Sleep is the single most effective thing you can do to reset your brain and body each day. It is the foundation upon which every other pillar of health is built.
Explore the ScienceSleep is not a passive state. It is an active, essential process that orchestrates nearly every system in your body.
7-9 hours
Adults need 7-9 hours of quality sleep per night for optimal physical and cognitive function.
Brain Cleanse
During deep sleep, your brain's glymphatic system clears toxic waste products, including beta-amyloid linked to Alzheimer's.
Impairment
Sleep deprivation impairs cognitive function as much as alcohol intoxication — 17 hours awake equals a 0.05% blood alcohol level.
Growth & Repair
Growth hormone is primarily released during deep sleep, driving tissue repair, muscle recovery, and cellular regeneration.
Every night, your body cycles through distinct sleep stages roughly every 90 minutes. Each stage plays a unique and irreplaceable role in your health. Understanding these stages helps explain why quality matters just as much as quantity.
The transition zone. Your heart rate slows, muscles relax, and body temperature drops. This stage accounts for about 50% of your total sleep and is crucial for memory processing and motor learning.
The repair phase. Your body releases growth hormone, restores tissues, strengthens immunity, and your brain flushes out toxic waste. This is the most physically restorative stage, and it dominates the first half of the night.
The dream stage. Your brain is highly active, consolidating emotional memories, processing experiences, and strengthening neural connections. REM dominates the second half of the night — cutting sleep short robs you of it.
Your body runs on an internal 24-hour clock called the circadian rhythm, governed primarily by light exposure. This clock regulates when you feel alert and when you feel sleepy by controlling melatonin and cortisol release. Disrupting this rhythm — through irregular schedules, late-night screen use, or shift work — doesn't just affect sleep; it cascades into metabolism, immune function, mood, and long-term disease risk. Respecting your circadian rhythm is one of the most powerful things you can do for your health.
How many of these evidence-based sleep habits are part of your routine? Check the ones you already do and see your score.
Check the habits you already practice to see your sleep hygiene score.
Understanding these common disruptors is the first step to protecting your most restorative hours.
The short-wavelength blue light emitted by screens directly suppresses melatonin production — the hormone that signals your brain it's time to sleep. Even brief exposure in the hour before bed can delay sleep onset by 30 minutes or more and reduce REM sleep quality.
What to do: Enable night mode on devices, wear blue-light-blocking glasses after sunset, or better yet — switch to a book or podcast in the last hour before bed.
Caffeine has a half-life of 5-6 hours, meaning half the caffeine from your 3pm coffee is still circulating in your bloodstream at 9pm. It works by blocking adenosine receptors — the very molecule that builds sleep pressure throughout the day — tricking your brain into feeling alert even when your body is exhausted.
Timing guideline: Set a personal caffeine curfew at 2pm (or 10+ hours before your target bedtime). Remember: chocolate, tea, and some medications contain caffeine too.
Your circadian clock craves consistency. Sleeping in on weekends or staying up late creates "social jet lag" — your internal clock shifts as if you've traveled across time zones. This desynchronization impairs hormone regulation, digestion, and cognitive performance even if you're getting "enough" total hours.
The rule: Keep your wake time within 30 minutes of the same time every day — yes, including weekends. Your body will thank you by falling asleep faster and waking more refreshed.
Stress triggers cortisol release — a hormone that is meant to peak in the morning and taper off by night. Chronic stress keeps cortisol elevated at bedtime, overriding your body's natural sleep signals. Worse, poor sleep itself increases stress hormones, creating a vicious cycle that can be hard to break without intentional intervention.
Breaking the cycle: A structured wind-down routine (journaling, breathwork, gentle stretching) signals your nervous system to shift from sympathetic (fight-or-flight) to parasympathetic (rest-and-digest) mode.
You don't need to overhaul your life. Start with these small, concrete steps and build from there.
Set a phone alarm labeled "Wind Down" for 1 hour before your target bedtime.
Move your phone charger to another room tonight.
Lower your thermostat to 67°F before bed.
Write down the 3 things keeping your mind busy before lying down.
Set a non-negotiable wake time and stick to it — no matter how you slept. Your body needs a consistent anchor point to calibrate its internal clock.
Create a wind-down routine: no screens, dim the lights, and do something calming. This teaches your brain to associate these cues with sleep.
Optimize your sleep environment: dial in temperature (60-67°F), eliminate light sources, and reduce noise. Small environmental changes can yield dramatic improvements.
Add morning sunlight exposure within 30 minutes of waking. This is the single most powerful signal to set your circadian rhythm and improve both sleep onset and morning alertness.
Reflect and adjust — track what's working, note improvements in energy, mood, and focus. Keep the habits that serve you and fine-tune the rest.
Evening breathwork and meditation activate your parasympathetic nervous system, signaling your body it's safe to sleep.
Explore MindfulnessRegular physical activity improves sleep quality and duration — but timing matters. Finish intense exercise at least 3 hours before bed.
Explore Movement