diff --git a/dot/network/discovery.go b/dot/network/discovery.go
index 35f42ad712..6c3c6b1a54 100644
--- a/dot/network/discovery.go
+++ b/dot/network/discovery.go
@@ -75,13 +75,15 @@ func (d *discovery) start() error {
 		// get all currently connected peers and use them to bootstrap the DHT
 		peers := d.h.Network().Peers()
 
+		t := time.NewTicker(startDHTTimeout)
+		defer t.Stop()
 		for {
 			if len(peers) > 0 {
 				break
 			}
 
 			select {
-			case <-time.After(startDHTTimeout):
+			case <-t.C:
 				logger.Debug("no peers yet, waiting to start DHT...")
 				// wait for peers to connect before starting DHT, otherwise DHT bootstrap nodes
 				// will be empty and we will fail to fill the routing table
@@ -169,11 +171,13 @@ func (d *discovery) advertise() {
 }
 
 func (d *discovery) checkPeerCount() {
+	t := time.NewTicker(connectToPeersTimeout)
+	defer t.Stop()
 	for {
 		select {
 		case <-d.ctx.Done():
 			return
-		case <-time.After(connectToPeersTimeout):
+		case <-t.C:
 			if len(d.h.Network().Peers()) > d.minPeers {
 				continue
 			}
diff --git a/dot/network/sync.go b/dot/network/sync.go
index 855e4d6a25..36de6e405d 100644
--- a/dot/network/sync.go
+++ b/dot/network/sync.go
@@ -88,7 +88,9 @@ const (
 	badPeerThreshold       int    = -2
 	protectedPeerThreshold int    = 7
 
-	defaultSlotDuration = time.Second * 6
+	defaultSlotDuration                = time.Second * 6
+	defaultHandleResponseQueueDuration = time.Second
+	defaultPrunePeersDuration          = time.Second * 30
 )
 
 var (
@@ -132,26 +134,30 @@ type syncQueue struct {
 	goal               int64 // goal block number we are trying to sync to
 	currStart, currEnd int64 // the start and end of the BlockResponse we are currently handling; 0 and 0 if we are not currently handling any
 
-	benchmarker *syncBenchmarker
+	benchmarker                 *syncBenchmarker
+	handleResponseQueueDuration time.Duration
+	prunePeersDuration          time.Duration
 }
 
 func newSyncQueue(s *Service) *syncQueue {
 	ctx, cancel := context.WithCancel(s.ctx)
 
 	return &syncQueue{
-		s:                        s,
-		slotDuration:             defaultSlotDuration,
-		ctx:                      ctx,
-		cancel:                   cancel,
-		peerScore:                new(sync.Map),
-		requestData:              new(sync.Map),
-		requestDataByHash:        new(sync.Map),
-		justificationRequestData: new(sync.Map),
-		requestCh:                make(chan *syncRequest, blockRequestBufferSize),
-		responses:                []*types.BlockData{},
-		responseCh:               make(chan []*types.BlockData, blockResponseBufferSize),
-		benchmarker:              newSyncBenchmarker(),
-		buf:                      make([]byte, maxBlockResponseSize),
+		s:                           s,
+		slotDuration:                defaultSlotDuration,
+		ctx:                         ctx,
+		cancel:                      cancel,
+		peerScore:                   new(sync.Map),
+		requestData:                 new(sync.Map),
+		requestDataByHash:           new(sync.Map),
+		justificationRequestData:    new(sync.Map),
+		requestCh:                   make(chan *syncRequest, blockRequestBufferSize),
+		responses:                   []*types.BlockData{},
+		responseCh:                  make(chan []*types.BlockData, blockResponseBufferSize),
+		benchmarker:                 newSyncBenchmarker(),
+		buf:                         make([]byte, maxBlockResponseSize),
+		handleResponseQueueDuration: defaultHandleResponseQueueDuration,
+		prunePeersDuration:          defaultPrunePeersDuration,
 	}
 }
 
