Maintain a consistent sleep-wake timing daily, as stable timing is the most important behavioral experience for optimizing health and longevity, predicting higher psychological functioning and stronger physiological markers.
Wake up at the same time every day and immediately expose yourself to morning sunlight or natural light for at least 5-10 minutes, as this is critical for setting your circadian rhythm and promoting appropriate melatonin secretion.
Align daily behaviors like light exposure, meal timing, activity, and sleep-wake times with the natural light-dark cycle to achieve transformative effects on health, energy, and overall longevity.
Aim to keep your sleep-wake time variability to less than one hour, as exceeding this can lead to a degradation in heart rate variability and an increase in resting heart rate, even in healthy individuals.
Maintain consistent sleep-wake times across all seven days of the week, minimizing differences between weekdays and weekends to avoid ‘social jet lag,’ which can have profound negative effects on health and well-being.
Avoid viewing light, especially blue light, between 11 PM and 4 AM, as chronic exposure during this time negatively impacts your dopamine system, affecting motivation and reward the following day.
Avoid alcohol consumption, as even two or more drinks can take an average of five days for your physiology to return to baseline, and no amount of alcohol appears to be good for resting physiology and sleep quality.
Consolidate your eating window to daylight hours, aiming to consume the bulk of your calories when it is still light out, as your body is best primed to metabolize food during this period.
Finish your last meal at least two to three hours before your intended bedtime, as eating late compromises deeper stages of sleep and significantly decreases sleep efficiency.
Consume your last sip of caffeine by noon, or at the very latest 1 PM, as caffeine after this time can significantly impact sleep onset and delay your ability to fall asleep.
Aim to keep your sleep debt under 45 minutes, as individuals who consistently do so are less predisposed to illness and injury, indicating a more robust immune system and overall resilience.
Prioritize staying well-hydrated, especially in dry environments or during demanding work, as dehydration is a significant factor that negatively impacts sleep and recovery.
Eat a nutrient-dense breakfast early in the day, especially for women, as the morning timeframe is when your body is best optimized to accept and utilize nutrients.
Aim to spend a minimum of 67 minutes outdoors daily in natural light, as this is considered the minimum effective dose for supporting mental health, mood, and alertness.
Actively reframe daily stressors as challenges rather than threats, as perceiving stress as challenging leads to better sleep and recovery, while perceiving it as threatening negatively impacts sleep and recovery.
Build physiological ‘buffer’ in your system by optimizing nutrition, hydration, sleep-wake timing, light exposure, and social connections, to better tolerate and recover from high-stress periods in life.
Disconnect from your phone and spend time outdoors, looking at nature and connecting with other humans, as this free practice is fundamental for well-being and helps combat disconnection from the natural world.
Take time away from your phone to listen to your thoughts and reflect on who you want to be, identifying the behaviors and values you need to integrate into your life to practice being that person.
Practice expanding your peripheral vision, as this can immediately decrease your heart rate and increase heart rate variability, helping to reduce stress and improve physiological state.
If you need a nap to compensate for short sleep, aim to take it before 1 PM to avoid impacting your biological sleep at night and to maintain circadian rhythm.
Practice Yoga Nidra, a mind-body scan technique, as an effective alternative to napping or for relaxation, as it can mimic slow-wave sleep and help increase alertness.
To stay on a night shift pattern, consume your largest, nutrient-dense meal upon waking (e.g., 3-4 PM), minimize eating during the night shift, and have a healthy, low-glycemic breakfast at the end of your shift. Immediately after your shift, minimize light exposure (wear sunglasses/hats) and go to sleep as soon as possible for a consolidated 7+ hours, then wake up, exercise, eat, and be active before your next shift.
To transition from night to day shift, upon returning home (e.g., 7 AM), have a big breakfast, get significant natural light exposure, and avoid caffeine. Around 11 AM-12 PM, take a 90-minute to 3-hour nap to manage sleep pressure without compromising night sleep. After the nap, have a green tea or natural caffeine, do errands, have an early dinner, and then go to bed when naturally sleepy, aiming to wake up the next day at your desired day-shift wake time.
Consider creatine supplementation, particularly for individuals in demanding jobs or experiencing sleep deprivation, as recent research suggests it can be protective against the symptoms of sleep deprivation.