YouGov and Amazon Alexa have released insights from a survey to understand sleep routine habits of Indian households across 10 cities*.
Every year, World Sleep Day is observed on March 14 every year and people`s sleeping habits have changed a lot over the years.
The survey indicates that 53 per cent of respondents experience sleep-related issues when not following a consistent bedtime routine. The study further infers that adults actively follow bedtime routines—with 54 per cent of respondents having seen a noticeable improvement in sleep when following a regular sleep routine.
52 per cent of surveyed respondents follow a consistent bedtime and pre-sleep habits
86 per cent of the surveyed start their bedtime routine 8 pm onwards every day, within this 53 per cent choose to start their routine after 10:30pm. Top activities that are a part of bedtime routines amongst all respondents include watching video content (63 per cent), connecting with family and friends (59 per cent), listening to podcasts, music, or audiobooks (58 per cent), and scrolling through social media apps (57 per cent). Households with only couples rank highest in following these activities as part of their bedtime routine, amongst all other household types*.
One in two respondents use voice assistants to set-up their sleep routines—with more people between 35-45 years using voice assistants compared to those aged between 25-34 years.
“Sleep routines are gaining popularity, and what`s noteworthy is that smart technologies, especially voice assistants like Alexa, are increasingly becoming a valuable aid in helping people follow their bedtime routines. Personalised voice AI experiences are emerging as practical alternatives to handheld screen devices before bedtime. Whether it`s playing meditation sessions or relaxing sounds, listening to audiobooks or music, setting reminders and alarms, or controlling smart devices to adjust the room’s sleep environment, people are finding innovative ways to use Alexa as part of their bedtime routines. Alexa users can easily set up their bedtime routine through the Alexa app, customizing it to their specific needs and preferences,” says Teena Sidana, Country Manager, Alexa India.
Households with couples and kids use voice assistants to set up sleep routines more than household types
Households with couples and kids rank higher in taking help of voice assistants to follow routines, followed by other household types*. Across all respondents, 45 per cent take help of voice assistants in smart devices for listening to music, podcasts, meditation playlists, ambient sounds, movies, and audiobooks. About 23 per cent use voice assistants to set up reminders and alarms, and 22% use it for controlling smart home appliances such as smart lights in the bedroom or baby room, automated curtains, smart ACs, etc.
Listening to meditation playlists and journaling before bedtime see increased interest among adults
While unwinding with the help of guided meditation and journaling currently ranks lower in activities that respondents engaged in before bedtime (27 per cent), the survey reveals that more than 50 per cent of the respondents have expressed interest in including wellness activities in the future as part of their bedtime routine. These include activities like meditation, journaling, light exercises like walks, and following a skincare routine. Couples with and without kids have shown higher interest (32 per cent) in adding meditation and journaling as part of their routine.
Interestingly, about 21 per cent currently prefer eating and snacking before bedtime. This habit is seeing increased interest amongst respondents, with 34 per cent wanting to have a relaxing beverage or snack before bedtime.
Other activities respondents would like to include in their routine are avoiding phones by playing brain games, solving puzzles and reading, and unwinding with music, podcasts, and daily news updates. 11 per cent of the respondents indicated that they would prefer ‘doing nothing’ over following a sleep routine.
*Methodology: Commissioned by Amazon Alexa and conducted by YouGov India, this survey was carried out online in February 2025 with over 1000 respondents across 10 cities. These cities included Mumbai, Delhi, Chennai, Kolkata, Bengaluru, Hyderabad, Pune, Lucknow, Jaipur, and Ahmedabad. Parameters of the study included age groups, smartphone and smart devices usage, voice assistant usage on the smartphone, and respondent household type, being households with couples, households with couples and kids, households with parents, households with grandparents, and single individuals.
