How To Start A Sleep Routine That Actually Sticks

• A consistent sleep routine helps reinforce your body’s natural circadian rhythm, making it easier to wind down, fall asleep and wake feeling more refreshed.
• Small pre-bed habits like reducing screen time, dimming lights, stretching or reading can help signal to the brain that it’s time to transition into rest mode.
• Irregular sleep schedules, late-night scrolling and alcohol before bed may disrupt sleep quality and make it harder for the body to maintain a healthy sleep-wake rhythm.
• Better sleep habits don’t need to feel rigid or perfect. The routines that tend to stick are realistic, calming and sustainable enough to become part of everyday life.

For a lot of adults, bedtime doesn’t always feel relaxing. You get through the workday, finish dinner, maybe squeeze in a few chores, and suddenly it’s late, but your brain still feels wide awake. Even when your body feels tired, switching off isn’t always as simple as just turning out the lights.

Difficulty falling asleep is surprisingly common, and for many people it’s closely tied to racing thoughts, mental overload and difficulty winding down at the end of the day¹. Falling asleep actually requires a gradual shift away from alertness and stimulation². 

While sleep can feel automatic for some people, others find that consistent habits and routines help signal to the body that it’s time to slow down and prepare for rest². Here are some practical ways to build a bedtime routine that supports better sleep, helps the mind wind down and feels sustainable long term.

Why a sleep routine matters

When it comes to sleep, consistency matters more than many people realise. Your body runs on an internal 24-hour clock known as the circadian rhythm. This system helps regulate when you naturally feel alert, sleepy, hungry and energised throughout the day. A consistent bedtime routine helps reinforce these rhythms, allowing the body to better anticipate when it’s time to wind down and prepare for sleep³.

Research increasingly suggests that irregular sleep timing and inconsistent sleep schedules may affect sleep quality and overall wellbeing⁴ ⁵, regardless of how many total hours you’re getting. When sleep schedules shift from night to night, the body’s internal clock can fall out of sync, making it harder to fall asleep, stay asleep and feel rested the next day⁴.

Consistency doesn’t mean you need a rigid, identical bedtime every night. Instead, the best sleep routine is all about creating enough predictability that your body starts recognising familiar cues for rest. 

Building your bedtime routine

For many adults, the biggest difference in a sleep routine often comes from what happens in the hour before bed.

Modern life doesn’t always create a natural transition into sleep. It’s easy to go straight from emails, streaming, scrolling or problem-solving into trying to fall asleep immediately afterwards. But sleep usually works better when the brain and body are given time to gradually slow down first. Think of it less like an on/off switch and more like a gradual dimmer. 

Pre-sleep habits and environmental cues can all influence how easily people fall asleep and how restful sleep feels overall6. Some practical wind-down habits to consider: 

• Set the scene with lighting. Natural light during the day helps reinforce wakefulness, while reducing bright and blue light exposure later in the evening may help signal to the brain that bedtime is approaching7.
• Reducing stimulating content. Avoid stressful work tasks, emotionally intense TV or endless scrolling6.
• Gently move your body. Stretching, yoga, or slow movement may help release physical tension from the day6.
• Wind down with slow activities. Try reading, journaling, meditation or listening to calming audio instead of highly stimulating entertainment6.
• Take a warm shower or bath. This can be a great way to create a sense of relaxation and routine6.
• Set up your sleep environment. Keeping the bedroom cool, quiet and comfortable can help signal to your body it's time for sleep6.

A  healthy sleep routine doesn't need to be restrictive or perfectly optimised. The routines that tend to stick are the ones that feel calming and repeatable enough to become part of everyday life⁸ . 

How long does it take to form a sleep routine? 

Like most habits, a good sleep routine usually takes time, repetition and a bit of trial and error before it starts feeling natural. However, it can be worth the effort, with research suggesting that maintaining a more regular sleep schedule may help improve sleep timing, sleep quality and how quickly people fall asleep over time⁹ ¹⁰. Regular sleep timing has also been associated with improved sleep consistency and recovery. 

Many people begin noticing small shifts within a few weeks of a more consistent routine. And missing a night or having a late weekend doesn't undo progress. 

Common habits that disrupt a night routine

Even a well-intentioned sleep routine can be harder to maintain when everyday habits push the body's rhythm out of sync. Often it's not one behaviour, but the accumulation of inconsistent patterns over time. 

Irregular wake times

Varying wake-up times, especially sleeping in significantly on weekends, can create a mismatch between the body's internal clock and social schedules⁴. This irregular timing can lead to poor sleep quality and increased daytime fatigue4,11.

