Here’s what I learned on sleeping well.

There are so many benefits of sleep. After reading the book “Why We Sleep”, I consider sleep to be a religiously important ritual of my life.

Sleep is one of the most important activities we do in life. Sleep is when the body recovers from a hard day’s work. This is where your brain finishes connecting dots on new information you had learned earlier in the day. Sleep is when your prefrontal cortex resets and prepares for another day full of challenges. Therefore, sleep is the foundation for your next day. If you want tomorrow to be better, sleep well tonight.

But the problem is, most people don’t know what the secret sauce for good sleep is.

How long should I sleep?

More than 7 hours. There’s a huge difference between sleeping less than 7 hours and more than 7 hours. While 7–8 hours is said to be ideal, sleeping less would bring disastrous outcomes to your life. The funny thing is, it is also not recommended to sleep over 9 hours, as it would be too much rest for your body, which will end up struggling to be active the next day. Sleep researchers have found that sleeping less than 7 hours can affect your memory, hormones, muscle repair, and many vital processes that keep you healthy.

It has also been found that the less you sleep, the higher the likelihood of feeling hungry the next day, even after you’ve had your meals. So if you’re on a mission to lose weight, getting a good sleep is very important.

When should I sleep?

Anytime that fits you, but be mindful of your wake-up time. However, go to bed one hour before you want to fall asleep. In the last hour, your ultimate mission is to slow yourself down and signal your body that you’re ready to sleep. You can build a wind-down routine and keep a set of minimal habits like reading a book or listening to slow music, which could be your cues to prepare for sleep.

One of the most important reminders is that it is advised to avoid digital screens, as that may hinder your sleep cycle. The blue light in our digital screens can fool our brain into thinking that it is the day time by delaying melatonin production, which helps us fall asleep.

Should I sleep at the same time every day?

If you want to fall asleep more easily and quickly, maintaining a consistent sleep time can really be helpful. According to many experts on sleep, it helps the body to keep track of your circadian rhythm and helps you fall asleep better and easier. This is a part of habit-building.

To do this, I’d recommend building a wind-down routine that you do every day before sleep. It could be reading a book, doing a breathing meditation, journaling, or simply a list of activities that you do every day before sleep. The idea is to make it a consistent time and behaviour that prepares you to fall asleep.

Does temperature matter?

It is generally recommended to cool down your room if you can. People say that around 20 degrees Celsius helps, but I would leave that up to you. Anyway, when the room temperature is high, it is not easy to fall asleep. Your body needs to cool down to initiate and maintain sleep cycles. The warm environments prevent this natural drop in core sleep, leading to restlessness in your body.

Does the room lighting matter?

Try to use a warm, yellowish light in your bedroom before sleep. It is better to have a darker room than full lit environment just before sleep, as it helps inform the body that we are getting ready to sleep. White light delays melatonin, which prevents you from falling asleep.

What’s caffeine’s role in delaying sleep?

Throughout the day, we build up something called adenosine in the brain as a byproduct of cellular metabolism, which makes us feel tired and eventually fall asleep. Caffeine blocks adenosine from building up; a well-caffeinated person feels less tired and less sleepy.

Caffeine’s effect can last for 4–6 hours, depending on the person. If you don’t feel tired enough by the time you sleep, you might not fall asleep.

That’s why some people argue that you shouldn’t drink coffee towards the evening. But for some of them, they don’t care.

If you enjoyed reading this, I’d also recommend reading “Why We Sleep” by Matthew Walker, a sleep scientist who changed my perspective on sleep and opened my eyes towards a much better lifestyle. Once you fix your sleep, trust me on this, all other aspects of your life will start falling into place.

I will see you in the next one!