BEDTIME

The 9 P.M. Wind-Down

A 60-minute evening routine that makes an early bedtime easy to keep

Pick your anchor times

Step 1: choose a wake-up time you can keep every day, weekends included
Step 2: count back 8 hours to find lights out. Adults need 7 or more hours (CDC)
Example: wake at 5:00 a.m., lights out at 9:00 p.m., wind-down starts at 8:00 p.m.
Set two alarms: one for wind-down starts, one for lights out
Fill in: wake ___, wind-down ___, lights out ___. Keep weekends similar (NHS)

60 min before: avoid a large meal or alcohol; avoid caffeine all afternoon or evening.
50 min: dim the lights and put screens away (NHS: none for the last hour before bed)
40 min: lay out tomorrow's bag and gym clothes, then write tomorrow's to-do list
30 min: 5 minutes of easy stretching, then read a paper book, not a screen
In a sleep lab, a specific to-do list beat a done-list for falling asleep faster
Reading a paper book beat a light-emitting e-reader for melatonin and falling asleep

Charge your phone outside the bedroom and use a cheap alarm clock instead
Make the room dark, quiet and cool: close the curtains, use earplugs if it's noisy (NHS)
Awake after about 20 minutes? Get up, keep the light low, return when sleepy (NHS)

Get outside for daylight and drink a glass of water in your first 30 minutes
Take a 5-10 minute walk before you check your phone or email
7-day streak tracker: tick each day you keep your wake-up time
Late night? Keep your wake-up time and go to bed earlier next night, don't sleep in

Trouble sleeping most nights, or exhausted despite 7+ hours? Talk to your doctor. This is a habit guide, not a treatment.

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