Sleep athkar: the complete bedtime routine
You've probably got morning athkar down, more or less, and maybe evening too. But there's a third window that's easy to lose entirely: the minutes right before you actually fall asleep. The lights are off, you're already lying down, and the last thing you did with your attention was scroll — not recite anything. This isn't a separate failure from the other two. It's a distinct routine, tied to a distinct set of hadith, and it's worth knowing on its own rather than assuming your evening athkar already covers it.
Every item below is drawn from Sahih al-Bukhari or the Qur'an directly, with the Arabic, how to say it, and exactly what it means.
When to say them
Right before sleep — after you've settled into bed, not standing at the sink or mid-scroll. Several of these were modeled by the Prophet ﷺ while already lying down, so there's no requirement to sit up, make wudu, or find a special posture first.
The complete routine
1. Ayat al-Kursi (Qur'an 2:255)
A separate hadith from the one behind the morning and evening recitation. Here, the Prophet ﷺ described a guardian from Allah staying with whoever recites it at bedtime through the whole night, with no devil coming near until morning.
اللَّهُ لَا إِلٰهَ إِلَّا هُوَ الْحَيُّ الْقَيُّومُ ۚ لَا تَأْخُذُهُ سِنَةٌ وَلَا نَوْمٌ ۚ لَهُ مَا فِي السَّمَاوَاتِ وَمَا فِي الْأَرْضِ ۗ مَنْ ذَا الَّذِي يَشْفَعُ عِنْدَهُ إِلَّا بِإِذْنِهِ ۚ يَعْلَمُ مَا بَيْنَ أَيْدِيهِمْ وَمَا خَلْفَهُمْ ۖ وَلَا يُحِيطُونَ بِشَيْءٍ مِّنْ عِلْمِهِ إِلَّا بِمَا شَاءَ ۚ وَسِعَ كُرْسِيُّهُ السَّمَاوَاتِ وَالْأَرْضَ ۖ وَلَا يَئُودُهُ حِفْظُهُمَا ۚ وَهُوَ الْعَلِيُّ الْعَظِيمُ
Allahu la ilaha illal-hayyul-qayyum, la ta'khudhuhu sinatun wa la nawm, lahu ma fis-samawati wa ma fil-ard, man dhal-ladhi yashfa'u 'indahu illa bi-idhnih, ya'lamu ma bayna aydihim wa ma khalfahum, wa la yuhituna bishay'im-min 'ilmihi illa bima sha', wasi'a kursiyyuhus-samawati wal-ard, wa la ya'uduhu hifzuhuma, wa huwal-'aliyyul-'azim.
Allah — there is no god but Him, the Ever-Living, the Sustainer of all existence. Neither drowsiness nor sleep overtakes Him. To Him belongs all that is in the heavens and the earth. Who can intercede with Him without His permission? He knows what is before and behind His creation, and they grasp nothing of His knowledge except what He wills. His throne extends over the heavens and the earth, and preserving them does not tire Him. He is the Most High, the Most Great.
Source: Qur'an 2:255; on its before-sleep virtue, Sahih al-Bukhari 5010, narrated by Abu Hurairah. (This is a different hadith from the one behind the morning/evening recitation — see our full breakdown of all three occasions.)
2. The last two verses of Surah Al-Baqarah (2:285–286)
The Prophet ﷺ said that whoever recites these two verses at night, they will be enough for him — a single recitation, no repetition needed.
آمَنَ الرَّسُولُ بِمَا أُنْزِلَ إِلَيْهِ مِنْ رَبِّهِ وَالْمُؤْمِنُونَ ۚ كُلٌّ آمَنَ بِاللَّهِ وَمَلَائِكَتِهِ وَكُتُبِهِ وَرُسُلِهِ لَا نُفَرِّقُ بَيْنَ أَحَدٍ مِنْ رُسُلِهِ ۖ وَقَالُوا سَمِعْنَا وَأَطَعْنَا ۖ غُفْرَانَكَ رَبَّنَا وَإِلَيْكَ الْمَصِيرُ
Amanar-rasulu bima unzila ilayhi mir-rabbihi wal-mu'minun, kullun amana billahi wa mala'ikatihi wa kutubihi wa rusulih, la nufarriqu bayna ahadim-mir-rusulih, wa qalu sami'na wa ata'na, ghufranaka rabbana wa ilaykal-masir.
