How many hours of sleep should my goal be?

The CDC recommends 7 or more hours a night for adults aged 18 to 60, and 8 to 10 hours for teens aged 13 to 17. Use that as the target, and set your bedtime by counting back from your wake time.

What are examples of sleep goals?

In bed by 11 pm on 5 nights a week. Screens off 30 minutes before bed for 21 nights. No caffeine after 2 pm for 30 days. 7 hours or more on 20 nights out of 30. Each one is a yes or no you can answer in the morning.

Should I set a sleep goal on my watch or phone?

Yes, if you like the reminder. Keep one goal of your own next to it that is about your evening, like a screens off time. The device measures the night. The goal is the part you do.

25 sleep goals: bedtime, hours by age and a wind down routine

Updated October 1, 2026

Dot grid of 30 nights filling as nights of 7 hours of sleep are ticked off

You cannot decide to fall asleep, but you can decide when the lights go out. Good sleep goals are about bedtime, wake time and the hour before bed. The CDC recommends 7 or more hours a night for adults and 8 to 10 for teens. Here are 25 sleep goals examples you can tick off each morning.

Bedtime and wake time goals

Bedtime goals are the part of sleep you control directly, so they come first.

Go to bed at the same time for 14 nights.
Get up at the same time 7 days a week for 3 weeks.
Be in bed by 11 pm on 5 nights a week for a month.
Get up at the first alarm for 21 days.
Keep your weekend wake time within 1 hour of your weekday one for 8 weeks.

Sleep goals by age and hours

Hour goals follow your age: the CDC recommends 7 or more hours for adults aged 18 to 60, and 8 to 10 hours for teens aged 13 to 17.

Sleep 7 hours or more on 20 nights out of 30.
Sleep 8 hours on every school night for a month, if you are a teen.
Go to bed 15 minutes earlier each week until you reach 7 hours.
Average 7 hours a night across a full week.
Sleep 7 hours or more on 250 nights this year.

Wind down routine goals

Routine goals fill the last half hour before bed with the same few steps. A short quiet sitting fits here, and meditation goals show how to keep it small.

Turn screens off 30 minutes before bed for 21 nights.
Read 10 pages of a paper book before sleep for 30 nights.
Dim the lights at 9 pm for 2 weeks.
Do 5 minutes of slow breathing in bed every night for 2 weeks.
Charge your phone outside the bedroom for 30 nights.

Daytime habit goals for better nights

Daytime goals are choices made hours before bed. Meal timing is one of them, and it also sits among nutrition goals.

Have no caffeine after 2 pm for 30 days.
Get outside within an hour of waking for 21 days.
Finish your last meal 2 hours before bed for 3 weeks.
Take no naps after 3 pm for a month.
Be active on 20 days out of 30.

Sleep tracking goals

Tracking goals are about noticing your own pattern before you try to change it.

Keep a sleep log for 14 nights.
Write down your bedtime and wake time every morning for a month.
Look back over your sleep log every Sunday for 6 weeks.
Find your own best bedtime by testing 3 different ones for a week each.
Lay out tomorrow's clothes and list before bed for 14 nights.

What is a good sleep goal?

A good sleep goal is about something you do, like a bedtime, and not about falling asleep on command. A review of 35 years of goal research found that specific, hard goals lead to higher performance than being told to do your best. "Sleep better" is vague. "In bed by 11 pm on 5 nights a week" is specific.

The target for hours depends on age. The CDC recommends 7 or more hours a night for adults aged 18 to 60, and 8 to 10 hours for teens aged 13 to 17. Count back from when you have to get up, and that is your bedtime.

A routine is easier to start when it hangs on something you already do. "After I brush my teeth, my phone goes on the charger in the hall" is habit stacking. Give it time: one study found habits took a median of 66 days to form, with a range from 18 to 254.

How to track sleep goals

Tick the night off in the morning, yes or no. A review of 138 studies found that people who monitored their progress reached their goals more often, and that recording it beat keeping it in your head.

Nights are a day count, which is the shape of most self care challenge ideas. Aim for 20 nights out of 30, not 30 out of 30. A late night is going to happen, and the goal should survive it.

A watch can measure your sleep, but it cannot show you a month at a glance. A picture that fills in one good night at a time does.

Frequently asked questions

How many hours of sleep should my goal be?: The CDC recommends 7 or more hours a night for adults aged 18 to 60, and 8 to 10 hours for teens aged 13 to 17. Use that as the target, and set your bedtime by counting back from your wake time.
What are examples of sleep goals?: In bed by 11 pm on 5 nights a week. Screens off 30 minutes before bed for 21 nights. No caffeine after 2 pm for 30 days. 7 hours or more on 20 nights out of 30. Each one is a yes or no you can answer in the morning.
Should I set a sleep goal on my watch or phone?: Yes, if you like the reminder. Keep one goal of your own next to it that is about your evening, like a screens off time. The device measures the night. The goal is the part you do.