Sleep Checklist

Why a full-day plan beats a bedtime-only checklist

Most sleep advice stops at "turn off your phone." But the things that decide how you sleep are set hours earlier — the coffee at 4 PM, the late dinner, the bright screen, the bedroom that is too warm. Sleep hygiene is a whole-day habit, not a last-minute switch. This checklist follows the consensus guidance from bodies like the CDC, Mayo Clinic, the NHS, and the Sleep Foundation.

What the evidence points to

• Caffeine lingers. Its half-life is about 5–6 hours, so an afternoon coffee can still block sleep at night. Cut it off in the early afternoon.
• Alcohol is not sleep. It makes you drowsy but fragments sleep architecture and causes night-time awakenings to use the bathroom.
• Light sets the clock. Morning and daytime light anchors your body clock; dim, warm light in the last hour before bed helps melatonin rise.
• Cool, dark, quiet. A bedroom around 18–21°C, with low light and low noise, supports deeper sleep.

This page is general education, not medical advice. For ongoing sleep problems, see a healthcare professional.