Sleep. The Basics.

Sleep is not passive recovery. It is when the body repairs, consolidates memory, regulates hormones and resets the nervous system. Most people treat it as an afterthought. It is not.

Light
  • Get morning sunlight into your eyes within an hour of waking — this sets your internal clock and triggers the serotonin pathway that determines when you feel sleepy at night.
  • Dim the lights two hours before bed — darkness triggers melatonin production, the hormone that prepares your body for sleep.
  • Avoid screens in the evening — phones, tablets and computers emit blue light that suppresses sleep hormones. Use night mode at minimum.
  • Keep the bedroom completely dark — blackout curtains or a sleep mask if needed.
Temperature
  • Your core body temperature needs to drop to initiate and maintain sleep.
  • Keep the bedroom cool — around 18–20°C is the research-backed range.
  • A warm shower before bed accelerates the process — it draws blood to the skin surface, releasing heat and dropping core temperature faster.
Timing
  • Go to bed and wake at the same time every day — including weekends. Consistency is more important than hours.
  • Deep slow-wave sleep concentrates in the first half of the night — going to bed late compresses the most restorative part of your sleep.
What to Avoid
  • Alcohol — it helps you fall asleep but disrupts the second half of the night. Sleep quality drops significantly even with one or two drinks.
  • Caffeine — it has a half-life of five to six hours. A coffee at 3pm means half the caffeine is still active at 9pm.
  • Eating too close to bed — digestion raises core body temperature, working against the drop needed for sleep onset.
  • Intense exercise within three hours of bed — raises cortisol and body temperature.

PS. Fix the light. Everything else follows.