How I finally fixed my sleep

You can read or hear many people tell you how important sleep is, but the best way to be convinced is to actually try it yourself.

I can try to describe it.

Your brain activates better
You don’t feel like you’re battling your own body to get what you need
You are able to do the hard tasks that the day requires of you

Bryan Johnson says sleep is the NUMBER ONE most important thing for him in his longevity stack. Here’s why.

“The reason why it makes sense to build your life around sleep is because it’s the master modulator of willpower, motivation, emotional regulation and mood stability. Without the power of sleep, setbacks, haters, and the addiction economy will have their way with you.” — Bryan Johnson

Improving your sleep can have network effects of improvement in every part of your life.

Hopefully I don’t need to convince you much more.

Here’s a practical guide to get better sleep today.

The hard part about sleep is that you need to prepare for it earlier in the day.

Especially if you consume caffeine, you need to take your caffeine early in the morning and strong so that you can try to avoid the mid-day crash but also wind down around 8pm.

8pm is my guideline these days, in order to sleep at 10pm. But you can switch it around, sleep later, wake up later, or vice versa. Depending on what is comfortable to you.

The only thing is, you should figure it out early so that you can turn it into routine and get it out of your conscious brain and into a routine that you follow without interruption or effort.

You also have to plan your meals such that you’re not full by the time you have to sleep.

For my goal of sleeping at 10pm, I usually have to eat around 6pm and drink a lot of water. Maybe a snack if I get hungry.

By the time it’s 10pm, my body is almost done digesting and I can calmly hit the bed and drift off to sleep, not too much effort.

On the other hand, if I were full I would have too much energy.

With my blood sugar high, my body would try to find a way to expend that energy.

By the time it’s 10pm, that energy usually goes to fast dopamine (because you don’t have the mental energy to now go do a hard task).

Fast dopamine looks like scrolling on my phone, eating junk food… You get the idea.

The problem with fast dopamine before you sleep is that when you wake up in the morning, you’ve spent all of it, so now you can’t wake up and do the hard tasks.

On the other hand, you could have a boring night (better word is calm) with a wind-down routine like warm tea.

Definitely no music or bright screens.

The issue with bright screens is not only the blue-light effect that convinces your body that it’s still daytime, but also that bright screens usually indicate some sort of fast dopamine-related tasks.

It’s just better to, at least for me, move these tasks to the morning when I can think clearer and on a fresh and rested mind.

For some people working at night works better. Once again, this is something you have to play around with.

A shower right after you get home or right after you’re done with the brunt of the tasks for the day helps immensely, especially around 6pm for me, before or after dinner.

It helps me transition into the phase of wind down, slow work, possibly creative work that doesn’t require much analytical thought, and that will set me up for a perfect night of sleep.

It’s like washing the physical and mental dirt off from the day.

Take a shower in the morning too if you want. But a nice, warm shower where you take care of yourself after you’re done with the day is indispensable for me.

Keep your bed area clean and cool.

Set the temperature a little further down than you’d think. Set up an automation to warm up a few hours before you want to wake up.

If you can automate the blinds opening that’s best.

Try to get sunlight quickly in your eyes as soon as you wake up.

Here’s another tip: Have something to look forward to when you wake up.

It could be a task you’re really excited to do, or it could be something as simple as making a cup of coffee.

I have a great coffee routine. I grind my own beans and I watch it steam up into my moka pot.

I love the smell of coffee and sometimes I wake up just so I can make that cup for myself.

A task can be really important too. For instance, you’d wake up pretty quick if you have to be at the airport in two hours.

You need a sense of urgency to get you out of your sleep-full state and spike your cortisol. In a sense, stress you out.

It doesn’t have to be a very serious stressor, it just has to be important enough that you tell yourself, “I have to get this done in the morning.“

If you wake up in the middle of the night—you had to go to the bathroom for instance—and can’t go back to sleep, that’s perfect. Wake up, do some work.

I’ve read that ancient humans used to sleep for a few hours, wake up, tend to the fire, and then go back to sleep.

The prescription you’d get from a lot of others is that you need 8 hours. Not necessarily. That’s just a guideline.

You need what your body tells you you need. Listen to your body.

There’s no reason to get anxious over the fact that you haven’t gotten 8 hours.

In fact, the time that you wake up is the best for creative work, because you’re in a hypnagogic state: in between sleep and wakefulness.

Some of the best ideas and thoughts occur during this time, don’t waste it by going on your phone and consuming.

It is the best time to create something cool.

Try this tonight.

PS:

Bonus tip: You must wake up at the exact same time every day, including weekends.

Wayyy easier said than done.

Here’s how to tackle that too.

Try building social events around the day such as hikes, walks or morning cofeee rather than dinner and drinks.
Even if you do meet late, don’t eat late. Especially not junk. Separate the group’s diet from yours i.e. arrive at the event full.
If you sleep 10pm/6am you can safely do 11pm/7am on the weekend without issues.
Even if you sleep late wake up at the same time. That’s the price you pay. You get to drink some coffee.

Just try it for a week or two the benefits definitely outweigh the costs. But it’s also about what stage of life you’re in.

TLDR;

Sleep is the foundation of willpower: It regulates your emotions, motivation, and ability to tackle hard tasks.
Preparation starts early: Consume caffeine early and finish eating several hours before bed (e.g., 6 PM for a 10 PM bedtime) so digestion does not fuel late night scrolling.
Create a calm wind down routine: Avoid bright screens and fast dopamine. Take a warm shower to mentally transition into rest.
Optimize your environment: Keep your bedroom cool and clean. Automate your thermostat to warm up before you wake.
Build a morning ritual: Give yourself a reason to get out of bed, like a coffee routine, and get immediate sunlight in your eyes.
Listen to your body: Do not stress over hitting exactly eight hours. If you wake up in the middle of the night, use that transitional state for creative work rather than consuming content.

Hope that helps!

@armaanagrawal_