The Messenger believes in what has been revealed to him from his Lord, and so do the believers — each one believes in Allah, His angels, His Books, and His messengers, making no distinction between any of His messengers. They say: we hear and we obey; grant us Your forgiveness, our Lord, for to You is the final return.
لَا يُكَلِّفُ اللَّهُ نَفْسًا إِلَّا وُسْعَهَا ۚ لَهَا مَا كَسَبَتْ وَعَلَيْهَا مَا اكْتَسَبَتْ ۗ رَبَّنَا لَا تُؤَاخِذْنَا إِنْ نَسِينَا أَوْ أَخْطَأْنَا ۚ رَبَّنَا وَلَا تَحْمِلْ عَلَيْنَا إِصْرًا كَمَا حَمَلْتَهُ عَلَى الَّذِينَ مِنْ قَبْلِنَا ۚ رَبَّنَا وَلَا تُحَمِّلْنَا مَا لَا طَاقَةَ لَنَا بِهِ ۖ وَاعْفُ عَنَّا وَاغْفِرْ لَنَا وَارْحَمْنَا أَنْتَ مَوْلَانَا فَانْصُرْنَا عَلَى الْقَوْمِ الْكَافِرِينَ
La yukallifullahu nafsan illa wus'aha, laha ma kasabat wa 'alayha mak-tasabat, rabbana la tu'akhidhna in nasina aw akhta'na, rabbana wa la tahmil 'alayna isran kama hamaltahu 'alal-ladhina min qablina, rabbana wa la tuhammilna ma la taqata lana bih, wa'fu 'anna waghfir lana warhamna, anta mawlana fansurna 'alal-qawmil-kafirin.
Allah does not burden a soul beyond what it can bear. Every soul reaps what it has earned and bears what it has brought upon itself. Our Lord, do not hold us to account if we forget or make a mistake. Our Lord, do not place on us a burden like the one You placed on those before us. Our Lord, do not burden us with more than we have the strength to bear. Pardon us, forgive us, and have mercy on us. You are our Protector, so grant us victory over the disbelieving people.
Source: Qur'an 2:285–286; on their virtue when recited at night, Sahih al-Bukhari 5009, narrated by Abu Mas'ud.
3. The Three Quls — blown into your hands
Aisha (RA) described the Prophet's ﷺ own nightly habit: every night before sleep, he would cup his hands together, recite these three surahs into them, then wipe his hands over whatever parts of his body he could reach, starting with his head and face. He did this three times.
قُلْ هُوَ اللَّهُ أَحَدٌ اللَّهُ الصَّمَدُ لَمْ يَلِدْ وَلَمْ يُولَدْ وَلَمْ يَكُنْ لَهُ كُفُوًا أَحَدٌ
Qul huwallahu ahad, Allahus-samad, lam yalid wa lam yulad, wa lam yakun lahu kufuwan ahad.
Say: He is Allah, the One. Allah, the Self-Sufficient Master. He begets not, nor was He begotten, and there is none comparable to Him.
قُلْ أَعُوذُ بِرَبِّ الْفَلَقِ مِنْ شَرِّ مَا خَلَقَ وَمِنْ شَرِّ غَاسِقٍ إِذَا وَقَبَ وَمِنْ شَرِّ النَّفَّاثَاتِ فِي الْعُقَدِ وَمِنْ شَرِّ حَاسِدٍ إِذَا حَسَدَ
Qul a'udhu bi-Rabbil-falaq, min sharri ma khalaq, wa min sharri ghasiqin idha waqab, wa min sharrin-naffathati fil-'uqad, wa min sharri hasidin idha hasad.
