Sleep hygiene means the everyday habits and bedroom conditions that make sleep easier: a regular wake-up time, a calm last hour, no caffeine late in the day, little alcohol, and a bedroom that is quiet, dark and cool. The American Academy of Sleep Medicine (AASM) calls it "a series of healthy sleep habits that can improve your ability to fall asleep and stay asleep." It's a good base for anyone. It is not, on its own, a treatment for long-lasting insomnia.
Below you'll find the checklist, a copyable version, the places where the big sources give different numbers, and what sleep hygiene can and can't do.
The sleep hygiene checklist
Each item is taken from at least one of these sources: the AASM, the Sleep Foundation, the NHS or the German Institute for Quality and Efficiency in Health Care (IQWiG). The column on the right says which.
| Area | Habit | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Schedule | Get up at the same time every day, weekends included | AASM, Sleep Foundation, NHS, IQWiG |
| Go to bed only when you're sleepy | AASM, NHS, IQWiG | |
| Keep naps short, or skip them if you sleep badly at night | AASM, Sleep Foundation, NHS | |
| Day | Get daylight during the day | Sleep Foundation |
| Be active during the day, not right before bed | AASM, NHS, IQWiG | |
| Evening | No caffeine in the afternoon or evening | AASM, Sleep Foundation, NHS, IQWiG |
| Little or no alcohol in the evening, no smoking | AASM, Sleep Foundation, NHS, IQWiG | |
| No large or heavy meal late; a light snack is fine | AASM, Sleep Foundation, NHS, IQWiG | |
| Dim the lights and put screens away before bed | AASM, Sleep Foundation, NHS | |
| Follow the same short routine every night | AASM, Sleep Foundation | |
| Write worries and tomorrow's tasks down earlier in the evening | AASM (handout), NHS | |
| Bedroom | Quiet, dark and cool, with a comfortable bed | AASM, Sleep Foundation, NHS, IQWiG |
| Earplugs, an eye mask or blackout curtains if needed | AASM (handout), Sleep Foundation, NHS | |
| Use the bed for sleep and sex only | AASM, Sleep Foundation, IQWiG | |
| In bed | If you're awake after about 20 minutes, get up and do something quiet in low light | AASM, Sleep Foundation, NHS |
| Keep the clock out of view | NHS |
For the reasons behind each habit, and what to change first, see our guide on how to sleep better.
Copy this checklist
Paste it into your notes or print it, and tick off what you already do. Change one or two things at a time.
[ ] I get up at the same time every day, weekends too.
[ ] I go to bed when I'm sleepy, not just because it's late.
[ ] Naps are short, or I skip them after a bad night.
[ ] I get daylight during the day.
[ ] I move during the day and finish exercise well before bed.
[ ] No coffee, black tea, cola or energy drinks after lunch or early afternoon.
[ ] Little or no alcohol in the evening. No smoking before bed.
[ ] Dinner is not large or heavy late in the evening.
[ ] Lights are dimmed in the last hour and screens are away.
[ ] I do the same short routine every night.
[ ] Worries and tomorrow's tasks are on paper before I go to bed.
[ ] My bedroom is quiet, dark and cool.
[ ] My bed is for sleep and sex, not for work or scrolling.
[ ] If I'm awake after about 20 minutes, I get up and do something quiet.
[ ] The clock is out of view.
The AASM also has a two-page handout, "How to sleep better", as a PDF (linked in the sources).
Where the experts give different numbers
Most sleep hygiene lists sound precise. Put the big sources side by side and the numbers don't match. That's useful to know: the exact cutoff is a rule of thumb, not a measured limit.
| Habit | AASM | Sleep Foundation | NHS | IQWiG (Germany) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Last caffeine | Not in the afternoon or evening; the handout says "after lunch" and no more than 200 mg a day, about 2 cups of coffee, if you have trouble falling asleep | Avoid it "later in the day" | No tea or coffee at least 6 hours before bed | Nothing stimulating 4 to 6 hours before bed |
| Last alcohol | Not before bedtime; the handout says 4 to 6 hours | Moderate, avoid it later in the evening | Insomnia page: at least 6 hours; Every Mind Matters: 1 to 2 hours | 4 to 6 hours |
| Last exercise | Handout: finish more than 6 hours before bedtime | No time given | Not in the 4 hours before bed | Not immediately before bed |
| Screens off | At least 30 minutes before bed | 30 to 60 minutes device-free | An hour before bed | "A while" before bed |
| Bedroom temperature | Handout: around 68°F (20°C), adjusted to comfort | Cooler side, around 65°F (18°C) | Cool | Pleasant |
| Naps | Handout: avoid if possible, under 1 hour, never after 3 p.m. | Keep them short | Don't nap during the day | Research is contradictory |
Sources and dates are listed at the end of the page; the AASM handout is from 2012, the AASM web page was updated in August 2020. The Celsius values are our conversion.
Our reading: when two sources disagree, try the stricter one for two weeks. If it makes no difference to you, you can relax it again.
Sleep hygiene definition: what it covers, and what it doesn't
Sleep hygiene has four parts: when you sleep (a regular schedule), what you do before (the last hours of the day), what you take in (caffeine, alcohol, nicotine, food), and where you sleep (the bedroom). The Sleep Foundation adds the day itself, like daylight and activity, because they support the body clock.
