Going to sleep in Islam is not a passive habit. It is an act of worship when done with intention and Sunnah. These practices protect the heart, guard the night, and end the day in remembrance of Allah.
10 Sunnahs to Do Before Sleeping
1. Sleep With Wuḍūʾ
The Prophet ﷺ encouraged sleeping in a state of purity.
The Prophet ﷺ said:
إِذَا أَتَيْتَ مَضْجَعَكَ فَتَوَضَّأْ وُضُوءَكَ لِلصَّلَاةِ
“When you go to your bed, perform wuḍūʾ as you do for prayer.”
[Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī 247 | Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim 2710]
2. Sleep on the Right Side
This was the regular practice of the Prophet ﷺ.
The Prophet ﷺ said:
ثُمَّ اضْطَجِعْ عَلَىٰ شِقِّكَ الْأَيْمَنِ
“Then lie down on your right side.”
[Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī 247 | Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim 2710]
3. Say the Duʿāʾ Before Sleeping
This duʿāʾ places the soul in Allah’s care.
The Prophet ﷺ said:
ثُمَّ قُلِ اللَّهُمَّ أَسْلَمْتُ وَجْهِي إِلَيْكَ، وَفَوَّضْتُ أَمْرِي إِلَيْكَ، وَأَلْجَأْتُ ظَهْرِي إِلَيْكَ، رَغْبَةً وَرَهْبَةً إِلَيْكَ، لاَ مَلْجَأَ وَلاَ مَنْجَا مِنْكَ إِلاَّ إِلَيْكَ، اللَّهُمَّ آمَنْتُ بِكِتَابِكَ الَّذِي أَنْزَلْتَ، وَبِنَبِيِّكَ الَّذِي أَرْسَلْتَ. فَإِنْ مُتَّ مِنْ لَيْلَتِكَ فَأَنْتَ عَلَى الْفِطْرَةِ، وَاجْعَلْهُنَّ آخِرَ مَا تَتَكَلَّمُ بِهِ
“O Allah! I surrender to You and entrust all my affairs to You and depend upon You for Your Blessings both with hope and fear of You. There is no fleeing from You, and there is no place of protection and safety except with You O Allah! I believe in Your Book (the Qur'an) which You have revealed and in Your Prophet (Muhammad) whom You have sent). Then if you die on that very night, you will die with faith (i.e. or the religion of Islam). Let the aforesaid words be your last utterance (before sleep).”
[Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī 247 | Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim 2710]
4. Recite Āyat al-Kursī
This brings protection through the night.
Shaytan told Abu Hurayrah رضي الله عنه that whoever recites Ayat al-Kursi before sleep will be protected. When Abu Hurayrah told the Prophet ﷺ, he said: “He told you the truth, even though he is a liar. That was Shaytan.”
[Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī 2311]
5. Recite Sūrah al-Ikhlāṣ, al-Falaq, and al-Nās
The Prophet ﷺ used these sūrahs for nightly protection.
ʿĀʾishah رضي الله عنها said:
The Prophet ﷺ would gather his hands, blow into them, recite these sūrahs, and wipe over his body.
[Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī 5017]
6. Blow Into the Hands and Wipe the Body
This was done before sleeping every night.
This act combines recitation with physical action, reinforcing protection.
[Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī 5017]
7. Do Tasbīḥ, Taḥmīd, and Takbīr
This replaces physical fatigue with spiritual strength.
The Prophet ﷺ said:
أَلاَ أَدُلُّكُمَا عَلَى خَيْرٍ مِمَّا سَأَلْتُمَا، إِذَا أَخَذْتُمَا مَضَاجِعَكُمَا ـ أَوْ أَوَيْتُمَا إِلَى فِرَاشِكُمَا ـ فَسَبِّحَا ثَلاَثًا وَثَلاَثِينَ، وَاحْمَدَا ثَلاَثًا وَثَلاَثِينَ، وَكَبِّرَا أَرْبَعًا وَثَلاَثِينَ، فَهْوَ خَيْرٌ لَكُمَا مِنْ خَادِمٍ
“Shall I direct you to something better than what you have requested? When you go to bed say 'Subhan Allah' thirty-three times, 'Al hamduli l-lah' thirty three times, and Allahu Akbar' thirty four times, for that is better for you than a servant.”
[Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī 5361 | Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim 2727]
8. Shake the Bed Before Lying Down
This is a Sunnah for physical safety.
The Prophet ﷺ said:
إِذَا أَوَى أَحَدُكُمْ إِلَى فِرَاشِهِ فَلْيَنْفُضْ فِرَاشَهُ بِدَاخِلَةِ إِزَارِهِ، فَإِنَّهُ لاَ يَدْرِي مَا خَلَفَهُ عَلَيْهِ، ثُمَّ يَقُولُ بِاسْمِكَ رَبِّ وَضَعْتُ جَنْبِي، وَبِكَ أَرْفَعُهُ، إِنْ أَمْسَكْتَ نَفْسِي فَارْحَمْهَا، وَإِنْ أَرْسَلْتَهَا فَاحْفَظْهَا بِمَا تَحْفَظُ بِهِ عِبَادَكَ الصَّالِحِينَ
“When anyone of you go to bed, he should shake out his bed with the inside of his waist sheet, for he does not know what has come on to it after him, and then he should say: 'Bismika Rabbi Wada`tu Janbi wa bika arfa'uhu, In amsakta nafsi farhamha wa in arsaltaha fahfazha bima tahfazu bihi ibadakas-salihin.”
[Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī 6320 | Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim 2714]
9. Make Intention to Wake for Worship
Intention itself is rewarded even if sleep overtakes you.
The Prophet ﷺ said that whoever intends to pray at night but sleeps is rewarded.
[Sunan al-Nasā’ī 1787 - Sahih]
10. Avoid Sleeping With Resentment or Unsettled Debt
Ending the day with forgiveness and clarity protects the heart.
The Prophet ﷺ said:
تُعْرَضُ الأَعْمَالُ فِي كُلِّ يَوْمِ خَمِيسٍ وَاثْنَيْنِ فَيَغْفِرُ اللَّهُ عَزَّ وَجَلَّ فِي ذَلِكَ الْيَوْمِ لِكُلِّ امْرِئٍ لاَ يُشْرِكُ بِاللَّهِ شَيْئًا إِلاَّ امْرَأً كَانَتْ بَيْنَهُ وَبَيْنَ أَخِيهِ شَحْنَاءُ فَيُقَالُ ارْكُوا هَذَيْنِ حَتَّى يَصْطَلِحَا ارْكُوا هَذَيْنِ حَتَّى يَصْطَلِحَا
“The deeds are presented on every Thursday and Monday and Allah, the Exalted and Glorious. grants pardon to every person who does not associate anything with Allah except the person in whose (heart) there is rancour against his brother. It would be said: Put both of them off until they are reconciled.”
[Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim 2565]
Sleeping upon the Sunnah is sleeping under protection.
Ending the day with remembrance prepares the soul for whatever Allah decrees before morning.