Say: I seek refuge in the Lord of daybreak, from the evil of what He created, from the evil of darkness when it settles, from the evil of those who blow on knots (practicing magic), and from the evil of an envier when he envies.
قُلْ أَعُوذُ بِرَبِّ النَّاسِ مَلِكِ النَّاسِ إِلٰهِ النَّاسِ مِنْ شَرِّ الْوَسْوَاسِ الْخَنَّاسِ الَّذِي يُوَسْوِسُ فِي صُدُورِ النَّاسِ مِنَ الْجِنَّةِ وَالنَّاسِ
Qul a'udhu bi-Rabbin-nas, Malikin-nas, Ilahin-nas, min sharril-waswasil-khannas, alladhi yuwaswisu fi sudurin-nas, minal-jinnati wan-nas.
Say: I seek refuge in the Lord of mankind, the Sovereign of mankind, the God of mankind, from the evil of the retreating whisperer who whispers in the breasts of mankind, from among the jinn and mankind.
Source: Sahih al-Bukhari 5017, narrated by Aisha.
4. Tasbih of Fatimah — 33, 33, 34
The Prophet ﷺ taught this directly to his daughter Fatimah when she came to him asking for household help. Instead, he offered her something he called better: a set phrase repeated before sleep every night.
سُبْحَانَ اللَّهِ الْحَمْدُ لِلَّهِ اللَّهُ أَكْبَرُ
Subhanallah (33 times), Alhamdulillah (33 times), Allahu akbar (34 times).
Glory be to Allah — 33 times. Praise be to Allah — 33 times. Allah is the Greatest — 34 times, completing one hundred.
Source: Sahih al-Bukhari 5362, narrated by Ali ibn Abi Talib.
5. Lying down: "In Your name, my Lord, I lie down"
Said after settling into bed. The Prophet ﷺ also instructed shaking out the bedding first, since you don't know what may have gotten into it since you last used it.
بِاسْمِكَ رَبِّي وَضَعْتُ جَنْبِي وَبِكَ أَرْفَعُهُ إِنْ أَمْسَكْتَ نَفْسِي فَارْحَمْهَا وَإِنْ أَرْسَلْتَهَا فَاحْفَظْهَا بِمَا تَحْفَظُ بِهِ عِبَادَكَ الصَّالِحِينَ
Bismika rabbi wada'tu janbi wa bika arfa'uh, in amsakta nafsi farhamha, wa in arsaltaha fahfazha bima tahfazu bihi 'ibadakas-salihin.
In Your name, my Lord, I lie down, and in Your name I rise. If You take my soul, have mercy on it, and if You release it, then protect it as You protect Your righteous servants.
Source: Sahih al-Bukhari 6320, narrated by Abu Hurairah.
6. An alternative wording: "In Your name I die and I live"
A separate, shorter phrase the Prophet ﷺ is also reported to have said on going to bed — either this or the fuller dua above is authentic and sufficient; there's no need to say both every night.
اللَّهُمَّ بِاسْمِكَ أَمُوتُ وَأَحْيَا
Allahumma bismika amutu wa ahya.
O Allah, in Your name I die and I live.
Source: Sahih al-Bukhari 6324, narrated by Hudhaifah.
A practical note
The real competition here usually isn't forgetfulness — it's the phone still in your hand. Pray auto-blocks the apps most likely to eat this window the moment your Isha or sleep-adjacent Adhkar time begins, calculated on your device, so the last thing you do before sleep has a real chance of being this instead of one more scroll.
Building it up
Start with Ayat al-Kursi and the lying-down dua — under a minute combined, and both modeled while already in bed. Add the Three Quls next, then the last two verses of Al-Baqarah, then the hundred-count tasbih once the rest feels automatic. A two-item routine you actually finish every night will do more for you than a six-item one you attempt once and abandon.