Two techniques often appear on sleep hygiene lists but are really their own methods from cognitive behavioral therapy for insomnia (CBT-I):
- Stimulus control: go to bed only when you feel tired, get up if you can't fall asleep or back asleep, use the bed only for sleep and sex, and get up when the alarm rings, without snoozing (IQWiG's description). Several items in the checklist above come from it.
- Sleep restriction: limiting the time in bed to the time you actually sleep, then slowly extending it. IQWiG describes it, and the AASM guideline suggests it to clinicians as a treatment for chronic insomnia. Because the guideline is written for clinicians, it's best done with a doctor or therapist rather than from a checklist.
Does sleep hygiene work?
Sleep hygiene is cheap, low risk and sensible, and the Sleep Foundation calls it "one of the most straightforward ways that you can set yourself up for better sleep." But the evidence for it as a treatment is weaker than most lists suggest:
- The AASM's 2021 clinical practice guideline on behavioral treatments for chronic insomnia in adults strongly recommends multicomponent CBT-I. It suggests stimulus control, sleep restriction and relaxation therapy as single treatments (conditional recommendations). For sleep hygiene it says the opposite: "We suggest that clinicians not use sleep hygiene as a single-component therapy for the treatment of chronic insomnia disorder in adults."
- The AASM's own patient page puts it this way: sleep hygiene is an important part of CBT, "the most effective long-term treatment for people with chronic insomnia."
- The Sleep Foundation says the same in plain words: "sleep hygiene alone isn't a panacea." People with serious insomnia or sleep disorders like obstructive sleep apnea may benefit from better habits, but usually need other treatment as well.
So think of sleep hygiene as the floor, not the ceiling. For a few bad nights it may be all you need. For insomnia that has lasted for months, it's the starting point a doctor or therapist builds on.
Sleep hygiene techniques for the last hour
The checklist tells you what to avoid. The last hour is where you can add something:
- Set a wind-down alarm about an hour before bed. The Sleep Foundation suggests budgeting 30 minutes for winding down; the NHS suggests relaxing for at least an hour.
- Write two lists: what's on your mind, and what you need to do tomorrow. The NHS recommends a to-do list if you often worry in bed. If stress is the main reason you lie awake, our guide on how to sleep when you're stressed has more.
- Dim the lights and put the phone away, or at least face down and on silent.
- Do one calm thing, the same most nights: reading, a warm shower, stretching or a short relaxation. The Sleep Foundation suggests focusing on relaxation instead of making falling asleep your goal.
- In bed, give your attention something slow. Our sleep meditation has a 10-minute script for this, and the breathing exercise lets you practice a calm rhythm during the day.
For a full evening plan, step by step, see our bedtime routine for adults. If you're exhausted every evening but still can't drift off, read tired but can't sleep: being tired and being ready to sleep are not the same thing.
A last hour with the app
AI Meditation: Sleep & Calm can take over the relaxation part of your routine. After-Work Reset: Downshifting After a Full Day is a short session for the switch from a full day into the evening. Falling Asleep Gently: Settling In, Letting Go is for the moment you're in bed: a longer exhale, a calming body scan, optional muscle relaxation and friendly thought practices. If your bedroom is noisy, the AASM handout suggests "a white noise machine or earplugs"; the app has white, pink and brown noise with a timer that fades out at the end. Our guide to white, pink and brown noise explains the difference and a safe volume.
You can adjust how long a session lasts within its range, and the voices are AI voices. See how the app works, try it for free, no account needed.
When good habits aren't enough
Better habits often help, and they're worth two or three weeks before you judge them. The NHS suggests seeing a GP if:
- "changing your sleeping habits has not helped your insomnia"
- "you've had trouble sleeping for months"
- "your insomnia is affecting your daily life in a way that makes it hard for you to cope"
Also talk to a doctor if you snore loudly or someone has noticed pauses in your breathing, or if you think a medicine is affecting your sleep. The NHS lists sleep apnea, restless legs syndrome, an overactive thyroid and long-term pain among the conditions that can cause insomnia.
Your health
This app is a wellness app and does not replace medical advice. If sleep problems last for weeks or affect your day, talk to a doctor. The NHS insomnia page explains when to see a GP and what treatment can look like.
Sources
All pages accessed on September 25, 2026.
- AASM Sleep Education: Healthy Sleep Habits (updated August 2020). Definition of sleep hygiene, quick sleep tips, sleep hygiene as part of CBT.
- AASM: How to sleep better (PDF handout, 2012). Caffeine after lunch and 200 mg, alcohol 4 to 6 hours, exercise 6 hours, 68°F, naps, white noise machine or earplugs, writing down worries.
- Edinger JD et al.: Behavioral and psychological treatments for chronic insomnia disorder in adults: an American Academy of Sleep Medicine clinical practice guideline. Journal of Clinical Sleep Medicine 2021;17(2):255-262.
- Sleep Foundation: Sleep Hygiene (updated July 7, 2025). Routine, 30 minutes of winding down, 30 to 60 minutes device-free, 65°F, limits of sleep hygiene.
- NHS: Insomnia (page last reviewed March 19, 2024). Self-help, 6 and 4 hours, naps, causes, when to see a GP.
- NHS Every Mind Matters: How to fall asleep faster and sleep better. Screens an hour before bed, to-do list, clocks out of view, alcohol and nicotine 1 to 2 hours, the 20-minute rule.
- IQWiG, gesundheitsinformation.de: Was tun bei Schlafproblemen? (German, updated July 3, 2024). Sleep hygiene rules with 4 to 6 hours, stimulus control, sleep restriction, naps.
