Bedtime routine

A bedtime routine is a consistent sequence of calming activities performed in the same order each night to signal the body and mind that sleep is coming.

Typical elements include a fixed wind-down time, dimming lights, putting away screens, a warm shower or bath, light reading, gentle stretching, breathing exercises or a brief written to-do list to park the next day's worries. The routine works through conditioning: repeated pairing of the same cues with sleep strengthens the association, while the predictable drop in stimulation lets core body temperature and heart rate fall and melatonin rise. It is a standard component of sleep hygiene for adults and a well-established recommendation in pediatric sleep guidance, where a consistent routine is linked to earlier sleep onset and fewer night wakings.

A bedtime routine differs from stimulus control, which is a behavioral therapy that limits the bed to sleep and has the person leave the bed when unable to sleep, though the two are often used together within cognitive behavioral therapy for insomnia. Sleep clinicians assess routines through a sleep diary and interview, looking for variable bedtimes, late screen use, and caffeine and alcohol timing. Cannabinoid products taken in the evening are sometimes described by users as part of a routine, but no cannabinoid has an approved use for sleep, and behavioral routines are supported by far stronger evidence.