Before anyone in the house falls asleep, a handful of devices need attention, and the list of things to unplug before bed is shorter and more specific than most people think. The Consumer Product Safety Commission’s 2023 warning on portable heaters, including electric space heaters, points to an average of 1,700 fires, 70 deaths, and 160 injuries a year between 2017 and 2019, and its instruction has no exceptions: never leave a portable heater running while you sleep.
Fire agencies are just as blunt about lithium-ion charging. Philadelphia’s Fire Department put it in three words last year: “No overnight charging!” for lithium-ion devices, and in 2024 the CPSC told e-bike and scooter owners never to charge them while they’re asleep.
This guide walks through what to unplug at night: five specific bedtime actions, not a blanket order to unplug everything. Each one targets a device fire-safety agencies have flagged for overnight risk, and each explains when a cord or charger needs to come out of rotation entirely rather than just get unplugged for the night. Skip any step for equipment you don’t own; a household with an e-bike, power tools, and a few phones has more to check than one with just a space heater.
Before you start: use the right charger
One rule applies to every device covered below: use only the charger that came with it, or one the manufacturer has specifically approved. Don’t swap chargers between devices without confirming they’re compatible first…