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How to Set Up Your Perfect Bedtime Routine with SleepGuard

A step-by-step guide to creating a bedtime routine that actually works. Get your first streak started tonight.

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Step 1: Calculate Your Ideal Bedtime

Start by working backwards from when you need to wake up. If you need to wake at 7 AM and want 8 hours of sleep, your bedtime should be 11 PM. Add 15 minutes for falling asleep, so set SleepGuard to block at 10:45 PM.

Step 2: Choose What Gets Blocked

Be honest about your time-wasters. Common culprits:

  • Social media apps (Instagram, TikTok, Twitter/X)
  • Video streaming (YouTube, Netflix, Twitch)
  • News sites and Reddit
  • Shopping apps
  • Games

Remember: your alarm, messages, and calls still work. Only distractions get blocked.

Step 3: Enable the 5-Minute Warning

The full-screen countdown gives you time to wrap up what you're doing. Use these 5 minutes to:

  • Finish your current task
  • Set tomorrow's alarm
  • Plug in your phone charger
  • Get ready for bed

Step 4: Connect Apple Health

Link SleepGuard with Apple Health to automatically track your actual sleep data. This helps calculate your sleep score and shows you the real impact of your new routine.

Step 5: Start Your First Streak

Tonight is day 1. Your goal: make it to day 7 without breaking the streak. Don't use your emergency pass unless it's truly urgent. The longer your streak, the less you'll want to break it.

Pro Tips

  • Start with a realistic bedtime — you can adjust earlier later
  • Put your phone across the room so you can't reach it from bed
  • Enable Do Not Disturb during bedtime hours
  • Consider upgrading to Premium for Partner Accountability