Sleep Hygiene Checklist

Sleep is built across the whole day, not just at night. Tick off what you already do, circle what you want to try, and keep the sheet on your nightstand.

What you do early shapes how you sleep tonight.

Get out of bed at the same time Even on weekends — anchors your rhythm Get daylight within 30 minutes of waking Outside if possible, a few minutes is enough Eat something, even small Signals your body that the day has started Move your body Walk, stretch, chores — not necessarily a workout

Cut caffeine by 2 PM Half-life is ~5 hours; later coffee still bites at 10 PM Short nap if needed, under 20 minutes Longer naps disrupt tonight’s sleep Keep lunch and dinner times consistent Your body uses meals as time cues

The 2–3 hours before bed matter the most.

No alcohol within 3 hours of bed It knocks you out but wrecks deep sleep Dim the lights Lamps instead of overheads; warm tones Stop eating 2 hours before bed Digestion keeps your core temperature up Finish hard conversations early Save tough talks for the next day if you can

Screens off or in night mode Blue light suppresses melatonin Do something calming Reading, stretching, a warm shower, quiet music Write down tomorrow’s top 3 Offloads worry so your brain lets go Brain dump any anxious thoughts Paper is the best place for 2 AM thoughts

Room cool: 60–67°F / 15–19°C Cooler than you think is usually right Room dark Blackout curtains or a sleep mask Room quiet Earplugs or a fan / white noise if needed Phone out of reach or in another room Not on the nightstand if you can help it Bed is only for sleep (and sex) No working, doomscrolling, or eating in bed

Rules for the inevitable 3 AM wake-up.

After ~20 minutes, get out of bed Don’t lie there anxious — it teaches your brain that bed = awake Do something dull with low light Read a boring book, fold laundry. Not your phone Go back to bed when sleepy again Sleepy, not just tired Don’t check the clock Math at 3 AM only makes it worse

Morning

Afternoon

Evening

60 minutes before bed

Bedroom setup

If you can’t sleep