The 5-Night Wind-Down Reset: a Free Sleep Course Better nights start before bed. One small change each evening, and a routine you can keep by the end of the week. 5 lessons · about 5 minutes each · free, no sign-up.
Get a reminder each night: Add all 5 lessons to my calendar Works with Apple, Google and Outlook calendars. Starts tomorrow.
What you’ll do Anchor your wake-up time Use light on purpose Build a 4-minute wind-down Make a plan for your phone Know what to do if you can’t sleep Night 1
Anchor your wake-up time A consistent wake time, even at weekends, is one of the most reliable ways to steady your body clock.
Choose a wake time you can keep seven days a week. Count back about 8 hours to find a bedtime that gives you enough sleep. Adults are advised to get 7 or more hours. Set one alarm only, and put it across the room. Today: Write your wake time and target bedtime on a sticky note.
Night 2
Use light on purpose Light tells your brain what time it is.
Get outside light within an hour of waking, even on a cloudy day. In the last hour before bed, switch to lamps instead of overhead lights. Turn on Night Shift (Settings › Display & Brightness › Night Shift) on a schedule. Today: Choose which lamp will be your “wind-down light.”
Night 3
Build a 4-minute wind-down A short, repeatable routine signals bedtime. It only needs to be the same each night.
Minute 1: lights down and phone on its charger. Minute 2: write tomorrow’s top three tasks so they leave your head. Minutes 3–4: slow breathing, in for 4, out for 6. Today: Do the routine tonight and set a reminder 4 minutes before your bedtime.
Night 4
Make a plan for your phone Late scrolling pushes bedtime later and keeps your brain busy.
Charge your phone outside the bedroom or across the room. Turn on a Sleep Focus (Settings › Focus › Sleep) to quiet notifications. Keep a paper book or a sleep sound ready instead. Today: Tonight, put the phone down at the start of your wind-down.
Night 5
Know what to do if you can’t sleep Lying awake and frustrated teaches your brain that bed is for worrying.
If you’ve been awake for what feels like about 20 minutes, get up and do something quiet in dim light. Return to bed when you feel sleepy. Keep your wake time the same tomorrow. Many sleep specialists suggest avoiding caffeine from early afternoon. Today: Keep the parts of this week that helped. If poor sleep goes on for weeks, talk to a doctor.
You finished the course 🎉 The hard part of any new habit is the next 30 days. Sleepward is the free iPhone app we built to keep it going.
Get Sleepward on the App Store Questions How long should a bedtime routine be? It can be short. What matters is doing the same calming steps each night; even four minutes works.
Is this medical advice? No. It is general sleep-habit education. Persistent insomnia, loud snoring or daytime sleepiness are worth discussing with a doctor.
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