Etiquette & Sunnahs of Sleeping (Adab al-Nawm) in the Quran & Sunnah

1. Avoid sleeping before the Isha prayer.

2. Perform wudu (ablution) before going to sleep.

3. Sleep on your right side.

4. Recite this complete masnoon dua before sleeping:

اللَّهُمَّ أَسْلَمْتُ 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 have submitted myself to You, entrusted my affairs to You, and sought Your support, out of hope in You and fear of You. There is no refuge and no escape from You except in You. I believe in Your Book which You revealed and in Your Prophet whom You sent.

5. Dust off your bed before lying down on it.

6. Mention the name of Allah before sleeping:

بِاسْمِكَ أَمُوتُ وَأَحْيَا

In Your name, O Allah, I die and I live.

7. Sleep with your right hand placed under your cheek.

8. Recite Surah al-Ikhlas, Surah al-Falaq and Surah an-Nas before sleeping:

بِسْمِ ٱللَّهِ ٱلرَّحْمَٰنِ ٱلرَّحِيمِ ۝ قُلْ هُوَ ٱللَّهُ أَحَدٌ ۝ ٱللَّهُ ٱلصَّمَدُ ۝ لَمْ يَلِدْ وَلَمْ يُولَدْ ۝ وَلَمْ يَكُن لَّهُۥ كُفُوًا أَحَدٌۢ

Surah al-Ikhlas: Say, "He is Allah, the One. Allah, the Eternal Refuge. He neither begets nor is born, and there is none comparable to Him."

(Surah Al-Ikhlas 112:1-4)

قُلْ أَعُوذُ بِرَبِّ ٱلْفَلَقِ ۝ مِن شَرِّ مَا خَلَقَ ۝ وَمِن شَرِّ غَاسِقٍ إِذَا وَقَبَ ۝ وَمِن شَرِّ ٱلنَّفَّٰثَٰتِ فِى ٱلْعُقَدِ ۝ وَمِن شَرِّ حَاسِدٍ إِذَا حَسَدَ

Surah al-Falaq: Say, "I seek refuge in the Lord of daybreak, from the evil of what He has created, from the evil of the darkness when it settles, from the evil of those who blow on knots, and from the evil of the envier when he envies."

(Surah Al-Falaq 113:1-5)

قُلْ أَعُوذُ بِرَبِّ ٱلنَّاسِ ۝ مَلِكِ ٱلنَّاسِ ۝ إِلَٰهِ ٱلنَّاسِ ۝ مِن شَرِّ ٱلْوَسْوَاسِ ٱلْخَنَّاسِ ۝ ٱلَّذِى يُوَسْوِسُ فِى صُدُورِ ٱلنَّاسِ ۝ مِنَ ٱلْجِنَّةِ وَٱلنَّاسِ

Surah an-Nas: Say, "I seek refuge in the Lord of mankind, the King of mankind, the God of mankind, from the evil of the whispering withdrawer, who whispers in the hearts of mankind, from among jinn and mankind."

(Surah An-Nas 114:1-6)

9. Recite Ayat al-Kursi (Quran 2:255) before sleeping:

ٱللَّهُ لَآ إِلَٰهَ إِلَّا هُوَ ٱلْحَىُّ ٱلْقَيُّومُ ۚ لَا تَأْخُذُهُۥ سِنَةٌ وَلَا نَوْمٌ ۚ لَّهُۥ مَا فِى ٱلسَّمَٰوَٰتِ وَمَا فِى ٱلْأَرْضِ ۗ مَن ذَا ٱلَّذِى يَشْفَعُ عِندَهُۥٓ إِلَّا بِإِذْنِهِۦ ۚ يَعْلَمُ مَا بَيْنَ أَيْدِيهِمْ وَمَا خَلْفَهُمْ ۖ وَلَا يُحِيطُونَ بِشَىْءٍ مِّنْ عِلْمِهِۦٓ إِلَّا بِمَا شَآءَ ۚ وَسِعَ كُرْسِيُّهُ ٱلسَّمَٰوَٰتِ وَٱلْأَرْضَ ۖ وَلَا يَـُٔودُهُۥ حِفْظُهُمَا ۚ وَهُوَ ٱلْعَلِىُّ ٱلْعَظِيمُ

Allah: there is no god but Him, the Ever-Living, the Sustainer of all. Neither drowsiness nor sleep overtakes Him. To Him belongs whatever is in the heavens and on the earth. Who can intercede with Him except by His permission? He knows what is before them and what is behind them, and they encompass nothing of His knowledge except what He wills. His Throne extends over the heavens and the earth, and preserving them does not weary Him. He is the Most High, the Almighty.

10. Recite the last two verses of Surah al-Baqarah (Quran 2:285-286):

ءَامَنَ ٱلرَّسُولُ بِمَآ أُنزِلَ إِلَيْهِ مِن رَّبِّهِۦ وَٱلْمُؤْمِنُونَ ۚ كُلٌّ ءَامَنَ بِٱللَّهِ وَمَلَٰٓئِكَتِهِۦ وَكُتُبِهِۦ وَرُسُلِهِۦ لَا نُفَرِّقُ بَيْنَ أَحَدٍ مِّن رُّسُلِهِۦ ۚ وَقَالُوا۟ سَمِعْنَا وَأَطَعْنَا ۖ غُفْرَانَكَ رَبَّنَا وَإِلَيْكَ ٱلْمَصِيرُ ۝ لَا يُكَلِّفُ ٱللَّهُ نَفْسًا إِلَّا وُسْعَهَا ۚ لَهَا مَا كَسَبَتْ وَعَلَيْهَا مَا ٱكْتَسَبَتْ ۗ رَبَّنَا لَا تُؤَاخِذْنَآ إِن نَّسِينَآ أَوْ أَخْطَأْنَا ۚ رَبَّنَا وَلَا تَحْمِلْ عَلَيْنَآ إِصْرًا كَمَا حَمَلْتَهُۥ عَلَى ٱلَّذِينَ مِن قَبْلِنَا ۚ رَبَّنَا وَلَا تُحَمِّلْنَا مَا لَا طَاقَةَ لَنَا بِهِۦ ۖ وَٱعْفُ عَنَّا وَٱغْفِرْ لَنَا وَٱرْحَمْنَآ ۚ أَنتَ مَوْلَىٰنَا فَٱنصُرْنَا عَلَى ٱلْقَوْمِ ٱلْكَٰفِرِينَ

The Messenger believes in what was revealed to him from his Lord, and so do the believers. All believe in Allah, His angels, His books and His messengers: "We make no distinction between any of His messengers." They say, "We hear and we obey. Your forgiveness, our Lord, and to You is the final return." Allah does not burden a soul beyond its capacity. It will have what it has earned and will bear what it has earned. "Our Lord, do not hold us accountable if we forget or make a mistake. Our Lord, do not lay on us a burden like the one You laid on those before us. Our Lord, do not burden us with what we cannot bear. Pardon us, forgive us and have mercy on us. You are our Protector, so help us against the disbelieving people."

11. Recite the tasbihat (glorification) before sleeping:

سُبْحَانَ ٱللَّهِ — 33 مرة

SubhanAllah (Glory be to Allah): 33 times

ٱلْحَمْدُ لِلَّهِ — 33 مرة

Alhamdulillah (All praise is for Allah): 33 times

ٱللَّهُ أَكْبَرُ — 34 مرة

Allahu Akbar (Allah is the Greatest): 34 times

12. Cover your food and drink vessels and close the doors.

13. Pray Witr before sleeping, if you do not fear missing the last part of the night.