Sleep Wind-Down
A guided relaxation sequence with breathing, body-softening and thought-release prompts.
Open Sleep Wind-Down ↗Sleep reset · Free tools
A calmer bedtime starts with one useful cue.
Find what is getting in the way, choose a small next step, and try a free wind-down tool. You do not need to buy anything or build a perfect routine.
Start with your evening
What is keeping you switched on?
Choose the closest fit. This is a practical signpost—not an assessment, score or diagnosis.
Your first cue
Give unfinished thoughts somewhere to land.
Try one short thought-release exercise, then put the device aside. You do not have to solve tomorrow tonight. If writing makes you more alert, choose a quieter activity instead.
Free tool on Inner Calm Guide · Opens in a new tab
Try one, not all five
Free tools for the transition to bed.
These exercises are listed in Inner Calm Guide's free tool library. Choose by what feels useful tonight; there is no required order or completion streak.
Racing Thoughts at Night
A short sequence combining breathing, a brain dump and a letting-go exercise.
Open the thought-release tool ↗Sleep Body Scan
A head-to-toe attention exercise with optional ambient sound. Keep any sound comfortable and low.
Open the body scan ↗Breathing for Sleep
A visual breathing pacer. Choose a comfortable pattern; skip breath holds or counts that feel strained.
Open guided breathing ↗Muscle Relaxation
A guided sequence of muscle tension and release. Skip painful movements or injured areas.
Open muscle relaxation ↗Explore the full library
Find other exercises, including grounding and journaling. A tool is optional; quiet time without a screen is also a valid choice.
Browse Inner Calm's tools ↗All tool links open Inner Calm Guide in a new tab. That site controls the exercises and its own privacy practices; read its notices before entering personal information. Bedtime Cues does not embed or receive your entries in those tools. If a direct tool link is unavailable, use the full tool library.
Use these for relaxation, not to force sleep. If breathing makes you dizzy, breathless or uncomfortable, stop and breathe normally. If focusing inward is distressing, stop the exercise and choose a neutral activity. No particular sound frequency is being recommended as a sleep treatment.
A small plan you can actually use
Tonight's wind-down checklist.
Use this as a flexible sequence, not a timed performance. Pick the steps that fit your evening. Ticking a box records a choice here; it does not measure sleep quality.
Checklist ticks are not saved by this page or sent as form data. They may reset when you reload or close the page.
Only have a few minutes?
Choose one action: put tomorrow's reminder on paper, adjust a bright lamp, or take a quiet pause. The aim is a manageable transition, not a minimum number of minutes. Do not stay awake longer just to complete the routine.
Want to keep trying it?
For the next few evenings, keep one cue broadly consistent and notice whether it is convenient and comfortable. Change it if it adds pressure. Our sleep journal guide can help you keep brief notes without buying a tracker or treating each night as a score.
Understand the idea
What a sleep reset can—and cannot—do.
Here, “sleep reset” means a fresh look at your evening habits. It does not mean an instant biological reset, a cure for insomnia or a promise to fall asleep in a set number of minutes.
NHLBI guidance recommends protecting time for sleep, using quiet time before bed, keeping the bedroom comfortable, and maintaining regular sleep timing where possible. [1] Our chooser and checklist translate that broad guidance into practical options; they have not been clinically tested as a programme.
If your phone is the main distraction
Decide what the device is for before opening a tool. Use the chosen exercise, then finish the session. An online relaxation tool is not useful if it repeatedly leads into more browsing. You can also read the instructions earlier and choose a screen-free activity later.
If your room is the main distraction
Work on the thing you notice first. Use the lighting guide, sound guide or Cool Sleep guides to investigate one issue. You do not need to buy a product before testing an adjustment with what you already own.
If your schedule is unpredictable
A repeatable action may be more practical than insisting on one exact bedtime. Shift work and caring responsibilities can limit your choices. If those demands keep you from getting enough sleep, seek tailored advice; a bedtime exercise cannot create missing sleep opportunity. NHLBI provides specific guidance for shift workers. [1]
If caffeine, alcohol or a late nap are working against you
Sometimes the room and the routine are fine, but the evening's timeline isn't. Our caffeine and alcohol guide covers realistic cutoff times, and our nap length guide explains why a late or long nap can quietly undercut bedtime.
Sleep therapy is a separate route
When a wind-down tool is not enough.
If sleep difficulty persists or affects your daytime functioning, talk with a qualified healthcare professional. NHLBI identifies cognitive behavioural therapy for insomnia (CBT-I) as a usual first treatment for long-term insomnia. It is more structured than a relaxation exercise or a general sleep-habits checklist. [2]
Discuss loud snoring, observed breathing pauses or excessive daytime sleepiness with a clinician. Do not drive or operate machinery when you cannot stay alert. [3]
General online therapy is not automatically specialist CBT-I. Check the provider's qualifications, services and suitability. Any affiliate relationship is explained on the relevant support page.
Questions about using a sleep reset.
Do I need to use all of the tools?
No. Choose one, or choose a quiet offline activity. More exercises do not necessarily make a better routine. Keep the part that feels useful and easy to repeat.
Are these tools available on Bedtime Cues?
The choice tool and checklist are on this page. The guided breathing, body scan and other exercises open separately on Inner Calm Guide. They are not embedded here.
Is this the same as sleep therapy or CBT-I?
No. This is general self-help guidance. CBT-I is a structured insomnia treatment, not simply a breathing exercise or a list of good habits. Read the sleep therapy guide before choosing support.
What if an exercise makes me feel worse?
Stop. Return to ordinary breathing or a neutral activity, and seek appropriate support if distress continues. There is no need to push through discomfort to complete a tool.
Do I need an app, supplement or sleep product?
No purchase is needed to use this page. Start with a practical change. Do not add a supplement or change medication as part of a self-directed “reset” without appropriate professional advice.
Sources and editorial notes.
Sources checked on 19 September 2026. External tools are linked as optional activities, not as clinically validated treatments or research evidence.
- National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute. Sleep Deprivation and Deficiency: Healthy Sleep Habits. Updated 24 March 2022. Read the guidance.
- National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute. Insomnia: Treatment. Updated 24 March 2022. Read about CBT-I and treatment options.
- NHS. Sleep apnoea. Reviewed 11 May 2026. Read about breathing symptoms and daytime sleepiness.
- Inner Calm Guide. Free Tools for Calm. Directory used to identify the linked tools. Visit the directory. Tool availability and features can change.