@@ -176,10 +182,12 @@ func (q *syncQueue) syncAtHead() {
 	q.s.syncer.SetSyncing(true)
 	q.s.noGossip = true // don't gossip messages until we're at the head
 
+	t := time.NewTicker(q.slotDuration * 2)
+	defer t.Stop()
 	for {
 		select {
 		// sleep for average block time TODO: make this configurable from slot duration
-		case <-time.After(q.slotDuration * 2):
+		case <-t.C:
 		case <-q.ctx.Done():
 			return
 		}
@@ -214,9 +222,11 @@ func (q *syncQueue) syncAtHead() {
 }
 
 func (q *syncQueue) handleResponseQueue() {
+	t := time.NewTicker(q.handleResponseQueueDuration)
+	defer t.Stop()
 	for {
 		select {
-		case <-time.After(time.Second):
+		case <-t.C:
 		case <-q.ctx.Done():
 			return
 		}
@@ -260,9 +270,11 @@ func (q *syncQueue) handleResponseQueue() {
 
 // prune peers with low score and connect to new peers
 func (q *syncQueue) prunePeers() {
+	t := time.NewTicker(q.prunePeersDuration)
+	defer t.Stop()
 	for {
 		select {
-		case <-time.After(time.Second * 30):
+		case <-t.C:
 		case <-q.ctx.Done():
 			return
 		}
diff --git a/dot/telemetry/telemetry.go b/dot/telemetry/telemetry.go
index cd11d65207..22ba7286ef 100644
--- a/dot/telemetry/telemetry.go
+++ b/dot/telemetry/telemetry.go
@@ -40,9 +40,10 @@ type Message struct {
 
 // Handler struct for holding telemetry related things
 type Handler struct {
-	msg         chan Message
-	connections []*telemetryConnection
-	log         log.Logger
+	msg                chan Message
+	connections        []*telemetryConnection
+	log                log.Logger
+	sendMessageTimeout time.Duration
 }
 
 // KeyValue object to hold key value pairs used in telemetry messages
@@ -56,14 +57,17 @@ var (
 	handlerInstance *Handler
 )
 
+const defaultMessageTimeout = time.Second
+
 // GetInstance singleton pattern to for accessing TelemetryHandler
 func GetInstance() *Handler { //nolint
 	if handlerInstance == nil {
 		once.Do(
 			func() {
 				handlerInstance = &Handler{
-					msg: make(chan Message, 256),
-					log: log.New("pkg", "telemetry"),
+					msg:                make(chan Message, 256),
+					log:                log.New("pkg", "telemetry"),
+					sendMessageTimeout: defaultMessageTimeout,
 				}
 				go handlerInstance.startListening()
 			})
@@ -109,10 +113,12 @@ func (h *Handler) AddConnections(conns []*genesis.TelemetryEndpoint) {
 
 // SendMessage sends Message to connected telemetry listeners
 func (h *Handler) SendMessage(msg *Message) error {
+	t := time.NewTicker(h.sendMessageTimeout)
+	defer t.Stop()
 	select {
 	case h.msg <- *msg:
 
-	case <-time.After(time.Second * 1):
+	case <-t.C:
 		return errors.New("timeout sending message")
 	}
 	return nil
diff --git a/lib/grandpa/network.go b/lib/grandpa/network.go
index a5c6c90556..e9f8d441e4 100644
--- a/lib/grandpa/network.go
+++ b/lib/grandpa/network.go
@@ -177,11 +177,13 @@ func (s *Service) handleNetworkMessage(from peer.ID, msg NotificationsMessage) (
 }
 
 func (s *Service) sendNeighbourMessage() {
+	t := time.NewTicker(neighbourMessageInterval)
+	defer t.Stop()
 	for {
 		select {
 		case <-s.ctx.Done():
 			return
-		case <-time.After(neighbourMessageInterval):
+		case <-t.C:
 			if s.neighbourMessage == nil {
 				continue
 			}