Late-night screen use

Scrolling in bed or watching stimulating content late at night can increase mental alertness and expose the eyes to light that interferes with the body's natural sleep signals12. It's not just the screen itself, emotionally engaging or stressful content can keep the mind activated long after devices are switched off. 

Alcohol before bed

Alcohol can sometimes create the feeling of falling asleep faster, but research suggests it may negatively affect overall sleep quality later in the night, particularly REM sleep13. This is often why people wake feeling unrefreshed after drinking, even after a reasonable number of hours in bed. 

Inconsistent weekend routines

A structured weekday routine followed by very different weekend sleep and wake times can make Monday mornings feel especially rough. Maintaining relatively similar sleep patterns across the week can help keep the body's rhythm more stable. 

Small changes for better sleep 

Better sleep rarely comes from one dramatic overnight change. It comes from small habits repeated regularly. From a more consistent sleep-wake schedule to a calming wind-down and clearer signals to the brain that rest is coming, it's important to build habits to support your sleep.

To learn more about sleep, stress and overall wellbeing, explore the Swisse Wellness Hub, including 5 surprising ways to improve your sleep and our guide to sleep debt. 

References:

1. Scullin MK, Krueger ML, Ballard HK, Pruett N, Bliwise DL. The effects of bedtime writing on difficulty falling asleep: A polysomnographic study comparing to-do lists and completed activity lists. J Exp Psychol Gen. 2018 Jan;147(1):139-146. doi: 10.1037/xge0000374.
2. Bjorvatn, B., Waage, S., & Saxvig, I. W. (2023). Journal of Sleep Research, 32(2), e13763. https://doi.org/10.1111/jsr.13763 
3. Sletten T, Weaver M, Foster R et al. The importance of sleep regularity: a consensus statement of the National Sleep Foundation sleep timing and variability panel. Sleep Health: Journal of the National Sleep Foundation. 2023;9:801-820. 
4. Chaput, J.-P., Dutil, C., Featherstone, R., Ross, R., Giangregorio, L., Saunders, T. J., Janssen, I., Poitras, V. J., Kho, M. E., Ross-White, A., Zankar, S., & Carrier, J. (2020). Sleep timing, sleep consistency, and health in adults: a systematic review. Applied Physiology, Nutrition, and Metabolism, 45(10 Suppl. 2), S232-S247. https://doi.org/10.1139/apnm-2020-0032 
5. Growing evidence indicates that circadian misalignment is associated with adverse health outcomes, including metabolic, cardiovascular and mental health impacts. Sleep Health: Journal of the National Sleep Foundation. 2023;9:801-820. 
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8. Espie CA. The '5 principles' of good sleep health. J Sleep Res. 2022 Jun;31(3):e13502. doi: 10.1111/jsr.13502. Epub 2021 Oct 21. PMID: 34676592; PMCID: PMC9285041. 
9. Finley, C. L. (2005). The Effects of a Consistent Sleep Schedule on Time Taken to Achieve Sleep. Clinical Case Studies, 4(3), 304–311. doi:10.1177/1534650103259743 
10. Mindell JA, Leichman ES, Lee C, Williamson AA, Walters RM. Implementation of a nightly bedtime routine: How quickly do things improve? Infant Behav Dev. 2017 Nov;49:220-227. doi: 10.1016/j.infbeh.2017.09.013. 
11. Bouman EJ, Rutters F. The association between social jetlag and poor health and its (nutritional) mechanisms. Public Health Nutrition. 2022;25(9):2582-2583. doi:10.1017/S1368980022001161 
12. Hartstein LE, Mathew GM, Reichenberger DA, Rodriguez I, Allen N, Chang AM, Chaput JP, Christakis DA, Garrison M, Gooley JJ, Koos JA, Van Den Bulck J, Woods H, Zeitzer JM, Dzierzewski JM, Hale L. The impact of screen use on sleep health across the lifespan: A National Sleep Foundation consensus statement. Sleep Health. 2024 Aug;10(4):373-384. doi: 10.1016/j.sleh.2024.05.001. 
13. Gardiner C, Weakley J, Burke LM, Roach GD, Sargent C, Maniar N, Huynh M, Miller DJ, Townshend A, Halson SL. The effect of alcohol on subsequent sleep in healthy adults: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Sleep Med Rev. 2025 Apr;80:102030. doi: 10.1016/j.smrv.2024.102030.