As you know, I’m big on sleep.
It’s an area of study I’ve dedicated a lot of my time and energy towards.
There’s one principle to follow which makes all the difference in how well you sleep and how great you feel/perform the following day.
Sleep timing.
I’ve written extensively on the importance of being aligned with your natural circadian rhythm and other factors which improve the quality of your rest.
By the time you routinely go to bed is paramount.
Today, it’s never been easier to ignore this fundamental altogether because of the artificial world we’ve built. Even people who know a lot about a proper night’s rest still falter because of society’s influence.
My rule of thumb is simple, yet powerful:
Be asleep by 9 or 10 PM.
You would scoff at this if you’re always going to bed beyond this time, yet people who understand the relative experience know what I’m talking about.
They understand the night and day difference (pun intended) with sticking to this sleep timing schedule versus neglecting it.
Being asleep by this time is different than just getting into your bed.
Most people make the fatal mistake of hopping into bed at a reasonable time, but then using devices under the influence of damaging artificial blue light for hours on end.
You get sucked into TikTok or Instagram and then end up falling asleep at midnight or beyond. I know this because I’ve done it myself when I was younger and still see people do it to this day.
Isn’t it funny how simple this rule of thumb is?
Yet many of us fail to follow it because we don’t take sleep seriously and haven’t taken an intentional approach to treat it with the respect it deserves.
Not All Hours Are Created Equal
I’m a firm believer that every hour from 10 PM to 2 AM is worth a lot.
From 10 PM to 2 AM, your body prioritizes physical recovery of the tissues, brain, tendons, ligaments, so forth. During this timeframe, the bulk of your growth hormone production is stimulated.
My worst injuries from competitive soccer have always arisen when I neglected these hours because I didn’t give my body the physical repair it needed, even when I was younger and had more leverage.
If you’re an athlete, missing this window is a death sentence for your performance.
You might occasionally be able to get away with it.
But I know how you serious athletes think because I’m one of them, it’s not a game you want to play. You’re not looking to get through training. You want to squeeze every ounce of juice out of it.
This holds true for people who don’t consider themselves athletes as well.
10 PM - 2 AM is important for EVERYBODY.
I’ve seen this repeatedly through my use of the Oura ring.
Notice my sleep architecture below.
Now notice the sleep architecture of a client I’ve worked with below.
Most of the deep sleep took place from 10 PM - 2 AM. Bang on. You’ll also notice that most of the REM sleep takes place between 2 AM and 6 AM which I’ll cover right now.
Moving on to the hours of 2 AM to 6 AM, this is where most of your REM sleep happens. This stage of sleep prioritizes mental, emotional recovery. It’s where you process memories. It’s what makes your mind sharp the following day.
Proper sleep timing is what allows you to make the most of both.
The Earlier, The Better
In regards to sleep timing, the earlier the better.
Anywhere starting from 8 PM to about 9:30 PM is going to exponentially improve your sleep, metabolic health and overall performance in life.
I’ve tested this out many times.
My Oura scores routinely hit 95+ with sleep and readiness by going to be earlier than 10 PM. This makes sense considering we’re diurnal creatures and do best by following our natural circadian rhythm.
None of this is groundbreaking shit.
Your great grandparents followed this schedule because the culture back then had the wisdom to do so. Also, their lives weren’t infiltrated by artificial blue light or technology.
They didn’t know anything about REM/Deep sleep.
They simply lived in accordance withr their nature.
All of my friends know me for my ‘old man schedule.’
I suggest you become known for the same thing if you’re younger.
Develop The Sleep Instinct
I want you to run an experiment.
For one week, go to bed at midnight. Take note of how you feel on a physical, mental, emotional and spiritual level. Note your performance at work, in the gym and in your relationships.
Now run the same experiment for another week, but change your sleep timing to 9:30/10 PM. Take note of everything mentioned above.
Following your two week experiment, compare the two.
You might already know the outcome from an intellectual standpoint.
But when you do it, you’ll know the difference from an experiential one.
Anybody with two connecting brain cells will come to the conclusion that the earlier bedtime experiment is superior in every conceivable way.
That awareness is what I call the sleep instinct.
And it will become a part of you for the rest of your life.
That’s what I call real growth based on a holistic understanding of sleep.
Much love,
Zaid