getting and when to stop.
4. Time Caffeine, Alcohol And Nicotine
Caffeine is a stimulant whose effects can last up to 8 hours, so a cup of coffee in the late afternoon can make it hard to fall asleep at night. Remember that tea, cola and chocolate contain it too. Nicotine is also a stimulant that can interfere with sleep (NHLBI). Caffeine has a half-life of 3 to 5 hours, and one study found that caffeine taken 6 hours before bed still cut total sleep time by 1 hour (AASM). Check your own cut-off with the caffeine impact on sleep calculator.
Alcohol can make it easier to fall asleep, but it makes sleep lighter than normal, so you are more likely to wake during the night (NHLBI). Avoid it before bedtime (AASM).
5. Plan Exercise And Meals Around Sleep
Regular exercise helps, but not too close to bedtime (MedlinePlus). Avoid intense exercise in the hour before bed (NHLBI); if you already have trouble sleeping, finishing physical activity at least 5 to 6 hours before bed is the safer target (NHLBI).
Avoid heavy or large meals within a few hours of bedtime; a light snack is fine (NHLBI). Cutting back on fluids before bed also means fewer trips to the bathroom at night (AASM).
6. Build A Wind-Down Routine
Use the hour before bed as quiet time (NHLBI). Following the same steps each night, such as putting on pyjamas and brushing your teeth, reinforces that it is bedtime. Budget at least 30 minutes for something calming: soft music, light stretching, reading or a relaxation exercise. It often works better to aim for relaxation rather than to force sleep (Sleep Foundation). A warm bath is another option (NHLBI).
7. What To Do If You Cannot Sleep
Do not go to bed unless you are sleepy. If you do not fall asleep after about 20 minutes, get out of bed and do a quiet activity without much light, and avoid electronics (AASM; MedlinePlus). Go back to bed when you feel sleepy. This keeps a healthy mental link between being in bed and being asleep (Sleep Foundation).
8. Keep Naps Short And Early
Napping can boost alertness, but if you have trouble falling asleep at night, limit naps or take them earlier in the afternoon. Adults should nap for no more than 20 minutes (NHLBI), and not after 3 p.m. (MedlinePlus). Shift workers are the exception: planned naps can help them get enough total sleep (NHLBI).
Is Sleep Hygiene Enough To Treat Insomnia?
Not usually. Sleep hygiene is an important part of cognitive behavioral therapy for insomnia (CBT-I), which is the most effective long-term treatment for chronic insomnia (AASM).
The American Academy of Sleep Medicine strongly recommends multicomponent CBT-I for chronic insomnia in adults, and suggests that clinicians not use sleep hygiene as a single-component treatment (AASM guideline). The American College of Physicians recommends CBT-I as the initial treatment for all adults with chronic insomnia disorder (ACP guideline). CBT-I usually runs 6 to 8 weeks, can be delivered in person, by phone or online, and includes sleep education alongside stimulus control, sleep restriction, relaxation and cognitive therapy (NHLBI).
Improving sleep hygiene will not always fix sleep problems; people with serious insomnia or a disorder such as obstructive sleep apnea usually need other treatment as well (Sleep Foundation). If poor sleep has lasted for weeks, see the step-by-step plan in how to beat insomnia.
When Should You See A Doctor?
See a health care provider if you keep having trouble sleeping despite better habits. You may have a sleep disorder such as insomnia or sleep apnea, and your provider may suggest a sleep study or other treatment (MedlinePlus). Ask too about medicines you already take, since some cold and allergy medicines can disrupt sleep (NHLBI).
Sleep Hygiene FAQs
What Is The Most Important Sleep Hygiene Habit?
A consistent wake-up time, every day of the week. It anchors your body clock, and your bedtime can be planned back from it.
Can Sleep Hygiene Fix Insomnia?
It helps, but for chronic insomnia it is not enough on its own. CBT-I, which includes sleep hygiene, is the recommended first treatment.
How Long Before Bed Should I Stop Using Screens?
At least 30 minutes, and 30 to 60 minutes is better. Dim the room lights as well.
What Temperature Should My Bedroom Be?
Around 65 F (about 18 C) suits most people, adjusted a few degrees for comfort.
Should I Stay In Bed If I Cannot Fall Asleep?
No. After about 20 minutes, get up, do something quiet in low light, and return when sleepy.
Are Naps Bad For Sleep Hygiene?
Not if they are short and early. Keep naps to 20 minutes or less and avoid them after 3 p.m.