Key Takeaways

• Gradually shifting your bedtime in 15 to 30-minute increments is more effective than trying to reset overnight.

• Consistent sleep and wake times all week long strengthen your circadian rhythm.

• A cool, dark, quiet bedroom plus breathable bedding reduces overheating and supports deeper sleep.

• Natural wool bedding helps regulate temperature, wick moisture, and create a cleaner sleep environment.

• Nighttime routines and reduced evening screen exposure cue the body for rest.

• Exposure to morning light is critical for resetting sleep patterns and improving daytime alertness.

Restful sleep eludes many of us. According to the Centers for Disease Control, close to 40% of adults report insufficient sleep, which tees up problems like foggy mornings, mood dips, and long-term health issues.

7 Ways to Reset Your Sleep Schedule for Better Rest

The good news is that a few small changes to your sleep routine and bedding can make an enormous impact. If resetting your sleep schedule is on your list for 2026, and improving your sleep score is a priority, here’s how to make it happen.

1 - Start With a Consistent Sleep/Wake Schedule

While pulling an all-nighter and powering through the day so you can fall asleep at 7 pm might sound like a quick way to get back on track, it doesn’t work like that. Slow and steady is the best way to improve your sleep schedule, and that might mean it takes a week or two to fully adjust. 

Start by choosing a bedtime eight hours from the time you need to wake up in the morning. If it’s a few hours earlier than when you usually fall asleep, try going to bed 15 to 30 minutes earlier than usual each night until you’ve adjusted to the new bedtime. Establish a routine you can follow nightly. Following the same steps at bedtime—like washing your face, cleaning your teeth, sliding under your cozy wool comforter, and reading or meditating for thirty minutes, for example—can help cue your body that it’s time to wind down for sleep.

It’s tempting to stay up and sleep in on weekends, but make a point of following the same schedule seven days a week. The circadian rhythm is the body’s 24-hour clock, and it thrives on routine.

2 - Create a Sleep-Friendly Bedroom

It’s settled science that dark, cool, quiet environments are most conducive to sleep. Take stock of what you need to make that happen in your bedroom. Depending on where you live and the time of year, things like blackout shades, a ceiling fan or cracked window, or a white noise machine could make a major difference. Managing temperature in particular is one of the most beneficial things you can do to support better sleep. 

But it’s not just about the ambient temperature in your room. Your bedding and mattress could be contributing to overheating, especially if you sleep with materials that trap heat, such as down or synthetic-based materials like polyester or memory foam. They pose a few problems. First, they aren’t breathable, which means body heat has nowhere to escape. Instead, that heat just builds—and that means you overheat. The second issue is that synthetic materials don’t wick moisture.

As the body attempts to cool itself down during the night, there’s nowhere for that moisture to go. That’s why you wake up feeling hot, clammy, or outright soggy. Heat and humidity that stays close to the skin makes it harder for the body to regulate temperature. It can directly interfere with deep sleep stages and lead to tossing and turning. To avoid this, your bedroom environment and bedding need to work together.

3 - Upgrade to Breathable Natural Bedding

Swapping in natural wool pillows, a comforter, or a mattress topper or pad goes a long way to promoting better sleep. As a fiber, wool is particularly well suited to sleep. It’s breathable, temperature regulating, and moisture wicking, so it naturally reduces overheating and night sweats. In fact, research conducted at Leeds University on Woolroom bedding found that it increases the chances of a good night’s sleep by 67% and helps people enjoy 25% more deep, regenerative sleep than other kinds of bedding. An added bonus? Wool is also a natural air purifier!

For those with sensitivities or allergies, natural wool bedding is an ideal choice because it contributes to a cleaner sleep space. Materials like down and memory foam trap heat, which creates a warm, moist environment that harbors dust mites and allergens, not to mention mold and mildew. Since wool fibers promote airflow and wick moisture so well, wool bedding simply isn’t hospitable to these allergens and irritants.

4 - Create a Nighttime Routine

Consistency is one of the most important ways to support a healthy circadian rhythm, so do your best to create and follow a predictable nighttime routine. A wind-down period between 30 and 60 minutes works well, but keep it simple and manageable. The idea is to start signaling your body that rest is imminent, so calming activities work best. You might clean your teeth, wash your face, change into pajamas, and enjoy reading, bedtime yoga, guided breathwork, or journaling before climbing into bed. A soothing cup of herbal tea or a warm bath or shower are other options. The idea is to build a habit you can follow regularly—that’s what helps reset your internal clock over time.

It’s important to avoid over-stimulating yourself, so keep the activity light. Dimming the lights and putting away screens is important. Light is the circadian rhythm's most powerful cue, thanks to specialized cells in the retina. Blue light from mobile phones and televisions can suppress melatonin production, making it harder to fall asleep, so avoiding screen time before bed is really important. If that’s not an option, make sure to switch them to night mode.

5 - Prioritize Morning Light

Just as important as limiting light at night is exposing yourself to it in the morning. Morning light is the body’s signal to be awake and alert, so make time within the first hour of waking to get some sunlight. It helps regulate melatonin and cortisol levels so you feel alert during the day. A short walk, a cup of coffee on the patio, or even just opening the shades for indirect light can get the job done. If you’re up before the sun, light therapy lights can be a great stand-in.

6 - Make Small Habit-forming Shifts for Lasting Results

Wanting better sleep is an admirable resolution for 2026, but it’s less about a dramatic overhaul and more about making small, sustainable changes. Making gradual adjustments to your bedtime, dimming lights, keeping the bedroom cool, dark, and quiet, choosing bedding like wool that supports the body, and prioritizing morning light all combine for more restful nights.

It’s normal for changes to happen slowly, but stick with it! Be on the lookout for positive signs that indicate your sleep really is improving, such as falling asleep a little earlier, fewer interruptions throughout the night, or feeling better rested in the mornings. Consistency builds on itself, and with the right habits and sleep environment, you really can reset your sleep schedule in 2026.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does pulling an all-nighter reset sleep cycle?

No. Pulling an all-nighter is disruptive to your circadian rhythm and makes it harder to get back on track because you’re more likely to nap or oversleep when you finally do fall asleep. To reset your sleep cycle, gradual adjustments to your bedtime are a better approach, along with following a consistent schedule.

What is the 10 5 3 2 1 rule for sleep?

The 10 5 3 2 1 rule for sleep describes behaviors that support quality rest: No caffeine 10 hours before bed, no food or alcohol 3 hours before bed, no work 2 hours before bed, and no screen time 1 hour before bed.

What is the easiest way to reset your sleep schedule?

The easiest way to reset your sleep schedule is to follow a consistent bed and wake time, limit caffeine and heavy meals in the evenings, create a restful sleep space, minimize nighttime screen time, and prioritize natural light in the mornings.

Why do I wake up at 3 am and can’t go back to sleep?

You might be waking up at 3 am due to stress or anxiety, or it might relate to poor sleep conditions that expose you to light, noise, or heat. Try to avoid checking the time and read or listen to music until you feel tired. Implementing a calming bedtime routine may help as well.