How to Build a Healthy Bedtime Routine

If you want better sleep, a consistent bedtime routine can be a gamechanger. A strong sleep routine tells your brain the day is over and that rest is coming. Without that signal, your body stays in go-mode.

The good news? You can train your brain to wind down.

Here’s a guide from Pogo on how to build a bedtime routine that helps you fall asleep faster, stay asleep longer, and supports your mental health in the process.

Keep a Consistent Bedtime and Wake Time 

Your body runs on a circadian rhythm, an internal clock that thrives on consistency.

Going to bed and waking up at wildly different times every day confuses that rhythm. Try choosing a realistic bedtime and wake-up time and sticking within 30–60 minutes of them, even on weekends.

Set a “Wind Down Alarm”

Most people set alarms to wake up. But you can also set a reminder to wind down. About 45–60 minutes before bed, set a reminder to start shutting down.

When you get the alert, that’s your cue to put away high-stimulation tasks, lower the lights, and start your bedtime routine.

Dim Lights and Put Away Screens

Light exposure is one of the biggest enemies of good sleep, especially bright blue light typical of overhead lights and screens.

Blue light in the evening suppresses melatonin — the hormone that makes you sleepy. Lowering lights and stepping away from screens helps your brain shift into night mode.

Try:

• Turning off overhead lights

• Switching to warm lamps

• Reducing phone brightness

• Changing the color tint of your screens to red

Turn Down the Thermostat

Your core body temperature naturally drops as you prepare for sleep. A cooler room supports that biological process and improves sleep quality.

Most sleep experts recommend keeping your bedroom between 60–68°F for optimal sleep.

Before you turn in for the day, lower the thermostat. Add cozy blankets as needed, but let your body cool down naturally. Nothing disrupts a good dream like a bad case of the night sweats.

Have a Light Snack or Calming Drink

Going to bed overly hungry can make it harder to fall asleep. If your belly is rumbling, a small, balanced snack or a calming drink (alcohol and caffeine-free!) can help.

This is not the time for a large meal. Instead, go for something light and easy to digest, like:

• A banana with peanut butter

• A small bowl of oatmeal

• Yogurt

• A handful of nuts

• Warm milk

• Herbal tea (lavender, chamomile, lemon balm)

In the evening, it’s a good idea to avoid drinks containing alcohol (like beer, cocktails, or wine) and caffeine (like coffee, sodas, energy drinks, or caffeinated teas). Alcohol may make you sleepy at first, but it disrupts sleep cycles later in the night, and caffeine can keep your system awake for hours, even if you drank it six hours before.

Journal to Clear Mental Clutter

Racing thoughts are one of the biggest barriers to sleep. Journaling before bed can reduce rumination and help you fall asleep faster. 

Try writing out tomorrow’s top three tasks, making a to-do list, or thinking about what you're grateful for. Getting thoughts out of your head and onto paper clears your mind and sets up space for easier sleep.

Listen to Calming Music or White Noise

Silence isn’t always calming, especially if your brain fills it with worry. Soft instrumental music, brown noise, white noise, or nature sounds can help mask disruptive sounds and provide a steady auditory cue for sleep.

White noise works by reducing environmental sound contrast, making sudden noises less likely to wake you. But keep it low and consistent. The goal is background calm, not a concert.

Keep a Sleep Diary

If you’re trying to improve your sleep habits, track them. A sleep diary helps you identify patterns like:

• What time you went to bed

• How long it took to fall asleep

• Nighttime wake-ups

• Caffeine or alcohol intake

• Mood the next day

You may notice patterns you didn’t expect, like worse sleep after late workouts or scrolling. Use these patterns to adjust your daily routine. A sleep diary can also be helpful if you decide to talk with a doctor about any sleep concerns.

Protect the Routine

The last hour of your day is not the time to solve the world’s problems. Or reorganize your garage. Or send a risky email. Or deep-dive into those group texts you’ve silenced.

Setting gentle boundaries around your evening can be the difference between sleeping soundly and needing an extra cup of coffee in the morning.

Safeguard your bedtime routine by:

Avoiding starting big projects late.

Your brain doesn’t recognize “just 20 minutes.” Starting something new — even something productive — keeps your brain alert and awake. Once your brain switches into problem-solving mode, it takes time to come back down.

Avoiding intense emotional conversations right before bed.

Hard talks matter…just not at 10:45 p.m. Emotional spikes — even positive ones — increase heart rate and stress hormones. Save the heavy conversations for daylight when your nervous system is better equipped to process them.

Avoiding evening caffeine or alcohol.

Caffeine blocks the hormones you need to feel sleepy. Alcohol may make you drowsy, but it fragments sleep and disrupts REM cycles later in the night. Both interfere with the quality of sleep your brain needs to regulate mood and stress.

Avoid doomscrolling.

News, social media debates, and just one more TikTok all keep your brain alert. Bright light + emotional stimulation = delayed sleep onset.

Protect the last hour of your day like your health depends on it. Because it does.

Take the Pottawatomie County Sleep Challenge

If you’re in Pottawatomie County, healthy bedtime routines are exactly what we’re practicing during the Pottawatomie County Sleep Challenge. From March 8-21, we’re building habits that make sleep easier and mental health stronger. Because sometimes the most powerful self-care is simply sleeping a little more soundly.