I read Dr. Matthew Walker’s book, Why We Sleep, over two years ago and I’ve been making incremental changes to various aspects of my day and night to prioritize sleep.  The book is an eye opener when it comes to the impacts of poor quantity and quality of sleep.  Namely, drowsy driving is just as dangerous as drunk driving.  Besides being a danger to others on the road, not prioritizing sleep impacts your ability to learn (or consolidation of memories), your emotional regulation, your immune system and cognitive performance.  All of the things impact your relationships, your work and your wellbeing. So, I have tinkered with various practices and this is what has worked for me.

Here are my 5 steps to better sleep:

Stick to a Sleep Schedule.  Unless I am traveling internationally or cross country, I guard my sleep schedule.  I go to bed at the same time and typically get out of bed within a 30 minute window (sometime between 5 and 5:30 AM).  This drives my adult children nuts because I rarely participate in events occurring at night like New Years Eve or fireworks on the 4th of July.  I sometimes make exceptions like when visiting friends or at my daughter’s wedding but for the most part, I guard my sleep opportunity which is typically a 9-hour window. So even on the weekends and holidays, I’m up at 5 AM with my morning routine. 

Avoid Alcohol before bed.  I have been sober for over 6 years and one of the best benefits of not drinking is better quality sleep.  As Walker writes, “Having a “nightcap” or alcoholic beverage before sleep may help you relax, but heavy use robs you of deep sleep and REM sleep, keeping you in the lighter stages of sleep.” This improvement in the quality of my sleep has helped me retain information and, I believe, has improved my ability to be more adaptive.  So, if you aren’t sober, at least hold off on alcohol in the 2-3 hours before bed.

Get sunlight in the morning.  I have adapted some of Dr. Andrew Huberman’s morning routines in order to improve my sleep.  Huberman recommends getting at least 10 minutes of sun exposure within an hour or two of sunrise.  This was easy for me to adapt to as I was already walking in the morning.  Huberman says it can be a walk or sitting outside but he stipulates that it can’t be within a car or from behind window.  I look forward to getting outside regardless of the weather although when it was below 20 degrees (a rarity in North Carolina), I decided it was too dangerous for my dog, Baci, and I to go outside. I find getting outside first thing in the morning (I’m usually outside before the sun comes up but walk for 30 minutes until it rises) really jump starts my day.  Huberman posits that this sets your circadian rhythm and sure enough, by 8 PM I’m starting to get sleepy.  

Track your caffeine.  This was by far the hardest adjustment for me.  My first act upon walking into my kitchen in the morning was hitting my coffee pot brew button. Huberman recommends waiting 90 minutes (yes NINETY) after waking until you have any caffeine.  As he states, “Consuming caffeine too early in the day can lead to increased caffeine dependency, as your body relies more on the external stimulant rather than its natural cortisol rise. It also lets adenosine levels to rise slightly which supports wellbeing.  Walker recommends avoiding caffeine and/or nicotine in the afternoon to help get to sleep. And, sadly, by caffeine he also means chocolate, sodas and some teas.  For me, I started drinking a glass of water followed by an herbal tea in the morning and rarely even drink decaf coffee or eat chocolate after noon.  I find that if I find myself awake at 3 in the morning that I can trace it back to either “decaf” coffee or a piece of chocolate consumed later in the day.

Try on a Media Moat.  This is the latest iteration to my morning and evening routine.  I read recently that creating a one-hour Media Moat at the beginning and end of the day will help with sleep. So, I don’t look at any social media or email for the first hour of the day and the last hour of the day.  I use my phone in the morning to meditate and learn Spanish and Portuguese but I watch the clock until I’m able to open any email or social media apps.  I typically put my phone in the kitchen the last hour of the evening and leave it there overnight.  This is surprisingly hard for me. If I see a little red notification on my email account it can take all my willpower not to click on it. I have also started reading a book right before bed although I’m usually so tired that I only get a page or two down before going to sleep.  

I’m fortunate that I live alone, I work remotely part time and don’t have children or parents to care for.  My suggestion would be to add just one small change to your routine if you want to get better sleep.  As Matt Cutts says, “You can do anything for 30 days.”  What will you try first?