Some nights you remember to dim the lights, turn down the thermostat, and start your wind-down playlist. Most nights you don't, and you end up falling asleep with the lights on and the room too warm.
IFTTT can handle all of it at the same time every night, lights, temperature, and music, all switching over the moment your usual bedtime rolls around. If you don't already have an account, you can sign up for IFTTT free in about a minute.
How the routine works
Each Applet below runs off the same simple idea: pick one moment, and let a device react to it automatically, every night, without you touching a switch. Your lights and thermostat aren't coordinating with each other, they're each just watching the clock for the same number.
That's the whole trick. Pick one bedtime, point every Applet below at it, and the room reorganizes itself around that number on its own. Push your bedtime back an hour next month, and you're updating a handful of settings, not rebuilding a system, each Applet just needs the same new time.
Step 1: Set your lights to a warm scene at bedtime
Every day at the time you choose, this Applet sets your bedroom's Philips Hue lights to a warm, pre-set scene, so the room shifts into wind-down mode without you touching a switch.
Step 2: Set a cooler thermostat hold for sleep
At the same time each night, this Applet tells your ecobee to hold at a cooler temperature for however many hours you set, so your bedroom's already at sleep temperature by the time you get under the covers.
Step 3: Start your wind-down playlist automatically
Every day at the time you choose, this Applet tells Spotify to resume playback on whatever device is currently active, so your wind-down playlist starts without you reaching for your phone.
One real-world catch worth knowing: Spotify users have reported this action failing with 'you must have an active device' if nothing's actively open on your account at that exact moment. Opening the Spotify app once before bed tends to fix it.
Step 4: Get a nightly reminder to put your phone down
Every day at the time you choose, this Applet sends a rich push notification reminding you it's time to wind down, useful if the actual problem most nights is scrolling in bed, not the lights or temperature.
Extra automations to layer in
The four Applets above cover the core routine. These three are optional, useful for a manual override, a stricter lights-out option, or a heads-up when your thermostat schedule gets disrupted.
Turn all your lights off on weeknights
If a warm scene isn't dim enough, this Applet turns your Hue lights off entirely on weekdays at the time you set, useful if your weekend bedtime tends to run later than your weeknight one.
Skip the schedule with a bedside button
Some nights don't follow the schedule. Press the Button widget and your ecobee goes straight into an indefinite sleep-temperature hold, no waiting on the nightly trigger.
Get notified if your thermostat schedule gets overridden
If your ecobee's schedule gets overridden before bedtime, whether by someone in the house or a scheduling conflict, this Applet sends a push notification so you know your room might not be at the temperature you expect.
Try these other smart home services too
The same bedtime-routine pattern works with plenty of other smart home gear too. A few worth knowing about if you use something else:
LIFX lights work the same way Hue does here, swap the action and the same warm-scene or lights-off pattern applies.
Govee covers the same ground too, with its own color and brightness actions if that's the lighting you've already got set up.
Google Nest Thermostat is a direct alternative to ecobee if that's what's on your wall instead.
WeMo Smart Plug is worth adding if your sound machine or fan isn't smart on its own, plug it in and the same Date & Time trigger can turn it on at bedtime.
Lutron Caséta covers smart blinds and shades, useful if blocking out light is part of your routine too.
August smart locks can lock your door at the same bedtime, one less thing to check before you turn in.
Set it once, let it run every night
None of these Applets need each other to work. If you only automate one thing tonight, pick whichever part of the routine you forget most often.
The four steps at the top cover the core routine. The three extras are there for the nights that don't go as planned, a manual override, a stricter lights-out option, or a heads-up when your schedule gets disrupted.
FAQs
Does turning off my lights also change my thermostat, since they're both part of the same routine?
No. Each Applet reacts independently to its own trigger, a time of day or a button press. None of these devices are actually talking to each other behind the scenes, they just happen to be set to go off around the same time.
Do I need a Hue Bridge for the warm scene Applet?
Yes, you'll need a Hue Bridge and at least one compatible bulb. Scenes themselves are set up in the Hue app, IFTTT just tells Hue which saved scene to switch to.
Why didn't my Spotify playlist start automatically?
This is a known Spotify-side quirk, the Start Playback action needs an already-active device to resume on. If nothing's open on your account at the trigger time, it can silently fail. Opening the Spotify app on your phone or speaker once before bed usually keeps it working.
Can I use a different thermostat than ecobee?
Yes. Swap the ecobee action for whatever your thermostat's IFTTT service supports, most major smart thermostats have an equivalent hold or schedule action.
Will the lights-off and warm-scene Applets conflict with each other?
They could, if you set them for the same time. They're built to be alternatives, not a pair, pick whichever one matches how dark you actually want the room.
