My neuroscience-backed sleep routine

Your brain function declines without sleep. Here’s how to get more of it.

For more than a decade, I struggled mightily with my sleep. Part of the problem was circumstantial. I worked in television news, which required me to get up at four in the morning on some days and work until midnight on others. Then, after I left the news business, I got into a contentious, three-year divorce from my co-founders at my old meditation app, which caused untold stress and insomnia. But even after I resolved all of that, I still couldn’t sleep.

During my nights of tossing and turning, I was haunted by memories of all the podcast episodes I’d done with sleep experts, who talked about the brain damage that occurs when we don’t sleep. All day, our brain cells are busy spewing out metabolic waste. Sleep is the “garbage truck” that handles the cleanup, but it needs time to work. If you only get four hours of sleep, that cleanup process doesn’t work as efficiently, and some of that garbage can linger. During my sleepless nights, I was also haunted by the case study of my father, a pioneering oncologist and avid runner who developed dementia in his seventies, possibly caused (or exacerbated) by untreated sleep apnea.

The good news: about six months ago, I was finally diagnosed with something called “restless leg syndrome,” an absurd name for a truly life-destroying condition. I finally got the right treatment and now, most nights, I sleep exceedingly well.

Why am I burdening you with all of this backstory? Because, throughout this excruciating odyssey, I learned a ton about sleep hygiene. So, below, you will find my science-backed sleep routine. Please view this as a menu, not a to-do list. Take what looks good for you and leave the rest.

• Consistent wakeup time. Turns out, sleep hygiene actually begins in the morning. Getting up at the same time anchors your circadian rhythm, the body’s internal clock that regulates sleep. (Full disclosure: Of all the strategies I’m listing here, this is the one where I show the least discipline.)

• Morning sunlight. After I get up, I try to expose my eyes to daylight, either by stepping outside or using a sun lamp. Bright light signals to your brain that the day has officially begun, which effectively sets a biological timer for your body to start producing melatonin again roughly 14 to 16 hours later.

• Morning exercise. Getting your body moving increases what researchers call “sleep pressure,” so that you are good and tired at bedtime. You can also exercise in the afternoon, of course, but for some people, intense late-day exercise can backfire.

• No naps or coffee after 2 p.m. There are huge individual differences here. Some people can take an afternoon siesta or chug a latte after dinner and they are totally fine. Not me, though.

• No alcohol with dinner. I don’t drink anyway (my body can’t tolerate it), so this isn’t hard for me. But for many of you, it’s a bummer; I get it. The science is clear, though. Alcohol can be a sedative initially, but it disrupts and degrades your sleep later in the night.

• Minimal liquids in the evening. The more you drink, the more you’ll have to get up to pee.

• Screen hygiene. I try to put my phone away by 8 p.m. Notifications don’t just distract you; they keep your brain in a state of high alert. Creating a deliberate buffer between your devices and your pillow is essential for allowing the brain to settle.

• Keep the room dark and cool. This reduces sensory stimulation and supports your body’s natural drop in core temperature.

• Create a wind-down routine. Mine includes two key steps:

  • 15 minutes of walking meditation. Helps me settle the mind and get the ants out of my proverbial pants. Some people also like to lay in bed and do a body scan meditation, which can significantly improve sleep quality.

  • Take a warm shower. But, wait, didn’t I just say that it helps to be chilly? Turns out, when you take a warm shower or bath, it temporarily raises skin temperature, which then speeds heat loss when you get out.

    • Bonus: while I’m in the shower, I run through a list of all the good things that happened during the day. Research shows that gratitude reduces pre-sleep anxiety, making it much easier for the brain to stop ruminating and start shutting down.

• Light reading. Keep it analog, no screens. Also, keep the light low.

• If you’re struggling to sleep, get out of bed. You don’t want to teach your brain that the bed is a place for struggle. If you’ve been tossing and turning for what feels like 20 minutes, get up, do something that’s not too stimulating (like reading), and try again when you feel tired.

• Use self-compassion. If you’re not sleeping, your mind can easily devolve into a snarl of self-blame and fretful projection. I can’t believe this is happening, tomorrow is going to suck, etc. In these moments, I try to talk to myself the way I would talk to my son. Dude, you’ve been here a million times. Even if you get no sleep, you’ll be fine. It’ll be annoying, but manageable. Don’t sweat it. Super helpful. Often lulls me back to sleep.

For more on how to get good sleep and other neuroscience-backed strategies for a stronger brain, listen to my 10% Happier episode with neuroscientists Wendy Suzuki and Amishi Jha.

Also out is my episode with psychologists Zindel Segal and Norman Farb on how to use your senses to reduce overthinking and turn down the voice in your head.

Over on the 10% with Dan Harris app:

Join Teacher of the Month Susa Talan tomorrow (Tuesday, April 21 at 4 p.m. ET) for a live meditation and Q&A on Zoom. Drop your questions for her in the event post on the app here.

Upcoming events in person:

On May 17, join me for a conversation with Allison Gilbert at 92NY in NYC about how self-awareness and self-compassion can transform not only our inner lives but our relationships. Get tickets here.

Tickets for the next Meditation Party are available here! Jeff Warren, Sebene Selassie, and I are doing another version of our annual retreat this Oct. 16-18. It’s at the Omega Institute in upstate NY. Think four big sessions of meditation, conversation, and Q&A—with plenty of free time to hike the 240-acre campus, play some pickleball, shoot hoops, or just relax by the lake. You can also drop into yoga or tai chi classes, and on Saturday night there’s even a dance party (totally optional, I promise).

Paid subscribers to the new 10% with Dan Harris app get:

• Guided Meditations: A library of guided sessions to help with stress, anxiety, focus, sleep, annoying people, and more.

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