How to reset your sleep schedule

It's Sunday night, and you're wide awake even though you need to get up early tomorrow. Maybe you stayed up late all weekend, just returned from a trip or started a new work schedule. 

Whatever the reason, your body doesn't seem ready for sleep when you need it to be.

“Going to bed earlier might seem like the obvious fix, but if your body isn't ready for sleep, you could end up lying awake for hours,” says Dr. Guntippar Pratumngern, a primary care physician at Ascension Illinois. “The goal is to gradually shift when you feel sleepy versus forcing yourself to sleep.”

Why is your sleep schedule off?

Your sleep schedule can get thrown off when changes in your routine, environment or health interfere with your body's natural sleep-wake cycle.

“Your body has an internal clock — your circadian rhythm — that helps regulate when you feel awake and when you feel sleepy,” explains Dr. Pratumngern. “Signals like daylight and the familiarity of daily routines help keep that clock running on schedule.”

But several things can disrupt it, including:

• Travel or jet lag
• Daylight saving time
• Staying up late on holidays or weekends
• Stress, anxiety or illness
• A new work or school schedule
• Night-shift or swing-shift work
• Screen use or bright lights in the evening
• Caffeine, alcohol, nicotine or certain medications
• Sleep conditions such as insomnia or circadian rhythm disorders

Sometimes, the problem goes beyond a temporary schedule change. If you’re regularly struggling to fall asleep or stay asleep, or if your sleep times keep shifting earlier or later, it’s worth talking with your doctor about whether an underlying sleep condition might be contributing.

How do you reset your sleep schedule?

The best place to start resetting your sleep schedule is with a consistent wake-up time. From there, light exposure and a few changes to your daily habits can help your body adjust.

Dr. Pratumngern offers these five steps to get started:

1. Set a consistent wake-up time. Stick to it as closely as possible, including weekends, while allowing enough time for sleep.
2. Use light to reset your body’s clock. Get morning light and dim lights at night. 
3. Shift your bedtime gradually. Shift it by about 15 to 30 minutes at a time instead of making a big change overnight.
4. Support your sleep schedule during the day. Long naps and late-day caffeine can make it harder to fall asleep.
5. Create a wind-down routine. Keep your evenings relaxing and your bedroom cool, dark and quiet.

You don't have to change everything at once. Start with your wake-up time and build other habits around it.

1. Set a consistent wake-up time

Getting up around the same time every day helps your body settle into a more predictable sleep schedule.

Choose a wake-up time that works with your daily responsibilities and gives you enough opportunity to sleep. Try to stick close to it throughout the week, including weekends.

“If you normally wake up at 7 a.m. for work, sleeping until noon on Saturday could make it harder to fall asleep at your usual bedtime that night,” says Dr. Pratumngern. “When possible, try to keep your weekend wake-up time within about an hour of your weekday routine.”

Even after a poor night's sleep, try to maintain a consistent schedule. But don't deliberately deprive yourself of sleep to force a reset, she adds. Most adults need at least seven to eight hours of sleep each night.

2. Use light to reset your body’s clock

Getting light at the right time can help reset your body's internal clock, especially if you're trying to fall asleep and wake up earlier.

Light is one of the strongest signals that keeps your circadian rhythm working smoothly.

“If you're trying to shift your sleep schedule earlier, get outside for some natural light soon after you wake up for the day,” suggests Dr. Pratumngern. “Even opening your curtains in the morning and keeping your surroundings bright as you start your day can make a difference to your body.”

In the evening, do the opposite. Dim indoor lights and limit screens, including TV, as bedtime approaches — ideally during the hour before you head to bed. 

The timing matters. Morning light can help move your sleep schedule earlier, while light later in the day may have a different effect. If you work overnight or have an unusual sleep schedule, your best timing for light exposure may be different.

3. Shift your bedtime gradually

Moving your bedtime earlier by about 15 to 30 minutes at a time can make adjusting your sleep schedule more manageable.

For example, if you've gotten used to falling asleep at midnight but want to be asleep by 10 p.m., try shifting your bedtime a little earlier over several days rather than attempting the full two-hour change at once, says Dr. Pratumngern.

Keep your wake-up time consistent as your body adjusts.

