How to Set Up and Use Android Bedtime Mode for Better Sleep

If you are anything like me, the last thing you do before sleeping is scroll through your phone till midnight. Android bedtime mode is designed to break exactly this habit. It removes the colour out of your screen and silences every notification. It's part of Google's Digital Wellbeing tool and it's free to use. On that note, let's go ahead and learn how to set up Bedtime mode on Android phones..

What is Android Bedtime Mode?

Bedtime mode on Android is a Digital Wellbeing tool that reduces distractions during your sleep hours. When Bedtime mode starts on your Android phone, it turns on Do Not Disturb to block calls, messages and notifications. In addition, it changes your display to greyscale mode so the screen looks dull and uninviting. It also dims your wallpaper and disables always-on display to keep things dark.

The main aim behind Bedtime mode is to make your Android phone less tempting to use so you can have a sound sleep. It works on any Android phone with Digital Wellbeing support, which covers most devices running Android 10 or later.

How to Set Up Bedtime Mode on Android

You can configure Bedtime mode on Android via the Settings app and it works on nearly all modern Android phones. Here are the steps to follow.

1. Open the Settings app and tap on Digital Wellbeing.
2. Next, under the Ways to disconnect section, tap on Bedtime mode.

3. After that, tap Bedtime routine and choose Use a schedule.
4. Now, set your Start and End times and pick the days you want it to run.
5. That's it. The Bedtime mode will automatically turn on during the specified hours.

By the way, instead of a fixed schedule, you can pick Turn on while charging and set an After and Before time window. Bedtime mode will switch on the moment you plug in your phone within that window.

Customise What Bedtime Mode Does

Now, once your schedule is set, tap on Customise to control what happens during bedtime.

• Do Not Disturb: This is turned on by default. It mutes calls, alerts and notifications. That said, you can assign a rule for repeat callers or favourite contacts so you can still receive an emergency call.
• Screen options at bedtime: Tap this option to enable Greyscale (black and white screen), Keep the screen dark (turns off AoD) and Dim the wallpaper (dims the wallpaper and lock screen).
• Turn off Bedtime at next alarm: This option ends bedtime mode automatically when your morning alarm rings.

Enable Bedtime Mode Using the Google Clock App

If you use Google's Clock app to set alarm on Android, you can do a bit more with bedtime mode through the dedicated Bedtime tab. Here is how to set it up.

1. Open the Clock app and tap on the Bedtime tab at the bottom.
2. Set your bedtime and wake-up time.

3. You can turn on a bedtime reminder to get a notification before bed.
4. You can also pick your sleep sounds from Calm, Spotify or YouTube Music. Note that these don't play on their own.

Once it's running, the Recent bedtime activity graph shows how long you actually spent on your phone after your scheduled bedtime. In addition, you get an estimate of your time in bed based on motion and light sensors.

On supported Pixel phones, you can also enable Cough and snore detection, which uses the microphone during your scheduled bedtime to track how much you cough or snore. It's turned off by default, needs microphone permission and only runs during your set hours.

if late night scrolling is the real culprit, you can check your screen time on Android and set up app timers to block them.

Add Bedtime Mode to Android's Quick Settings

If you don't want to open Settings every night, you can turn on or off Android bedtime mode straight from the Quick Settings panel. 

1. Swipe down twice from the top of your screen to open the full Quick Settings panel.
2. Now, tap on the Modes label to show the list of modes.
3. Choose Bedtime mode to turn it on and tap again to turn it off.

On older Android versions, you will find a dedicated Bedtime mode tile instead. If it's missing, you can add through the edit or pencil icon.

Trigger Bedtime Mode with Gemini

If you want to enable Bedtime mode hands-free, you can trigger it via Gemini on Android with a single phrase. Google has shifted from Google Assistant to Gemini on Android, but the bedtime routine still works. Here is how to set it up.

1. Open the Google app and head to Settings > Google Assistant > Routines.
2. Here, pick the Bedtime routine or tap to create a new one.

3. Now, tap the starter and add a phrase like "bedtime" or "I am going to sleep".
4. Under Actions, choose what should happen like turning on Do Not Disturb, playing sleep sounds, setting your wake-up alarm, dimming your smart lights, etc.
5. Now, save the routine and say "Hey Google, bedtime". Gemini will perform all the bedtime actions in one go.

Should You Use Android Bedtime Mode?

Yes, if you struggle with sleep at night, you should take advantage of Android's dedicated Bedtime mode. It costs nothing, takes a minute to set up and helps us put the phone down at night. That said, you should follow the schedule consistently to have a better sleep. Finally, if you have a Google phone, you can learn to organise notifications on Pixel phones.