6-Step Sleep Routine for Heavy Sleepers: 2025 Guide with Hatch Restore

Are you struggling to wake up in the morning, or do you need more than one alarm to get out of bed? If so, you may be a heavy sleeper — and you may benefit from adding sleep improvement tools, such as Hatch Restore, to your sleep routine.

Heavy sleepers are people who find it hard to wake up and can sleep through disturbances like light and noise. Heavy sleep may be associated with deeper stages of sleep, but it can also mean you’re not sleeping well throughout the night, making it hard to get up in the morning.

Establishing a consistent sleep routine is one of the most effective ways for anyone to get more restorative rest. Read on to learn more about how the right sleep routine can support you as a heavy sleeper, and how Hatch Restore can help in the process. 

Why Heavy Sleepers Need a Tailored Routine

Even though heavy sleep sounds heavenly to a light sleeper, it can come with challenges. For many people, struggling to get out of bed in the morning can be a sign of low-quality sleep through the night (or for many nights, as is the case with sleep debt). 

Occasional difficulty waking up or morning grogginess can affect anyone, but it’s common in: 

• Shift workers resetting schedules
• College students with irregular sleep 
• Parents of newborns catching fragmented sleep 
• Frequent travelers hopping time zones

A consistent sleep routine can make it easier to fall asleep at night while also supporting sleep quality, so you wake up less through the night (and sleep more deeply when you’re asleep). 

Think of a routine as a tool to help your body clock stay on track. When bedtime and wake-up times shift around too much, your internal clock can get confused, so it’s hard to wind down, sleep, and wake up.  

While you don’t need anything special to start getting better sleep, you may be wondering if sleep improvement tools can help. The best sleep routine products are the ones that’ll actually help you stay consistent with your night-time rituals, making it easier to wind down, fall asleep faster, and wake up feeling more refreshed.

The 6-Step Sleep Routine for Heavy Sleepers

By building steady habits around sleep and wake times, you can train your body to rise more easily and feel more alert. Here are seven simple steps to help get you there.

Step 1: Set a Consistent Wind-Down Alarm

Setting a wind-down alarm signals to your brain that it’s time to shift gears from the busyness of the day into rest mode. Just like a morning alarm helps you wake up, this nightly reminder helps you create bedtime consistency. Over time, it trains your body to expect sleep at the same time, making mornings less of a struggle.

Hatch Restore has a bedtime cue feature that allows you to set a custom reminder for when it’s time to start getting ready for bed, setting you up for a consistent bedtime routine. If you’d rather keep your phone out of your room, you can choose a light and sound pairing to play automatically on your device when it’s time to shift to bedtime mode.

Step 2: Dim Lights and Disconnect Screens

Light is one of the strongest cues affecting your body’s internal clock. Too much light at bedtime — especially blue light from your phone and other electronic devices — can trick your body into thinking it’s daytime, making it hard to wind down for sleep. Dimming overhead lights and putting away screens can make it easier to transition to bedtime. 

Restore allows you to move through your bedtime routine without your phone with engaging bedtime content, from sleep stories to entertaining-but-sleepy podcasts. When you start your bedtime routine, try turning on an amber or orange light on your Restore. As the night goes on, you can set your Restore to dim the brightness, gently coaxing your mind and body toward rest.

Step 3: Do a Few Relaxing Activities

Along with shutting out potential distractions, heavy sleepers can benefit from introducing relaxing activities at bedtime. It can be hard for anyone to shift from the day’s stress and busyness, but for heavy sleepers, winding down with calming activities helps signal to the body and brain that it’s time to rest, making it easier to transition into deep, restorative sleep.

Whether you journal, stretch, or read, choose a few activities to do every night before you go to sleep. You can also set a personalized Unwind Routine of calming content to play automatically on your Restore each night, from sound bath meditations to breathing exercises. 

Step 4: Leverage Light and Sound

Lighting and sound can set the stage for deeper rest by telling your body it’s time to unwind. Soft lights support your natural circadian rhythm, while calming sounds can help quiet mental chatter and block disruptive noises. Together, they create a soothing environment that makes it easier to fall and stay asleep.

On your Restore, you can choose from a variety of calming hues — including sunset lights — as a backdrop for your relaxing bedtime activities. When it’s time to sleep, shift from your podcast or meditation to a relaxing, static sound, like low-frequency pink or brown noise, soft waves, or gentle rainfall.

Step 5: Optimize Your Sleep Environment 

Cool temperatures and darkness work together to signal to your body that it’s time for sleep. A slightly cooler room helps lower your core body temperature, which is a natural trigger for rest. Keeping your space dark supports melatonin production, helping you drift off faster and stay in deeper sleep throughout the night.

Do your best to keep your bedroom cool by setting your thermostat to a comfortable temperature and choosing lightweight, breathable sleepwear and bedding. When it’s time to sleep, turn your Restore light off and aim for darkness in your sleep space (blackout curtains and a snug-fitting sleep mask can also help). 

Step 6: Wake Gradually with a Personalized Sunrise Alarm

If you’re a heavy sleeper, you likely need an alarm to help you get up in the morning. Jarring alarm sounds can jolt you out of sleep, making you feel groggy when you get up (and starting the morning out on a stressful note). Plus, relying on your phone for an alarm makes it easier to look at a screen before bed, which can interfere with sleep quality. 

Rather than a loud phone alarm that gets snoozed 5 times, set a gradual sunrise alarm on your Restore. Choose your favorite light and sound combination to help you ease into the morning, so you can feel more energized for whatever the day has in store. By waking up gently and consistently, you’ll make it easier to stick with a healthy morning routine.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does Hatch Restore Wake Deep Sleepers Better Than a Smartphone Alarm?

Yes. Restore’s gradual sunrise alarm with customizable sounds can reduce morning fogginess more effectively than sudden phone alarms, helping heavy sleepers wake up more refreshed. Unlike a jarring ringtone, the gentle light and sound combination mimics your body’s natural wake cues, making it easier to get out of bed and start the day with energy.

Do I Need the Hatch+ Subscription for Core Features?

No! Sunrise alarms, wind-down lights, and a basic sound library work without a subscription. Hatch+  adds premium content to help you customize your routine. Learn more about what comes for free with Restore.

How Long Does It Take to Adapt to a New Sleep Routine?

Many heavy sleepers notice improved sleep and energy levels within a week or two when they follow the routine consistently. If you’ve implemented a consistent sleep routine but you’re still struggling to feel rested in the morning, chat with your medical provider.