How to go to bed early: Tips and techniques for better sleep

Years ago, I was a creature of the night. I worked a corporate job by day, and by night, I carried that work home, often answering emails until 2 a.m., hustling in the shadows. I wore exhaustion like a badge of honor…until my body staged a rebellion. At 29, I was diagnosed with walking pneumonia and generalized anxiety disorder. 

My nervous system had sent me a wake-up call, and I knew I had to change my routine.

I didn’t know how to go to bed early at first. But I once heard a saying: “The early hours are not for work. They’re for remembering who you are before the world asks you to be anything.” So, inspired, I started shifting my habits little by little. Eventually, I started waking up at 5:30 a.m. to meditate and move my body. Within months, my body began craving a 10 p.m. bedtime. Not out of discipline, but out of hunger for that connection with myself.

How to go to bed early starts with your mindset.

Shift your mindset

Instead of trying to sleep early, design a life that demands more early hours. Start by asking yourself: What morning gift am I denying myself by staying up late? Is it silence? Sunrise? A workout that makes me feel invincible?

And the belief that you’re a “night owl”? It’s just a story, not a genetic sentence. Ask yourself (or use these prompts during your next journal session):

• What identity am I clinging to by staying up late?
• Who would I become if I traded the midnight oil for morning clarity?

More often than not, “I’m just a night person” is a mask for fear of missing out (FOMO). It might also be the way you’re coping with unprocessed stress while avoiding tomorrow’s demands. 

Forget drastic leaps

This is crucial. Instead of forcing a radical shift, nudge your bedtime to just five minutes earlier each night. In 12 days, you’ll gain an hour! These micro-adjustments prevent the “rubber band effect,” where sudden changes snap back. This way, your circadian rhythm adjusts without resistance.

Give yourself a 90-minute wind-down with these sleep rituals

Sleep is a slow descent. So honor the transition with rituals that reset your internal clock:

Minutes 0-30: Detach from screens

• Read a physical book, sketch, or fold laundry. Try engaging your hands with something while your mind unwinds.

Minutes 30-60: A sleep-inducing ritual

• Brew chamomile or valerian root tea. Sip it slowly.
• Set an 8 p.m. curfew. And after sunset, try speaking only in whispers and let your voice mimic the falling dark.
• Try a digital sunset. At 9 p.m., put your devices away. 
• Practice a sunset ritual. Dim artificial lights or light a candle.

Minutes 60-90: Progressive muscle surrender

• Lie down. Tense each muscle group (eyes and jaw → toes) for five seconds, then release. Imagine your body melting into the earth. You can follow with a soothing breath practice or meditation. The Balance app has many sleep meditations for you to try. 

Redesign your sleep sanctuary

Here’s how to turn your bedroom into a place for rest:

• Cool it down to 65°F (18°C). This mimics your body’s nocturnal temperature drop, deepening sleep.
• Create total darkness with blackout curtains or an eye mask. Darkness signals your brain that it’s safe to rest.
• Use background noise, such as rain sounds or a sleep meditation (you’ll find plenty in the Balance app).

Create a morning joy ritual

Anchor yourself to a morning joy ritual that gives you a reason to wake up eagerly.

• Take a 6 a.m. walk, journal with coffee, or meditate.
• Try a morning sun gaze. Stand outside for 10 minutes within 30 minutes of waking (without sunglasses). This tells your brain, “Day begins now,” and it also helps pull you to bed earlier at night.

The deeper why

The ancients didn’t fight the darkness, they let it teach them humility. They didn’t treat sleep as a transaction (“I’ll rest when I finish X”) but as a love letter to the body. The space they gathered the strength and courage for the next day. So, why shouldn’t we?

Remember: Going to bed early is not a defeat. It’s the ultimate act of trust. So trust that the world will keep spinning without your grip. 

Tonight, release the illusion of control.

Tuck yourself in.

Sleep well.