The Nighttime Routine That Changed My Life (Backed by Science)
This article first appeared in my private newsletter on September 2, 2025
First Posted on Dango.co
I’ll just say it: morning routines are overrated.
After two kids and multiple businesses, I’ve learned that complicated rituals to “prime” your day can’t compete with one thing: how you set up your body the night before.
Something I realized later in life is that it's not about how you start your day, it’s about how you finish.
In today’s newsletter, I’ll share the nighttime routine that’s completely changed my life. It’s science-backed, practical, and, most importantly, doable for busy people with kids.
You ready? Let's go 🔥
The Nighttime Routine That Changed My Life (Backed by Science)
Why Morning Routines Are Overrated
The internet is flooded with advice on “perfect” morning routines: meditate, cold plunge, read, walk, chant affirmations.
This is all great if you’re single with no kids and living in your parents’ basement.
Morning routines are overrated because they are rigid, time-consuming checklists that create a false sense of progress but rarely deliver real results.
The real performance secret is what you do before you wake up.
The Importance Of The Nighttime Routine
A great day starts at night.
The right evening routine primes your body and mind for deep sleep. This regulates hormones, improves recovery, consolidates memory, and gives you the energy to wake up sharp.
It also sets a boundary between work and personal life, de-stresses your body, and prepares you to crush the next day.
Most importantly, a consistent nighttime routine anchors your body’s clock. This leads to easier mornings, better energy, and an improved mood.
The Anatomy of An Effective Science-Based Nighttime Routine
Dan's Note: One hidden benefit of a nighttime ritual is that your kids adopt it too. The same habits that help us sleep better carry over to them, so their sleep runs like clockwork. This makes everyone’s mornings way better. If you don't have kids, disregard this note.
Step 1 - Increase Daytime Light Exposure
Experts suggest 15 minutes of morning sun, but that’s not always realistic with kids.
My rule: get light whenever you can.
Bright natural light resets your internal clock and supports deeper sleep.
In summer, I get mine by playing in the pool with my kids after work. Otherwise, I’ll step outside for a walking meeting or stand in the backyard during breaks.
Step 1A - Block Out Stimulation
A couple of things I avoid for better sleep: no caffeine after 12 pm since it takes about 10 hours to clear, and no vigorous exercise within three hours of bed.
The caffeine rule is common, but the exercise one surprised me.
I thought late training would help, but it spiked my heart rate and adrenaline. After evening Jiu-Jitsu, I often couldn’t fall asleep until 1 or 2 am.
Step 2 - Decrease Nighttime Light Exposure
As the sun sets, reduce your light exposure, especially blue light. At night, it tricks your brain into thinking it’s daytime, suppresses melatonin, and delays sleep.
In our house, we dim the lights and wear blue light blockers.
If you want to take this further, try red incandescent bulbs. They mimic sunset and signal your brain to wind down, helping you fall asleep faster and sleep more deeply.
Step 3 - The Mind Dump
When you go to sleep, you don’t want lingering thoughts keeping you up. One thing I do is plan for the next day.
I write down 3–6 priorities (using The Ivy Lee Method) and prep anything I’ll need so it’s off my mind.
I also set a hard stop for emails and Slack at 6 pm. Every high performer knows the wrong message at night can derail their focus and delay sleep.
Step 4 - The Hot Shower
A cheat code for great sleep is a hot shower. It raises core temperature, and the rapid cool down after signals your brain it’s time to sleep.
This helps you fall asleep faster and improves sleep quality by syncing with circadian rhythms.
For me, it also marks the end of the day. It’s like telling your body, “The day is over. Relax.”
The psychological break from my workday to my rest day works like gangbusters.
Step 5 - The 321 Method
The 321 Method is a stupidly simple nighttime routine that can give you massive benefits, and it goes like this:
Stop eating 3 hours (or more) before bed. This improves sleep quality by helping your body rest and digest.
Drink my sleep tea 2 hours before bed (no liquids after). 2 hours before bed, I drink a sleep concoction (image above) that helps me go to bed quicker while preventing any nighttime trips to the bathroom. (Article)
Stop bluelight exposure at least one hour pre-bed. As stated earlier, bluelight is like poison for a great night sleep. I make sure I'm wearing bluelight blockers or completely avoiding them.
