Your Bedtime Routine Is All Wrong, Here’s What To Do Instead, According to Experts

I’ve always loved getting in bed after a long day, but I used to dread trying to fall asleep. In the past, I’ve found it difficult not to think about work deadlines, to-do lists and conversations I had three years ago that could have gone differently. I know this isn’t abnormal, as a 2024 Gallup poll indicates that more than half of Americans report needing more sleep. 

It’s gotten easier for me to fall asleep in recent years thanks to many factors, namely a bigger mattress, better blackout shades and breathable sheets. I’ve also taken pains to separate my bedroom from my daily work-from-home routine. As Chelsea Perry, Doctor of Dental Medicine and member of the American Academy of Dental Sleep Medicine with a specialty in sleep apnea and snoring said to me: When you treat your bedroom “like a sanctuary, keeping it clutter-free and just for rest,” it can make “all the difference.”

Dr. Perry also recommends setting your thermostat to a cooler temperature, limiting your screen time before bed and flooding your room with soothing sounds like those from a white noise machine or fan. Do this every night, and these familiar steps will eventually “send a signal to your body that it’s time to wind down.”

Neurologist and Mattress Firm sleep expert Dr. Chris Winter agrees, adding that consistent exercise, rigid sleep schedules and even olfactory cues that you associate with bedtime (like a lavender pillow mist) can help people fall asleep more easily and stay asleep for longer.  

While I’m definitely guilty of watching my favorite television shows in bed, the rest of my bedtime routine is expert-approved. Read on to uncover the bad habits that are inhibiting your ability to sleep and the products you can buy to remedy them. 

Don’t: Let Loud Noises Wake You Up  

Do: Get a Noise Machine

Yogasleep Dohm Nova White Noise Sound Machine at Amazon

I live on the bottom floor of a particularly old building, which means I often hear the footsteps of the couple living above me. This bothers my husband more than it bothers me, but I understand his angst. To remedy the problem, I bought this $65 noise machine at Amazon. While it doesn’t completely drown out the stomping—it’s notoriously difficult to eliminate impact noise—it does soften the sound enough for us to get to sleep. It has 10 speeds, a sleep timer and customizable volume control.

Don’t: Sleep In a Hot Room 

Do: Get a Fan

Vornado Medium Floor Fan at Amazon

This fan does double duty by keeping my room cool at night and by contributing an additional (quiet) woosh to the wooshes already coming from the noise machine. The medium size has four speed settings, a bar that allows you to direct the air in a particular direction and more than 14,700 five-star ratings. One shopper wrote that its small build hides “phenomenal power,” while another added that it saved them in “135°F daily heat.” 

Do: Get Breathable Sheets

Silky Tencel Queen Sheet Set at West Elm 

Dr. Perry and Dr. Winter set their thermostats to a brisk 65°F to 67°F while sleeping, a technique that also works well for me. I tend to run uncomfortably hot at night, which is why I switched to these cooling sheets from West Elm. They’re made of a pulp extracted from Eucalyptus trees called Tencel, whose main property is its ability to wick away moisture and disperse heat. I’ve been using my set for years and they’re still as silky and breathable as they were when I first bought them.       

Do: Get a Cooling Duvet Insert 

HydroCool Cooling Down Alternative Duvet Insert 

This cooling down alternative duvet insert strikes the perfect balance between plush and breathable. I usually prefer blankets to duvet covers since I transform into a furnace at night, but this model manages to be fluffy without smothering and cozy without stifling. It comes in two warmth levels and a range of sizes for every bed. 

Don’t: Take Shortcuts with Bedroom Furniture 

Do: Get a Comfortable Mattress 

Perfect Cloud Ultra-Plush 10-Inch Memory Foam Queen Mattress at Amazon

Dr. Winter said that discomfort can be a major barrier between the sleep you’re getting and the sleep you want, adding that “the mattress upon which you sleep literally and symbolically becomes the ‘sleep foundation.’” I took a chance and got this Perfect Cloud mattress when I moved off campus to an apartment during my senior year of college. I loved it so much that I bought the next size up after graduation. As my budget increased alongside the square feet in my bedroom, I continued this pattern until I finally had enough space to accommodate a king-size bed. The multiple layers of memory foam—one of which is lined with cooling gel for temperature control—mean the mattress is soft without being too soft and firm without being too firm. It comes compressed and vacuum-sealed, so all you have to do is unbox, unroll and let it expand. Plus, it’s on sale for a limited time.    

Do: Take Precautions with a Mattress Cover   

Linenspa Queen Zippered Waterproof and Bed Bug Cover at Amazon

The thought of bugs crawling inside the surface I’m sleeping on is enough to keep me up at night. To assuage my anxiety and out of an abundance of caution, I’ve gotten into the habit of buying covers for all my mattresses. This one protects against unwanted insects and is waterproof for those times when you reach for your water glass at 3 a.m., only to spill it all over yourself and your bed. Prepare for the worst so you can hope for the best.