Sleep Hygiene Checklist: 20 Habits for Better Sleep

Sleep hygiene means the daily habits and surroundings that make good sleep more likely. Use this checklist to find the two or three changes that would help you most.

By the Sleep Calculator team at Digimarket Group SIA · Updated 4 November 2026

Schedule

1. Wake up at the same time every day, including weekends (within about an hour).
2. Aim for a regular bedtime that allows at least 7 hours for adults.
3. Go to bed when sleepy, not just because it is bedtime.
4. If you cannot sleep after about 20 minutes, get up and do something calm in dim light, then return.

Light

5. Get daylight outdoors within an hour or two of waking.
6. Dim house lights in the last hour before bed.
7. Reduce bright screens before bed, or use night modes and lower brightness.
8. Keep the bedroom dark — blackout curtains or an eye mask.

Food, drink and substances

9. Stop caffeine 6–8 hours before bed (coffee, tea, cola, energy drinks).
10. Limit alcohol, especially in the last three hours before bed.
11. Avoid heavy meals late in the evening; a light snack is fine.
12. Reduce fluids in the last hour to avoid waking for the bathroom.
13. Avoid nicotine, which is a stimulant.

Bedroom

14. Keep it cool — many people sleep best around 16–19 °C (60–67 °F).
15. Keep it quiet, or use earplugs or steady background noise.
16. Use the bed for sleep and intimacy, not for work.
17. Keep the clock out of view if you tend to clock-watch.

Daytime

18. Exercise regularly, ideally finishing intense sessions a few hours before bed.
19. Keep naps short (20–30 minutes) and before mid-afternoon.
20. Build a 20–30 minute wind-down routine: reading, a warm shower, stretching, planning tomorrow on paper.

How to use this list

Do not change everything at once. Pick the habits where you score worst, try them for two weeks, and keep a short sleep log. Consistency of wake-up time and morning light are often the most powerful starting points.