Sleep Checklist
Good sleep is not built in the 30 minutes before bed — it is laid down across the whole day. The Restcalc Sleep Checklist walks from your afternoon caffeine cutoff to lights-out, so nothing important gets missed.
Why a full-day plan
Caffeine, light, food, and activity during the day all shape that night's sleep. A bedtime-only checklist misses the biggest levers — like that 4 pm coffee still in your system at 10 pm.
The checklist spreads the work across the day so bedtime is just the easy final step.
The phases, briefly
Day: fixed wake time, morning light, daytime activity, smart napping. Afternoon: caffeine cutoff. Evening: food, alcohol, gentle movement. Two hours before: light, bath, lower cognitive load. One hour before: screens, excitement, fluids, calm activity. Bedside: darkness, quiet, temperature, phone away. Weekly: log and protect the bed = sleep cue.
Each item carries a one-line "why" so the habit actually sticks.
The caffeine science
Caffeine is absorbed within about 45 minutes and its typical half-life is around 5 hours — and can stretch past 10 in sensitive people. That 4 pm cup can still be blocking adenosine receptors at bedtime. The Caffeine Cutoff Calculator sets your personal last-cup time.
Cutoff by sensitivity: low 8h, normal 6h, high 10h+ before bed.
Light and temperature
Bright morning light sets the clock; dim, warm light in the last hour lets melatonin rise. A cool room (around 18°C / 65°F) supports deep sleep.
These are cheap, high-impact tweaks the checklist keeps in front of you.
How to use the checklist
- Open it once in the morning; it shows where you are now.
- Tick items as you go — it is a prompt, not a chore.
- Focus on the 2–3 items you usually skip.
- Keep the rhythm the same each night to build the sleep cue.
Related tools
The checklist ties the whole toolkit together:
- Sleep Preparation Checklist — the full-day plan, item by item.
- Caffeine Cutoff Calculator — your personal last-cup time.
- Bedtime Calculator — plan the final step.
- Bedtime Breathing Timer — a calm wind-down ritual.
Sources
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention — Sleep — sleep hygiene.
- Sleep Foundation — Sleep Hygiene — habits that protect sleep.
- Mayo Clinic — Healthy Sleep Habits — practical tips.