It's a simple system that has yielded incredible benefits when it comes to sleep quality.
Step 6 - Disconnect. Then Connect.
I thrive on time to myself, but also staying connected to my wife. Every night we do both, and it works for us.
First, we go off and do our thing, and admittedly, it's about numbing our minds and de-stressing.
For her, it’s on Netflix. For me, it’s a video game or YouTube.
For the last hour, we connected and spent quality time together. It’s the perfect balance between personal space and watering the plant that is our relationship.
The FINAL Step - The Soft and Hard Stop.
It's important to have similar sleep and wake times, and this is dictated by when you go to sleep.
So, I set both a soft and a hard cap for bedtime.
My soft cap is 9:30 pm is the ideal target.
My hard cap is 10:30 pm is the latest I’ll allow.
The hard cap ensures I still get the 8 hours I need to perform at my best the next day.
Sample Routine Timeline
Between 9am to 3pm - Any form of exposure to natural daylight.
12pm - Hard stop of no caffeine
Between 3pm and 4pm - Mind dumping
5pm and onwards - Dimming light and final meal
7pm - Kids bedtime routine
8pm - Shower
8:30pm to 9:30pm - Numb mind
9:30pm to 10:30pm - Connect with Mrs. Go
All times are subject to change, but this is usually what happens in a nutshell.
The Final Word
Morning routines get all the hype, but the truth is, your day is already decided the night before.
A nighttime routine sets the stage for everything: your hormones, your recovery, your focus, even your mood when you wake up.
Without quality sleep, no amount of cold plunges, green juice, or meditation naps will save you.
Nighttime routines work because they create boundaries, signal to your body that it's time to wind down, and anchor your internal clock.
They're not about stacking more habits onto your life, but about clearing space for the most important one, which is a deep restorative sleep.
If you want consistent energy, sharper thinking, and better health, stop obsessing about how you start your day. Obsess about how you end it.
Onward and upward. 🚀
- Dan
References
Sleep physiology and sleep hygiene review. Sleep Med Clin, 2023. PMID: 36841492
Mindell, J.A., et al. “A Nightly Bedtime Routine: Impact on Sleep in Young Children and Maternal Mood.” Sleep, 2009. PMCID: PMC2675894
Lee P-H et al. “Interaction of daytime and nighttime light exposure on objective sleep parameters in individuals with bipolar disorder.” Sleep, 2025. PMID: 40825765
Sun exposure and sleep: Yook et al. “Are there effects of light exposure on daytime sleep for rotating shift workers?” Front Neurosci, 2024. PMID: 38601092
Weibel, J. et al. “Regular Caffeine Intake Delays REM Sleep Promotion and Attenuates Sleep Quality in Healthy Men.” J Neurosci, 2021. PMID: 34024173
Caffeine alters recovery sleep and continuity: PMID: 39458438
Thomas, C., et al. “Evening wear of blue-blocking glasses for sleep and mood disorders.” Sleep Med Rev, 2021. PMID: 34030534
Kim, S., et al. “Effect of evening blue light blocking glasses on subjective and objective sleep in healthy adults.” Sleep Health, 2021. PMID: 33707105
Godos, J., et al. “Does the Proximity of Meals to Bedtime Influence the Sleep of Young Adults?” Nutrients, 2020. PMID: 32295235
Kazemi, A. et al. “Effects of chamomile (Matricaria chamomilla L.) on sleep…” Sleep Health, 2024. PMID: 39106912
Inagawa, K., et al. “Glycine ingestion improves subjective sleep quality.” Sleep Biol Rhythms, 2006. PubMed Study
Disclaimer: This email is provided for educational and informational purposes only and does not constitute providing medical advice or professional services. The information provided should not be used for diagnosing or treating a health problem or disease, and those seeking personal medical advice should consult with a licensed physician.
Great read. First time I read routine advice that considers people with kids! Thank you!
Thank you Dan - proper rest is so important - this will be a great help to me/family!