Why a short pre bed routine works, CBT I and sleep hygiene

Think about what your brain currently associates with “bedtime”. For a lot of people it is a jumble, bright screens, last emails, news, messages, then lights out and immediate pressure to sleep. That is a lot to ask from your nervous system.

A tiny pre sleep routine does two things:

• Gives a clear cue, we are landing the plane now, not starting another flight

• Moves key biology in the right direction, less light, calmer breathing, warmer hands and feet so your core can cool

From CBT I, cognitive behavioral therapy for insomnia, and basic sleep hygiene, three levers stand out.

• Light
  Bright, blue heavy light in the evening tells your brain “daytime”, which pushes your body clock later and delays melatonin. Warm, dim light does the opposite. Even a single hour with softer light can make it easier to feel sleepy on time.

• Arousal
  You can be physically tired and mentally wired. Short diaphragmatic breathing, or a body scan, helps pull your nervous system out of “problem solving mode”. A written to do list before bed also fits the CBT I idea of a structured wind down that gets worries out of your head and onto paper.

• Heat distribution
  Falling asleep is linked to a subtle drop in core body temperature. Warming up your feet and hands lets heat dump from your core more efficiently. That is why warm socks before bed can shorten sleep onset for many people with cold feet.

You do not need a 60 minute spa routine for these, a focused 10–15 minutes is enough if you repeat it most nights.

The 10–15 minute bedtime routine, step by step

You can treat this like a little script. Adjust the details to fit your space, but try to keep the order and timing similar each night.

0:00 to 1:00, Set the scene

• Switch from bright overhead lighting to a dim, warm lamp

• Decide now, for this short window, no interactive screens

  • If you use audio, set it up once, then turn the screen face down

If you are using a sunrise alarm or sound machine, this is a good moment to set it up too, so it is not something you do in bed.

1:00 to 3:00, Breathing to downshift

Two minutes of diaphragmatic breathing is short enough that you might actually do it, and long enough for your nervous system to notice.

• Sit or lie comfortably, one hand on your belly

• Inhale through your nose for 4 seconds, feel your belly rise

• Pause gently for 2 seconds

• Exhale through your mouth for 6 to 8 seconds, shoulders relaxed

You are not trying to feel “zen”, you are just giving your body evidence that nothing urgent is happening.

If anxiety is the main bottleneck, you can stretch this to 4 or 5 minutes and trim the mobility section.

3:00 to 7:00, Gentle “blood flow” mobility

The goal here is simple, move just enough that your body feels pleasantly used, not activated. Think oiling the hinges, not working out.

You can follow a light sequence like:

• 30 seconds of neck and shoulder rolls

• 30 seconds of wrist and ankle circles

• Cat camel on all fours, 6 slow repetitions

• Standing calf pumps, up onto your toes and down, about 20 times

• Hamstring sweep, 6 per leg, gentle range

• Doorway chest stretch, one arm at a time, about 30 seconds

Keep effort low. If you feel warmer and more alert at the end, you did too much. Dial the range and speed down next night.

7:00 to 10:00, Warm the extremities

Now you make use of that temperature lever.

• Put on bed socks, not tight ones, just warm and comfortable

• If your hands tend to run cold, warm them briefly around a mug of warm non caffeinated drink, or use a small heat pack for a minute or two

If you have more time earlier in the evening, you can swap this for a warm shower or bath about 1 to 2 hours before bed, then just use socks in the actual 10 minute window. Warm water earlier plus socks later is a powerful combination.

10:00 to 12:00, Brain dump and lights out

This is where a tiny CBT I style trick comes in.

• Take a notebook and spend 1 to 2 minutes writing a to do list for tomorrow
  Not a vague brain dump, but specific actions, “Email X about Y, move money to savings, book dentist”.

• When it feels “enough”, close the notebook and physically place it somewhere you do not see from the bed

• If you use non interactive audio, a short body scan or story, set it playing once without looking at the screen

• Then get into bed, lights as low as you can reasonably get them, and commit to no more new inputs

It might feel almost too simple, but there is a reason this helps. Studies on bedtime to do lists suggest that, for many people, writing tomorrow’s tasks down can help them fall asleep faster, because the “I must not forget” loop has somewhere to live that is not your brain.

What to limit earlier, so the 10 minutes actually work

The short routine is more effective when you are not fighting these three in the background.

• Caffeine
  Try to keep your last coffee or strong tea to early afternoon. Caffeine has a half life of about five to six hours, so a 5 p.m. espresso can still be nudging your brain at 11 p.m.

• Alcohol
  It can make you feel sleepy at first, then fragment sleep later in the night. If you drink, keep it light, and avoid using alcohol as a sleep aid.

• Screens and bright light
  Rather than a strict “no screens after 7 p.m.” rule, aim for this,

  • Last hour before bed, dim, warm light, no new demanding content

  • In your final 10 to 15 minutes, no screens at all, let your eyes and brain wind down

If you are wondering how long before bed you should stop screens in general, many sleep specialists suggest at least 30 minutes, ideally 60, of screen free time before lights out. This routine builds that into a short, non scary structure.

Optional food and supplement experiments, one at a time

The core of your routine is behavior, not pills. That said, there are a few gentle options with modest evidence that some people find helpful. If you are going to experiment, add one at a time so you can see what, if anything, makes a difference.

• Glycine, about 3 grams, 30 to 60 minutes before bed
  Glycine is an amino acid. Small human studies suggest that 3 g before bed may help some people fall asleep faster and feel less groggy, possibly by affecting body temperature and neurotransmitters. It is generally well tolerated, but start low and see how your stomach feels.

• Magnesium in the evening, 100 to 200 mg elemental
  Many people reach for magnesium glycinate for sleep. Evidence is mixed, and doses above about 350 mg supplemental per day can cause diarrhea in some adults. If you test it, pick a reasonable dose, take it with food, and avoid it if you have kidney issues or are on interacting medications.

• Food based options, tart cherry and kiwi

  • A small glass of tart cherry juice or concentrate in the evening has modest evidence for helping some people sleep a bit longer, likely due to natural melatonin.

  • Eating two kiwifruits about an hour before bed helped a small group of adults with sleep onset and total sleep time in one study. The evidence is not huge, but kiwi is a low risk food to try.

Whatever you test, keep the rest of your routine the same so you are not changing five things at once. And if you have a sleep disorder or take regular medications, talk with a clinician before adding supplements.

Wind down FAQs

How long before bed should I avoid screens.
Aim for at least the last hour with dimmer, warmer light and no new intense content, news, work, arguments. In your final 10 to 15 minutes, avoid screens entirely and let this routine take over.

Do warm socks help you fall asleep faster.
For many adults with cold feet, yes. Warmer extremities make it easier for your core to cool a little, which is linked to faster sleep onset. If your feet often feel icy in bed, make socks non negotiable for a two week trial.

When should I shower for sleep.
The best timing for a warm shower or bath seems to be about 1 to 2 hours before bed, not immediately before. That gives your body time to cool afterward, which is when the sleepy wave hits. If that timing is not realistic, socks in this 10 minute window are your quick substitute.

Is a 10 minute bedtime routine enough.
It can be, especially if your main issues are late light, racing thoughts, and never really signaling “the day is over” to your brain. Consistency beats length. A 10 minute routine you actually do most nights is more powerful than a 40 minute one you abandon after three days.