The Complete Sleeping Sunnah Routine (Step-by-Step Guide)
This is the beautiful Sunnah routine the Prophet ﷺ taught us. Practice it daily to end your day with mercy, barakah, and protection.
1. Begin With Wudhu
The Prophet ﷺ said:
“Whenever you go to bed, perform wudhu as you do for prayer.”
— Sahih Muslim (2710)
The Prophet ﷺ said:
“Purify yourselves, for no servant goes to sleep in a state of purity except that an angel spends the night with him.
When he turns over during the night, the angel says:
‘O Allah, forgive Your servant, for he went to sleep in a state of purity.’”
— Reported by al-Tabarānī in al-Mu‘jam al-Kabīr.
Authenticated by al-Albānī in Sahih al-Jāmiʿ (no. 3831).
2. Recite Surah Al-Mulk.
The Prophet ﷺ said:
“Surah Mulk is a protector and saves from the punishment of the grave.”
— Sunan al-Tirmidhi (2891)
Make it a nightly habit.
3. Clean Your Bedding Before lying down
Abu Hurairah (ra) reported that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said:
“When one of you goes to bed, let him clean (shake off) his bed with the inside of his garment, for he does not know what came onto it after he left it.— Sahih al-Bukhari (6320)
Use the inside edge of your garment, sleeve, or hand to gently sweep the bed.
This clears dust, insects, or anything harmful.
4. Sleep on Your Right Side
“He ﷺ used to sleep on his right side, placing his hand under his cheek.”
— Sunan Abu Dawood (5045)
5.Recite the Last Two Verses of Surah Al-Baqarah
“Whoever recites the last two verses of Surah al-Baqarah at night, they will suffice him.”
— Sahih al-Bukhari (5009), Sahih Muslim (807)
6. Recite Ayat al-Kursi
The Prophet ﷺ said:
“Whoever recites Ayat al-Kursi before sleeping will be protected by Allah, and no shaytan will come near him until morning.”
— Sahih al-Bukhari (2311)
7. Recite the Three Quls
Recite:
-
Surah Al-Ikhlāṣ
-
Surah Al-Falaq
-
Surah An-Nās
-
Blow lightly into your hands
-
Wipe over your entire body
-
Repeat three times
Aisha (RA) narrates:
“He ﷺ would blow into his hands, recite the 3 Quls, then wipe over his body—three times.”
— Sahih al-Bukhari (5017)
8. Dhikr of Fatimah (RA)
Before sleeping, say:
-
33 × SubhanAllah
-
33 × Alhamdulillah
-
34 × Allahu Akbar
The Prophet ﷺ told Fatimah (RA):
“This is better for you than a servant.”
— Sahih al-Bukhari (5362), Sahih Muslim (2728)
9. Recite the Sunnah Sleeping Duʿā
اللَّهُمَّ بِاسْمِكَ أَمُوتُ وَأَحْيَا
-
“O Allah, in Your name I die and I live.”
Hudhayfah ibn al-Yamān (may Allah be pleased with him) reported: Whenever the Prophet ﷺ went to bed, he would say: “O Allah, in Your name I die and I live.” And when he woke up, he would say: “Praise be to Allah who gave us life after He caused us to die, and to Him is the resurrection.” -Bukhari-6314
اللَّهُمَّ إِنِّي أَسْلَمْتُ نَفْسِي إِلَيْكَ، وَوَجَّهْتُ وَجْهِي إِلَيْكَ، وَفَوَّضْتُ أَمْرِي إِلَيْكَ، وَأَلْجَأْتُ ظَهْرِي إِلَيْكَ، رَغْبَةً وَرَهْبَةً إِلَيْكَ، لَا مَلْجَأَ وَلَا مَنْجَا مِنْكَ إِلَّا إِلَيْكَ، آمَنْتُ بِكِتَابِكَ الَّذِي أَنْزَلْتَ، وَبِنَبِيِّكَ الَّذِي أَرْسَلْتَ
“O Allah, I submit myself to You, I turn my face to You, I entrust my affairs to You, I rely completely upon You, out of hope and fear of You. There is no refuge or escape from You except to You. I believe in Your Book which You revealed and in Your Prophet whom You sent.”
- Al-Barā’ ibn ʿĀzib (may Allah be pleased with him) reported: The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said to me: “When you go to your bed, perform ablution as you do for prayer, then lie down on your right side and say: ‘O Allah, I submit myself to You, I turn my face to You, I entrust my affairs to You, and I rely completely upon You in hope and fear of You. There is no refuge or escape from You except to You. I believe in Your Book which You revealed and in Your Prophet whom You sent.’ If you die that night, you will die on the natural monotheistic faith. Make these your last words before sleeping.” - Bukhari-247
اللَّهُمَّ قِنِي عَذَابَكَ يَوْمَ تَبْعَثُ عِبَادَكَ
“O Allah, protect me from Your punishment on the Day You resurrect Your servants.”
Abū Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) reported that the Prophet ﷺ used to instruct them before sleeping to lie on their right side and say: “O Allah, Lord of the heavens and the earth, Lord of everything, Splitter of the grain and the date-stone, Revealer of the Torah, Injīl and Qur’an… O Allah, protect me from Your punishment on the Day You resurrect Your servants.”- Bukhari-7423
بِاسْمِكَ رَبِّ وَضَعْتُ جَنْبِي، وَبِكَ أَرْفَعُهُ، فَإِنْ أَمْسَكْتَ نَفْسِي فَارْحَمْهَا، وَإِنْ أَرْسَلْتَهَا فَاحْفَظْهَا بِمَا تَحْفَظُ بِهِ عِبَادَكَ الصَّالِحِينَ
“In Your name, my Lord, I lay down my side, and in Your name I rise. If You take my soul, have mercy upon it; and if You return it, protect it as You protect Your righteous servants.”
Al-Barā’ ibn ʿĀzib (may Allah be pleased with him) reported: The Prophet ﷺ said to him this duʿā to recite before sleeping, teaching him the words exactly.Bukhari 6312
12. Avoid Sleeping on the Stomach
The Prophet ﷺ forbade sleeping on the belly and called it:
“The lying posture of Jahannam.”
Sleep in a way that brings blessings, not discomfort.
Intention Before Sleeping
He ﷺ said:
“Whoever goes to his bed intending to wake up and pray at night… and then sleep overtakes him, he will still get the reward.”
— Ibn Majah -1344.
13. End Your Night With a Pure Heart
Before drifting to sleep:
-
Say the Shahadah (This prepares your soul in case it’s your last night on earth )
-
Ask Allah for forgiveness
-
Forgive those who wronged you
-
Tell yourself: “I forgive everyone. Ya Allah, forgive me too.”
-
Sleep with a clean heart
-
Spend your last moments before sleep in remembrance of Allah — reading tasbīḥ, talking to Allah, sharing your duʿās, wishes, and whatever is in your heart — until sleep overtakes you.
The Prophet ﷺ said:
«لَا يَزَالُ لِسَانُكَ رَطْبًا مِنْ ذِكْرِ اللّٰهِ»
“Let your tongue remain moist with the remembrance of Allah.”
Tirmidhi3375
And it is authentically reported that the Prophet ﷺ would make duʿā and recite adhkār at night until sleep overtook him. Muslim (Hadith 2701).
.png)
.png)
