I spontaneously decided to run a sleep experiment and shift my schedule last night.
The change?
Go to bed at 9 PM and wake up at around 6:30 AM.
That’s all. No crazy biohacks. No gimmicks.
Just an intuitive understanding of the circadian rhythm and a willingness to plan ahead a bit earlier.
Why is this powerful for sleep?
The more you understand circadian biology, the more you realize that going to bed at an earlier time is ALWAYS better.
Your biological clock determines the quality of your health over the long run with everything across the board from blood sugar response to alertness to risk of chronic disease.
We are diurnal creatures, meaning we evolved to rise with the sun and be awake during the day. On the flip side, once sunset comes around, we’re supposed to wind down and prepare for sleep.
I remember coming across a tweet ages ago from Medeech explaining how the 10 PM - 6 AM sleep window is the best. He’s correct on that.
The reason why I push it back to 9 PM is because there’s more room to get higher quantity rest along with longer duration.
The earlier you wake up, the earlier you need to go to bed.
I’ve seen a lot of people follow a schedule where they have to wake up early, yet routinely deprive themselves of sleep by going to bed late. It compounds over time and makes you feel like shit. Trust me on that.
Take a look at what my sleep numbers were like with the Oura ring from last night.
As you can see, metrics are off the charts. Everything is optimal.
Deep sleep and REM numbers are superb.
Latency is quick and to the point.
Efficiency and restfulness are fantastic.
Total time asleep is exquisite.
Now, have a look at the sleep architecture throughout the night.
I’m able to maximize growth hormone production through deep sleep in the first half of the night (that’s why I’m big on being asleep for that 10 PM - 2 AM window).
I’m also able to maximize REM sleep from the 2 AM - 6 AM window as well.
This is what perfect sleep architecture looks like.
Some other benefits from this schedule
There are quite a few perks to this sleep schedule.
Your mind is sharp from the moment you wake up
Grogginess is a thing of the past (assuming you follow proper sleep hygiene)
More time to get shit done (Gym, deep work, so forth)
Builds momentum relatively quickly
Keeps you aligned with circadian biology
Maximizes growth hormone and melatonin production
Again, the caveat here is that you follow all of the other sleep hygiene fundamentals.
You’re not going to get the same results if you’re pounding cans of Red Bull at 4 PM and devouring an entire feast right before bed. Always repeat the basics.
Making this your schedule is a perfect example of the Pareto Principle
80% of the results come from 20% of the effort.
I’m sure you’re familiar with this principle.
It’s the foundation of my approach to health and coaching because it’s effective at producing quick results.
The 9/10 PM - 6 AM sleep schedule is a superb example of the 80/20 rule.
Speaking of..
The 80/20 Health System is what I call my coaching program now.
I enjoy the angle of focusing on the few things which are most effective, and so I’m sticking with that for the foreseeable future.
I take the 80/20 principle and apply it to every fundamental aspect of your health:
Energy Rich Sleep
Mineral Rich Hydration
Wholesome Nutrition
Endorphin Rich Movement
Effective Supplementation
With a few bonuses including..
Blood Testing (if you have tests or want to get them done)
Gene Analysis & Interpretation (If you have tests or want to get them done)
Everything you will ever need for health is in this coaching program.
You will be given the most important tools which you’ll be able to use for the rest of your life (and that’s not an exaggeration).
Much love,
Zaid