THE 90-MINUTE WIND DOWN WINDOW || How to Train Your Brain for Restful Sleep
The Secret to Effortless Sleep? It Starts 90 Minutes Before Bed
There’s something deeply frustrating about lying in bed, wide-eyed, willing to sleep. You check the clock and calculate the dwindling hours of rest. The more you try to force it, the further it drifts away. But what if the secret to effortless sleep wasn’t about what happens in bed—but what happens before you get there?
I like to follow a 90-minute wind-down routine—an approach that works for me. It aligns my brain and body with the conditions that would make it easy for me to sleep, creating the ideal conditions for deep, uninterrupted sleep. It’s like a gentle descent rather than an abrupt stop. The most important thing is that I wake up feeling fully refreshed and ready for the day.
Phase 1: Dimming the Lights (90–60 Minutes Before Bed)
Blue light from screens tells our brains it’s still daytime, especially from personal experience. To get my body ready for the night, I try to set the mood and let my body know that the day is ending.
Dim your lights. Swap out bright overhead lighting for warm, soft lamps. Better yet, light a candle or use a Himalayan salt lamp to create a cozy glow. Most apartments or houses these days have a very bright light. I recommend keeping that off and having small mood lamps to set the mood.
Warm lights soothe your eyes so they will be gentle and help with winding down at night.
Cut down screen time. If scrolling TikTok in bed is non-negotiable, at least switch on Night Mode or wear blue-light-blocking glasses. Set up app limitations on your phone to remind you to stop doom-scrolling.
Step outside for a moment. Natural darkness cues your body to wind down. Taking a few breaths of fresh air and drawing your blinds (blackout curtains are great) gives you the darkness you need.
Phase 2: Mental Decluttering (30–15 Minutes Before Bed)
If your mind races the moment your head hits the pillow, you’re not alone. Overthinking is one of the biggest culprits behind poor sleep. The key? Give your thoughts a place to go—before they follow you to bed.
Journal for five minutes. Write down what’s on your mind, even if it’s just a brain dump of random thoughts. Get it all out.
Journaling doesn’t mean writing pages and pages of words. Sometimes you will have a lot of thoughts and other times you won’t have much. Whatever is in your mind, feel free to journal it down.
Create a tomorrow list. Instead of replaying tomorrow’s to-do list in your head, put it on paper and give yourself permission to let it go.
Switch to a book. Avoid anything too stimulating (no thrillers or business strategy reads). Fiction, poetry, or even a comforting re-read work best.
Phase 3: Sensory Relaxation (15 Minutes Before Bed)
By now, your mind and body are primed for sleep. The final step? Engage your senses in a way that reinforces calm and comfort.
Take a warm shower or bath. This helps lower your core body temperature—an essential signal that it’s time to sleep.
You can let the diffuser run a bit before bed to get the calming scent circulating in your space.
Use calming scents. Essential oils like lavender, chamomile, or sandalwood can enhance relaxation and create an olfactory cue for sleep.
Listen to something soothing. White noise, ASMR, or even soft instrumental music can help lull you into slumber.
Like any habit, the 90-minute wind-down window works best with consistency. The more you practice, the more your body will recognize the signals and respond accordingly. So tonight, instead of hoping for sleep, set yourself up for it. Dim the lights. Stretch out the tension. Put your thoughts to rest. And let the night do the rest.