“If you're lying in bed wide awake and getting frustrated, frequently watching the clock won’t help,” she says . “Get up, head to another room if possible and do something quiet in dim light, such as reading, then return to bed when your eyes start to feel heavy.”

4. Support your sleep schedule during the day

Your daytime habits all play a role in making it easier — or harder — to fall asleep at night.

Limit naps

Long or late naps can make it harder to fall asleep at your usual bedtime.

If you need a nap, try to keep it brief — about 20 minutes or less, and take it earlier in the afternoon. That way, you can get some rest without making it harder to feel sleepy at night.

Watch your caffeine and alcohol intake

Caffeine can remain in your system for hours, so an afternoon latte or energy drink may still affect you at bedtime.

If you have trouble falling asleep, try avoiding caffeine in the afternoon and evening. Avoid having alcohol close to bedtime, too. While it may make you feel sleepy initially, alcohol can disrupt your sleep later in the night. 

Be more active during the day

Regular physical activity — at least 30 minutes a day, five days a week — can support better sleep. If a vigorous evening workout leaves you feeling energized when you'd rather be unwinding from the day, try finishing at least two hours before bed or moving your workout earlier. 

5. Create a wind-down routine

A relaxing bedtime routine can help you transition from a busy day to sleep.

“Despite what you may see on social media, you don't need an elaborate nighttime routine,” says Dr. Pratumngern. “A few activities you enjoy and can stick with may be enough to help you wind down.”

Try spending the hour before bed doing something calming, such as journaling, reading, stretching or listening to quiet music. It also helps to keep your bedroom cool, dark and quiet.

“Try to keep work out of bed, too,” she adds. “Reserving your bed for sleep rather than catching up on emails or other tasks can help reinforce the connection between bed and sleep.”

How does daylight saving time affect sleep?

Daylight saving time can temporarily disrupt your sleep because your body's internal clock may need time to adjust when the clocks change.

Even a one-hour shift can leave you feeling tired when you need to be awake or wide awake at your usual bedtime.

If you know a clock change is coming, consider moving your sleep schedule gradually toward the new time in the days leading up to it.

After the change, try to follow your new wake-up time and get natural light after waking. Your body may need some time to adjust, especially if you're already not getting enough sleep.

How do you reset your sleep schedule after travel or shift work?

Resetting your sleep schedule after travel or shift work may require a different approach because you're adjusting to a new time zone or sleeping at times when your body would normally be awake.

After travel

After traveling across time zones, try to follow the local sleep and light schedule to help your body adjust, suggests Dr. Pratumngern.

“That may mean getting light at different times, resisting the urge to take a long midday nap and following the local bedtime rather than the schedule you kept at home.”

If you frequently travel across several time zones, it’s worth asking your doctor if light exposure strategies or a supplement, like melatonin, ashwagandha, magnesium or L-theanine, might help.

During night-shift or rotating-shift work

If you work overnight or rotate between shifts, try to keep your sleep and wake times as consistent as your schedule allows.

Daytime sleep can be challenging when sunlight, household noise and everyday responsibilities compete with your need for rest.

“Investing in a set of blackout curtains, keeping your bedroom cool and using a white noise machine can help make your sleep environment more comfortable and set you up for better rest,” Dr. Pratumngern says.

You can also try limiting caffeine to the earlier part of your shift so it doesn't interfere with your sleep later. 

Frequently asked questions about resetting your sleep schedule

How long does it take to reset your sleep schedule?

There's no set timeline for resetting your sleep schedule. It depends on how much your sleep times have shifted and what's causing the change.

A few late nights may be easier to recover from than a major time-zone change or a rotating work schedule.

Can you stay up all night to reset your sleep schedule?

Staying up all night usually isn't a good way to reset your sleep schedule. It can leave you sleep-deprived and make it harder to concentrate or stay alert the next day.

Gradually adjusting your bedtime and keeping a consistent wake-up time is a safer approach than trying to force a reset overnight.

Should I sleep in on weekends?

Try not to sleep several hours later on weekends if you're working to maintain a consistent sleep schedule.

Some flexibility is reasonable, but large changes between weekday and weekend sleep times can make your routine harder to maintain.

If you regularly need to catch up on significant amounts of sleep over the weekend, consider whether your weekday schedule allows enough time for rest.

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