Evening routine

Doing the same steps each night helps your body get ready for sleep. Build your routine backwards from bedtime.

Your details

Bedtime
Getting tomorrow ready
Bath or shower
Reading or relaxing
Screens away before bed

A routine ending at 23:00

21:55

start your routine (1 h 5 min in all)

  • Get tomorrow ready (bag, clothes, lunch)21:55 for 15 min
  • Bath or shower22:10 for 20 min
  • Read, stretch or listen22:30 for 30 min
  • Screens away by22:15
  • Bed23:00

The same steps in the same order each night tell your body bedtime is coming. The NHS suggests relaxing for at least an hour before bed, keeping devices away right before bed and getting up at the same time each morning.

See your GP if changing your sleep habits has not helped, you have had trouble sleeping for months, or it is making it hard to cope. If you feel sleepy while driving, stop somewhere safe.

The working

Bed at 23:00: 15 minutes prep, 20 minute shower, 30 minutes reading

Working back from 23:00: read from 22:30, shower from 22:10 and get tomorrow ready from 21:55. So start at 21:55, 1 h 5 min before bed, with screens away by 22:15.

Why a routine helps

Cues for your body clock

Doing the same few things in the same order each night is a cue that sleep is coming. The NHS suggests relaxing for at least an hour before bed, keeping your bedroom dark and quiet and getting up at the same time every day.

Ideas for each step

Mix and match

  • Getting ready: bag packed, clothes out, a quick list for tomorrow
  • Wash: a bath or shower
  • Relax: reading, gentle stretching, a podcast or slow breathing
  • Last thing: dim the lights and put the phone on charge outside the bedroom

Read with care

What this cannot tell you

  • Make you sleepIt helps the run up; sleep itself cannot be forced.
  • Know your eveningsChildren, pets and late shifts all need flexibility.
  • Replace help for insomniaSee your GP if sleep problems last.

Questions

Common questions

What is a good evening routine for sleep?

One you can repeat most nights: something to settle tomorrow, a wash, and calm time without screens, finishing at the same bedtime.

How long should a bedtime routine be?

The NHS suggests relaxing for at least an hour before bed.

Should I have a bath before bed?

The NHS lists taking a bath as one way to relax in the hour before bed.

What if I cannot stick to it every night?

Most nights is plenty. Keep your wake up time steady and the rest will follow more easily.

Sources

Last checked 21 October 2026. Spotted something wrong? Tell us and we will fix it.

When to see a GP about sleep

See your GP if changing your sleep habits has not helped, you have had trouble sleeping for months, or it is affecting your daily life and making it hard to cope. If you feel sleepy at the wheel, stop somewhere safe.

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