If falling asleep feels harder than it should, your brain might just need a clearer signal that the day is done.

A consistent bedtime routine helps cue your nervous system to shift from go-mode to rest-mode. Sleep experts call this sleep hygiene — small environmental and behavioral shifts that improve how quickly you fall asleep and how deeply you sleep.

And better sleep isn’t just about feeling rested. Research consistently shows that sleep and mental health are deeply connected. Quality sleep supports mood regulation, lowers stress, improves focus, and strengthens emotional resilience.

If you’re looking for simple sleep habits to help you fall asleep faster, you’ve come to the right place here at Pogo.

1. Change Into Pajamas

It sounds obvious, but changing clothes is a powerful sleep cue. When you swap work clothes for pajamas, you’re telling your brain, “We’re off duty now.” Consistent cues like this are part of strong sleep hygiene. 

Your core body temperature naturally drops as you fall asleep, so soft, breathable sleepwear that supports that cooling process is essential. Tight waistbands, scratchy fabrics, and heavy, hot materials can disrupt sleep quality.

2. Drink Something Calm (Not Caffeinated)

Your favorite coffee, soda, or glass of iced tea might be what’s keeping you up at night. 

Caffeine blocks adenosine, the chemical your brain builds up throughout the day to make you feel sleepy. Even caffeine consumed as long as six hours before bed can disrupt your sleep. 

Instead, try something soothing and uncaffeinated, like: 

• Herbal tea (lavender, chamomile, and lemon balm are great options)

• Warm milk

• Tart cherry juice (naturally contains melatonin)

• Water 

3. Brush Your Teeth

Brushing your teeth does more than keep your pearly whites healthy. Repeating the same habit at the same time nightly strengthens your bedtime wind-down routine. That kind of predictability helps regulate your circadian rhythm — your body’s internal clock.

When your brain recognizes the pattern, it starts preparing for sleep automatically.

Bonus: you just might become your dentist’s favorite patient.

4. Dim the Lights

Light is one of the strongest signals that affects your sleep-wake cycle.

Bright and blue light exposure in the evening suppresses melatonin — the hormone that tells your brain it’s time to sleep.

About 30–60 minutes before bed:

• Turn off overhead lights (especially fluorescents and LEDs)

• Switch to warm, low-light lamps

• Reduce screen brightness

• Step away from TVs, phones, and tablets

5. Take a Warm Shower or Bath

Research shows that a warm shower or bath about 1–2 hours before bedtime can help you fall asleep faster. This is because your body naturally goes through a cool down process as it prepares for sleep. When you step out of warm water, your core temperature drops and reinforces that nighttime transition.

A warm rinse also helps your muscles relax and reduces physical tension from the day. Plus, you’ll feel like a new person sliding into clean sheets.

6. Read a Book

Reading is one of the best screen-free bedtime habits. It lowers stress and reduces mental stimulation compared to scrolling social media or watching TV. A physical book (preferably not a backlit tablet or eReader) keeps your mind gently engaged without flooding it with blue light.

The key is keeping it calm. No true crime sagas. No midnight cliffhangers. No news doomscrolling. And absolutely no emails.

7. Practice Slow Breathing

Breathing exercises for sleep work because they calm your nervous system.

Slow breathing activates your parasympathetic nervous system — the body’s “rest and digest” state. This lowers heart rate, reduces cortisol (your stress hormone), and signals safety to your body.

A few breathing exercises you can try include:

• 4-7-8 breathing

• Box breathing

• Simple belly breathing

• Alternate nostril breathing

Many guided routines can also be found on YouTube or popular meditation apps.

8. Get Cuddly

Physical touch releases oxytocin, sometimes called the “bonding hormone.” 

Oxytocin is powerful for sleep because it lowers blood pressure and reduces stress. Whether it’s cuddling a partner, hugging your kid, or petting your dog, safe physical connection can calm your brain and body before bed. 

Feeling secure supports deeper, more restorative sleep.

9. Stretch Gently

Gentle stretching before bed reduces muscle tension and helps your body unwind. That’s why slow, gentle movement before bed is part of many evidence-based sleep hygiene practices. 

Stretching it out before your head hits the pillow increases blood flow, reducing stiffness, and eases physical discomfort — all of which support better sleep quality.

Think slow neck rolls. Toe touches. Child’s pose. Nothing intense. Just enough to tell your body it's done for the day.

10. Do Your Skincare Routine

This isn’t about the products. It’s about the pattern. Consistency builds rhythm, and rhythmic routines build behavioral sleep cues. When you repeat the same sequence nightly, your brain learns what comes next and begins to anticipate sleep when that first face wash starts. 

Feeling like a million bucks is just a bonus.

11. Use Calming Scents

Scent can be a powerful tool for sleep. Lavender in particular has been studied for its calming effects and may improve sleep quality. Calming fragrances like clean linen, jasmine, or rose are also solid picks.

Using the same scent consistently — like a pillow spray or candle — creates a conditioned sleep cue. Over time, your brain starts associating that smell with snooze time.

12. Fold Laundry (Yes, Really)

It’s boring — and that’s the point. Repetitive, low-stakes tasks calm the mind and reduce cognitive stimulation. This helps shift your brain away from racing thoughts and high-alert thinking.

Other screen-free options include:

• Knitting

• Coloring

• Wiping down counters

• Matching socks

• Sorting mail

Remember, analog > algorithm at bedtime.

13. Journal

If anxiety spikes at night, journaling can help. Mental clutter and nighttime worry are some of the biggest sleep disruptors. 

Writing down your to-do list, grocery list, worries, or even gratitude notes can reduce nighttime overthinking. Research shows that offloading thoughts onto paper can shorten the time it takes to fall asleep.

14. Do a Puzzle

Screen-free hobbies are ideal before bed. Unlike scrolling on your phone, puzzles and other hands-on hobbies stimulate your brain just enough without flooding it with overstimulation or blue light. 

Not into puzzles? Try crosswords, doodling, paint-by-number kits, embroidery, or flipping through a magazine.

15. Prep Tomorrow’s Outfit

Your brain loves closure. So give it some! 

Laying out tomorrow’s outfit reduces cognitive load and lowers morning stress. Fewer open loops = fewer racing thoughts.

You can also:

• Pre-pack lunches

• Double check the weather

• Pack your gym bag

• Clear the sink

• Set out your coffee mug

• Write tomorrow’s top three tasks

Future you will thank you.

Why Sleep Habits Matter

Healthy, restorative sleep depends on timing, cues, and consistency. Your body uses environmental signals — light, temperature, repetition, and behavior — to regulate melatonin and align your circadian rhythm.

When your routine is chaotic, your brain stays alert. When your routine is predictable, your brain relaxes. And because sleep and mental health are connected, improving your sleep habits can help reduce stress, improve mood stability, and support emotional regulation.

You don’t need all 15 habits. Start with 2–3. Even a small change can make a big difference.

If you’re in Pottawatomie County, this is exactly what we’re practicing during the Pottawatomie County Sleep Challenge — 14 days of simple, doable habits that help you sleep deeper and feel more like yourself.

Because sometimes showing up for your mental health starts with going to bed.