Most people think about sleep in terms of a single number: what time they get into bed. As a clinical neurologist, I think about it differently. Sleep isn’t a switch you flip ‚ it’s a transition your brain has to move through, and that transition starts long before your head hits the pillow.
Your brain doesn’t do “off”
The part of your nervous system responsible for alertness ‚ the sympathetic system ‚doesn’t shut down the moment you decide it’s bedtime. If you’re checking email, scrolling your phone, or replaying tomorrow’s to-do list at 11:45, your brain is still in daytime mode at midnight, regardless of how tired you feel.
That’s why a consistent wind-down routine matters more than most people realize. It’s not about the hour you go to bed ‚ it’s about giving your nervous system 30 to 60 minutes of consistent signals that daytime is over.
Three habits that actually help
- Dim the lights on purpose. Bright overhead light in the evening suppresses melatonin, the hormone that helps regulate your sleep-wake cycle. Switching to lamps or warmer light an hour before bed is a small change with an outsized effect.
- Pick a repeatable sequence. Brush your teeth, then read, then lights out ‚ in the same order, most nights. Predictable sequences cue your brain that sleep is next, the same way a toddler’s bedtime routine works, just for adults.
- Get off screens before you’re tired, not after. By the time you feel sleepy enough to put the phone down, you’ve often already disrupted the process. Set a screen cutoff based on the clock, not on how you feel.
Why this matters more as you get older
Sleep architecture naturally becomes lighter and more fragmented with age, which means the margin for error shrinks. A wind-down routine that was optional in your twenties becomes far more protective of sleep quality later on.
None of this replaces a conversation with your doctor if you’re dealing with persistent insomnia ‚ but for most people, the biggest lever isn’t a new product or a new supplement. It’s protecting that hour before bed as deliberately as you protect your morning routine.
Dr. Eric Ciliberti, M.D. is a board-certified clinical neurologist and the founder of the American Behavioral Research Institute.
These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This article is for general educational purposes and is not a substitute for medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment.