A bedtime routine for people who don't have one
Almost nobody's problem is not knowing that screens before bed are a bad idea. The problem is that ten o'clock arrives and there is no routine to fall into, so the phone wins by default. A bedtime routine is what you fall into instead — and it only works if it is small enough to do on the night you least want to.
What it looks like
One version of it, laid out. The times are an example — in AirFit every one is worked out from your own wake and bed times, so a night shift gets the same routine at the right hours.
- 9:45 pmPhone on the charger, in another room2 min
The distance is the mechanism. A phone face-down beside the bed is a phone you will pick up.
- 10:00 pmLights down5 min
Lamps instead of the ceiling. You are telling a very old system that the day is over.
- 10:15 pmTen pages of something on paper15 min
Anything you would happily put down. The point is the handover from thinking to not thinking.
Start with one block, not three
The routine above has three blocks because that is what it looks like once it is working. It is not what you should start with. Pick the one that would change the most — for most people that is putting the phone somewhere else — and do only that for two weeks. Adding the second block is easy once the first is automatic; starting with three is how people end up with none.
Why the lights matter more than they sound like they should
Dropping from a lit ceiling to a couple of lamps is a signal, and it is one you cannot argue with the way you can argue with a bedtime. It costs five seconds and it makes the next two blocks easier, which is the whole reason it earns a place.
What to do about the bad Tuesday
Some nights it will not happen. The habit survives that fine; what it does not survive is deciding that a missed night means the routine has failed. Do one block the next evening — the smallest one — and the streak restarts. That is also why AirFit shows a streak rather than a score: a streak is something you pick back up.
If mornings are the harder end for you, the morning routine guide is the other half of the same day.
Frequently asked questions
How long before bed should I stop looking at my phone?
Between thirty and sixty minutes is where most people find the difference, and the distance matters more than the timing — a phone on a charger in another room is put down, a phone face-down on the nightstand is not. If an hour sounds impossible, start at fifteen minutes. A rule you keep beats a rule you admire.
What is a wind-down actually for?
It is a handover. Falling asleep is not something you can do on purpose; all you can do is stop doing the things that keep you awake, and give your attention somewhere undemanding to go while the switch happens. That is why reading something you would happily put down works and reading something gripping does not.
Does it still work if I go to bed at a different time each night?
Yes, because the blocks are anchored to bed rather than to a clock. "Phone away an hour before bed" travels; "9:45 pm" does not survive a late shift. AirFit builds a protocol the same way — you give it your bedtime and it works out every block's time from there.
I have a diagnosed sleep condition. Is this for me?
These are habits, not treatment, and nothing here will fix a condition. They are usually still worth having alongside whatever care you are getting — but your clinician's advice comes first, and if the two ever disagree, follow theirs. AirFit's protocol questionnaire asks about this specifically, plans more gently when you say yes, and tells you the same thing.
More daily routines
A morning routine that survives a real morning
What to actually do in the first hour, why light comes before the phone, and a fifteen-minute version for mornings that already have a child in them.
Daily meditation, starting from ten minutes
How to start a daily meditation habit without an app subscription or a cushion — what to do, how long, and what a normal session actually feels like.
Daily stretching for people who sit down all day
A ten-minute daily stretching routine for hips, back and shoulders, when to do it, and how it fits around lifting rather than replacing it.
Reading about a routine is not the same as having one
AirFit Coach builds a protocol like this one around your own wake time, bedtime and the minutes you actually have — then puts it on your Today screen on iOS, Android or the web so you can tick it off. You approve it before anything starts, and you can ask for a change whenever it stops fitting.
General wellness guidance — habits to try, not medical advice, and not treatment for any condition. If you're under care for something, follow your clinician.