How a bedtime routine can help you reach your goals

Weekly technique

By Weight Watchers

Last updated 8 March 2024

Science tells us getting enough shut-eye can make weight loss easier. But what if sleep itself doesn’t come easily? Learn to prime your mind and body for better ZZZs.

Try this!

List what you need to do before bed: Set the coffee maker, Lock up the house, Brush my teeth, Set my alarm. Then, pick 1–2 calming activities to try: Gentle stretching, Reading, A warm shower, Journaling. Next, Make a plan for when and in what order you’ll do your routine. For example: fter locking up, I’ll follow a short stretching video, then brush my teeth and read in bed for 15 minutes.

Let’s dive a little deeper…

Ever climb in bed after a busy day, completely exhausted, but also, somehow, wide awake or just not ready to sleep? It’s normal; we humans don’t have an “off” switch you can just flip to shut down.

But a bedtime routine is about as close as we can get. In the roughly 30 minutes before you want to fall asleep, combining things you have to do with things that relax you helps the transition from active day to peaceful night. Repeat those same activities each night and it sends a clear signal to your body and mind that it’s time to power down, making it even easier to fall and stay asleep.

If a pre-bed routine feels like another to-do on top of an endless list, we get it. But it’s worth prioritising. Quality sleep doesn’t just help you feel good and stay healthy, science shows it’s linked to eating well (sleep affects hormones that regulate appetite), moving regularly, and being in the right mindset for making decisions that align with your goals.