Aim for 7-9 hours of high-quality, efficient sleep nightly, as both insufficient (below 7 hours) and excessive (above 9 hours) sleep are associated with increased all-cause mortality risk and diminished well-being.
Expose your eyes to 30-40 minutes of natural daylight (even on cloudy days) early in the day to align your circadian rhythm and promote wakefulness; avoid sunglasses if safe to do so.
Stop consuming caffeine 8-10 hours before your typical bedtime to prevent disruption of deep sleep quality, even if you can subjectively fall asleep, due to caffeine’s long half-life.
Recognize that alcohol is a sedative, not a sleep aid; it induces sedation but fragments sleep, blocks REM sleep, and negatively impacts growth hormone and testosterone release, leading to poorer quality sleep.
Ensure your bedroom is cool, as a drop in core body temperature by about 1°C (2-3°F) is necessary to fall and stay asleep effectively.
Consistently follow a relaxing wind-down routine (e.g., light stretching, meditation, reading, warm bath/shower) for 10-15 minutes before bed to gradually prepare your body and mind for sleep.
Understand that REM sleep is critical for emotional regulation, mental health, cognitive function, and is the strongest predictor of longevity; ensure you get sufficient REM sleep, which predominates in the second half of the night.
Do not adopt polyphasic sleep schedules (short bouts of sleep throughout the day), as comprehensive reviews indicate they are detrimental to performance and overall health.
If you experience a bad night of sleep, maintain your regular wake-up time, avoid naps, don’t consume extra caffeine, and go to bed at your normal time to prevent further disruption of your sleep schedule and drive.
An hour or two before bed, write down all your worries and concerns in a ‘worry journal’ to offload mental stress, which studies show can decrease the time it takes to fall asleep by 50%.
Remove all visible clock faces, including your phone, from your bedroom to avoid anxiety and rumination about the time if you wake up during the night.
Incorporate Non-Sleep Deep Rest (NSDR) or Yoga Nidra, even for short 10-minute sessions, to greatly restore cognitive and physical energy.
Take short naps (17-26 minutes) to improve cardiovascular health, reduce cortisol, enhance learning, memory, emotional regulation, and boost daytime alertness and performance, but avoid napping if you struggle with nighttime sleep.
If napping, limit it to 20-25 minutes to avoid deep sleep inertia (grogginess) and avoid napping late in the afternoon (e.g., within 6-7 hours of bedtime) to preserve nighttime sleep drive.
Engage in consensual, age-appropriate sexual activity culminating in orgasm (or masturbation), as it can promote sleep onset and quality by increasing prolactin and oxytocin, and reducing fight-or-flight activation.
Prioritize sufficient and quality sleep to maintain healthy reproductive hormone levels, increase sexual interest, reduce relationship conflict, and enhance empathy with your partner.
Be aware that THC may speed up sleep onset but does not induce natural, healthy sleep architecture, blocks REM sleep, and regular use can lead to dependency and severe rebound insomnia upon cessation.
If considering CBD for sleep, be aware that low doses (5-10mg) may promote wakefulness, while higher doses (above 25mg) may induce sleepiness, and product purity and dosage accuracy are significant concerns.
If using melatonin, consider very low doses (0.1-0.3mg), as typical commercial doses are supra-physiological and far exceed natural production, and high doses may impact reproductive hormones.
Melatonin supplementation may be beneficial for older adults (60+) who experience reduced natural melatonin production and struggle with sleep, but consult a healthcare professional.
Magnesium supplementation is generally not supported by data for improving sleep in healthy individuals, but may be beneficial for older adults or those with a diagnosed magnesium deficiency and sleep problems.
Instead of counting sheep, which can make it harder to fall asleep, try visualizing a pleasant mental walk in nature or an urban environment to help induce sleep.
Consider tart cherry juice (or supplement) as a potential sleep aid, as preliminary studies suggest it may reduce nighttime awakenings, increase total sleep time, and decrease daytime napping.
Consider consuming kiwi fruit (including the skin) as a potential sleep aid, as preliminary studies suggest it may reduce sleep onset time, increase sleep duration, and decrease nighttime awakenings, possibly via the GABA system.
Exercise caution with tryptophan or serotonin supplementation, as artificially increasing serotonin levels at night may disrupt the natural regulation and architecture of REM sleep.
Consider taking Athletic Greens once or twice a day to cover basic nutritional needs, address potential deficiencies, and support microbiome health with its probiotics.
Consider supplementing with Vitamin D3 K2, as D3 is essential for brain and body health (many are deficient even with sun exposure), and K2 regulates cardiovascular function and calcium in the body.
Ensure proper hydration and electrolyte balance (sodium, magnesium, potassium) by drinking an electrolyte mix (like Element) first thing in the morning and during physical exercise, to support brain, body, and cellular function.