What time should I go to bed?

The most important variable is not bedtime but wake time. Fix your wake time first, then calculate your target bedtime based on your needed sleep duration (7–9 hours for most adults). Go to bed when you are sleepy, not when the clock says it is time — but aim to be close to your target bedtime.

Should I use a white noise machine?

White noise machines are beneficial for light sleepers, urban environments, and people who wake to noise at night. They mask the variable noise that triggers arousal more effectively than silence in noisy environments. There is no evidence of harm from using one consistently.

Is it bad to exercise in the evening?

For most people, exercise at any time of day improves sleep, and the concern about evening exercise disrupting sleep is exaggerated. However, high-intensity exercise within 1 hour of bedtime can delay sleep onset in sleep-sensitive individuals. If evening exercise seems to cause sleep difficulty, shift it to earlier in the day.

What Is the Best Sleep Hygiene Routine? | whataresleepdisorders.com

Quick Answer

The most evidence-based sleep hygiene routine includes: fixed wake time, bed only when sleepy, cool and dark bedroom, caffeine cutoff by mid-afternoon, no alcohol before bed, a 30–60 minute wind-down period, and regular daily exercise.

'Sleep hygiene' refers to the collection of behavioral and environmental practices that promote consistent, high-quality sleep. The term has become ubiquitous — and sometimes dismissed as generic advice — but the practices it encompasses are genuinely backed by sleep science and are the first-line recommendation for most sleep complaints.

The key insight of sleep hygiene is that sleep quality is not just about what happens at night — it is the product of what happens throughout the entire 24-hour day. Your exercise habits, caffeine consumption, exposure to light, stress levels, and evening activities all influence how well you sleep. A comprehensive routine addresses all of these touchpoints.

Daytime Practices

Get 30 or more minutes of moderate aerobic exercise on most days — ideally in the morning or afternoon. Expose yourself to natural bright light in the morning (even 15–20 minutes outside after waking), which anchors your circadian clock and supports robust melatonin production in the evening. Stop caffeine consumption by early-to-mid afternoon (no later than 2–3pm for most people, earlier for slower caffeine metabolizers).

Avoid napping if you have insomnia. If you need to nap, keep it to 20 minutes in the early afternoon. Manage daytime stress proactively — chronic stress maintains cortisol elevation that persists into the evening, directly interfering with sleep onset.

Evening Wind-Down

Begin a consistent wind-down routine 30–60 minutes before your target bedtime. This routine acts as a conditioned cue — over time, the brain associates these activities with imminent sleep and begins the physiological preparation for sleep during the routine itself. Effective wind-down activities include: stretching or yoga, reading a physical book, journaling, taking a warm shower or bath (the subsequent body temperature drop promotes sleep), or listening to calm music.

Dim the lights in your home in the hour before bed — this supports melatonin secretion by reducing light stimulation of the circadian clock. Put your phone on Do Not Disturb and, ideally, charge it outside the bedroom. Avoid stimulating news, social media, work email, and anything that raises physiological or emotional arousal.

Bedroom Environment

Reserve the bedroom exclusively for sleep and sex. This is not arbitrary — it creates and maintains the conditioned association between the bedroom environment and the state of sleep. Keep the bedroom cool (65–68°F / 18–20°C), as body temperature drops during sleep onset and a cool room facilitates this. Use blackout curtains, a sleep mask, or both to eliminate light intrusion. Manage noise with earplugs, a white noise machine, or a fan.

Do not use the bedroom for work, television, social media, or anxiety-provoking activities. If your bedroom has become a place of wakefulness, worry, and frustration (as it often does for people with chronic insomnia), the conditioned association between bedroom and wakefulness needs to be broken through consistent use of stimulus control practices.

Frequently Asked Questions

References

[1]National Sleep Foundation. Sleep Hygiene Best Practices.
[2]Chung KF et al. Sleep hygiene education as a treatment of insomnia: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Fam Pract. 2018.

The information on this page is for educational purposes only and is not a substitute for professional medical advice. Always consult a qualified healthcare provider for diagnosis and treatment.