Emotion Regulation
Sleep Hygiene Checklist
Evaluate daily sleep habits—environment, timing, routines—and plan adjustments that improve rest.
Tip: jot notes below, then print or “Save as PDF.”
How to practice it
Move through each step slowly. Notice what the skill asks for and how you can experiment in real life.
1
Schedule Consistency
Record bedtime/wake time targets and actual times. Note variations greater than one hour.
2
Pre-Sleep Routine
List wind-down activities (stretching, reading) and stimulating habits to minimize (screens, work).
3
Environment
Evaluate bedroom temperature, light, noise, and bedding comfort. Plan tweaks.
4
Substances
Track caffeine, nicotine, alcohol, or heavy meals within six hours of bed.
5
Daytime Habits
Note exercise, sunlight exposure, and nap duration.
Real-world examples
Try spotting moments like these in your week. Notice how the skill changes the ripple effect of a tough situation.
Sample Checklist Findings
Bedtime drifted 11pm→1am on weekends. Added alarm to start wind-down at 10pm, swapped phone scrolling for audiobook, lowered thermostat, cut caffeine after 2pm. Sleep quality improved from 2/5 to 4/5.
Practice Activity
Complete the checklist for seven nights. Choose two sleep hygiene changes to pilot next week.
Which habit most disrupts your sleep?
What environment tweaks are easiest to implement?
How does improving sleep affect your emotions?
What support or accountability will keep you consistent?
Want to practice emotion regulation with the WithMarsha app?
WithMarsha guides you through this skill in real time, keeps track of your practice, and helps you build your DBT toolkit day by day.
Download WithMarsha