My Simple 15-Minute Nighttime Routine for Better Sleep

Nighttime routines are one of my favorites because they are how I wrap up my day. It’s the time to recharge for a new start and enjoy all the benefits that sleep brings us. Even though I enjoy sleeping and having some downtime, there were so many nights I passed my bedtime scrolling mindlessly or watching TV. Eventually, I realized that 90% of the time I was feeling sleepy at the same moment—and I finally started to listen to the cues of my body.

Having a nighttime routine has improved my quality of life tremendously. Just being able to think clearly was a great gain, along with the other benefits of sleep: reducing stress, healing, looking younger, and even losing weight. Of course, I still have days that are out of the ordinary when I stay awake until late, but I try to stick to a schedule that helps me navigate my everyday life with more ease and more joy.

Cozy bedside table scene at night featuring a steaming mug of herbal tea, an open journal with a pen, a book under a small reading light, and a digital alarm clock displaying 10:15 PM. A soft knitted blanket is draped over a chair in the background featuring a cozy nighttime routine.

My Core 5-Step Evening Routine

My 15-minute nighttime routine consists of 5 simple steps that I follow most nights to prepare for a restful sleep:

1. Disconnect to Reconnect

First of all, around 10:30 PM, I shut down my phone. By then, I have had enough time to scroll, send memes, reply to WhatsApp, and do everything I needed to do. Before I put it to charge, I set up my alarm with a nice song and I plug it in outside of the bedroom.

Give yourself this time to just be a human—to function like a person who doesn’t have technology attached to them and who doesn’t need a phone to exist. Enjoy your night and find little things that help you relax your mind.

2. Set the Cozy Environment

This step sets the mood for bed. It signals to my body that it is time to let go and relax. I love to play some ambient music or relaxing water sounds, turn off the ceiling lights, and switch to the bedside lamps.

Close the curtains and tidy up anything that looks out of place in your bedroom, such as dirty clothes on the floor or things on top of the bed. Adjust the temperature and arrange your pillows and blankets so everything is ready for you.

3. Embrace the “Get Ready” Ritual

This is very simple: “wash away” your day. I usually wash my face, remove my makeup, do my skincare routine, brush and floss, handle my contact lenses, and put away my jewelry.

Sometimes I apply lotion—I love aromatherapy creams that smell like lavender or orange. Add any other steps you personally need to do to feel clean and ready.

4. Do a Gentle Brain Dump

Get any pending tasks out of your mind. It’s not worth stressing over the things you didn’t do today; you need to be in a good mental state to tackle them tomorrow.

I often got bothered by thoughts of important meetings, so now I write down the points I need to talk about. If I remember a pending task like “I am running out of milk,” I just put it down on my grocery list. Other things that kept me awake were wondering if I had commitments for the next day, or even if I had booked or canceled my yoga class. Write it all down to get rid of the thoughts that keep you thinking.

5. Read and Express Gratitude

I recommend reading something you are interested in, but pick a topic that doesn’t make you feel upset or trigger hard emotions before bed.

I love reading non-fiction books about self-help or something that motivates me—something where I can easily say, “I learned something today.” If you like fantasy, that’s okay too! However, I’ve found that when I get to a point in the story that is very intense or “tangly,” I want to keep reading, which hurts my sleep. So, give it a try and see what works for you.

Finally, decompress. The last thing I do is close my eyes and express gratitude, say a prayer, meditate, or just rest in the quiet of the present moment. I try to let everything go, hoping that tomorrow is a better day.

Other Habits I enjoy at nighttime

Relaxing bathtub scene with steam rising from warm water. A wooden bath tray across the tub holds a lit candle, a small bowl of bath salts, an open book, and a ceramic mug. A plush towel and a potted plant are in the softly lit background featuring a relaxing nighttime routine

Avoid Heavy Meals After 8 PM

I realized a long time ago that having heavy, energy-dense meals very late at night messes up my sleep. I cannot settle down to rest, and I often have nightmares or toss and turn all night.

For me, the easy fix is having dinner before 8:00 PM. If I am really starving later, I’ll have something very light—like a small salad or a minimal snack—just to let the hunger pass.

Mind Your Alcohol Intake

Alcohol is a tricky subject. I don’t drink heavily, but I genuinely enjoy having one or two drinks when I’m with friends, watching TV, or cooking. However, I’ve noticed that even with just one drink, I feel unable to rest deeply or get a quality night’s sleep.

To stay consistent with this routine, I try to limit alcohol on most days. This habit has actually helped me cut back in other areas of my life, too, like skipping drinks at business events. Less alcohol usually equals fewer calories and a better quality of life.

Stick to a Schedule

I struggle with this when daylight savings changes, when I travel to other countries and time zones, or when I have social commitments. But I try to be consistent as much as possible. If it is in your hands to make your bedtime a set time, please do it.

I try to go to bed at the same time every night. When I do, it is easier to fall asleep because my body knows that by 11:00 PM, I have to close my eyes.

Prep for Tomorrow

When I was a kid, my mom always taught me to get my things ready for the next day. I packed my school bag, checked my homework, and laid out my uniform. Everything worked like clockwork.

I lost this habit as I got busier, but I’m bringing it back. Taking time the night before to prepare my clothes, pack my laptop, and check my charger gets rid of “mental clutter.” I sleep better knowing I don’t have to panic in the morning.

Taking a Shower & Light Stretching

While I don’t do this every night because my evenings can be hectic, a shower is amazing for decompressing. If I feel sick, mentally loaded, or tired after the gym, a shower helps ground me.

Similarly, 5 minutes of yoga or stretching is great to rinse the body of stress. It sends a signal of well-being to your body: We have let go of what was troubling us, and now it is time to repair.

Keep It Simple

There are tons of nighttime routines out there tailored to different lifestyles. I have researched multiple routines, but nothing resonated with me; they were lengthy and unachievable.

If a routine requires an hour of facial massages, journaling, exercising, reading, and so on, I won’t be consistent with it. Keep it simple. You don’t have to do everything at once, and not all nights have to be the same. Just commit to three or four steps that get you to bed and signal to your body that you are about to get the best sleep of your life.

If you found this helpful, please come share your thoughts or let me know your favorite wind-down tip in the comments below!