PRIMEDAILY

How to go to sleep earlier

Every evening you decide "tonight I'm going to bed early", and once again you find yourself awake in front of your phone in the middle of the night. It happens to almost everyone.

The reason is that the evening is the only time of day that feels like yours, so it's hard to give it up. Instead of fighting it with willpower, it's better to change a few small things that make an earlier bedtime easier.

1. Move it 15 minutes earlier, not two hours

If you go to bed at 2am, jumping straight to 11pm is hard. Move it 15 minutes earlier, stay there for a few days, then move it earlier again. That gives your body time to adjust.

2. A reminder an hour before bed

The decision to sleep starts before you get into bed. Set a reminder an hour before the time you chose, and something fixed you do when it comes. For example:

  • take the phone out of the bed and charge it in another room
  • read a few pages of a book instead of scrolling
  • dim the lights at home

That way, when bedtime comes, your body is already on its way.

3. The phone stays out of bed

Scrolling in bed is one of the most common reasons for falling asleep late. When the phone charges away from the bed, it's harder to "just check something" and find an hour gone. We also have a guide to stop scrolling.

4. Get up at the same time every morning

It sounds backwards, but the best way to fall asleep early is to get up early and at a fixed time. If you get up at the same time every day you get tired in the evening on time, and if you sleep until noon on the weekend it's harder to fall asleep the next night. We also have a guide to getting up without snoozing.

5. Coffee only until noon

Caffeine stays in your body for hours after you drink it. If you find it hard to fall asleep, try having coffee, energy drinks and black tea only until noon.

6. Close the day

Often you stay awake because your head is still full. A few minutes before bed, write down what you need to do tomorrow, so you don't have to hold it in your head in bed.

7. Count nights, not perfection

There will be late nights, like going out with friends. That's fine. What matters is getting back to your time the next day. Count the nights you went to bed on time: a number that goes up gives you a reason to keep going.

Frequently asked questions

How long does it take to get used to sleeping earlier?

It's different for everyone. Moving 15 minutes at a time, it usually takes a few weeks to reach the time you want.

What if I get into bed and can't fall asleep?

If you still can't fall asleep after a long while, it's better to get up for a few minutes, do something calm in dim light, and come back when you feel sleepy. Lying awake in bed usually just adds to the stress. And if this happens most nights for a few weeks, it's worth checking with your doctor.

What about weekends?

Try not to drift more than about an hour from your usual time, both for sleeping and getting up. If you were out late, it's still better not to get up too late, so it's easier to get back to your routine.

Want a reminder?

In PRIME Daily you pick the habit you want to quit, like going to bed late, and the small thing you do instead, and get a reminder an hour before bed. The app counts the nights for you. Free, and it takes a minute.

Start now