Sleep

Your sleep is set by light, temperature and timing, so bright mornings, dim cool evenings and a steady schedule will do more for you than any pill.

15 protocols

A story to start

Neelima is 38 and manages a busy bank branch in Bengaluru. Her days start with a rushed filter coffee, an hour of traffic on Outer Ring Road and a windowless cabin under bright tube lights. By evening she feels oddly wired. She answers work messages in bed, watches one more episode and then lies awake until well past midnight.

Her alarm goes off at 6:30 a.m., and she drags herself through the morning on two coffees and a 4 p.m. chai. On weekends she sleeps until ten and then wonders why Sunday night is the worst of all. A colleague teases her that she has ’banker’s eyes’. She is tired of being tired.

So Neelima starts small. She takes her morning coffee to the terrace for ten minutes of daylight and swaps her afternoon chai for tulsi tea. After dinner she switches off the tube light, uses a warm lamp and leaves her phone charging in the hall. Some nights still go wrong, especially after a late branch audit. But within three weeks she is falling asleep before eleven most nights and waking a few minutes before her alarm. Her mornings, for the first time in years, feel like her own.

The protocols

1Catch morning daylight soon after wakingStep outside within 30 to 60 minutes of waking and let daylight reach your eyes for 5 to 10 minutes on a clear day.5 to 30 minutes, within an hour of wakingEasyGood evidence 2Step out into late-afternoon lightGo outside for at least 10 to 15 minutes in the late afternoon or early evening, before the sun sets.10 to 15 minutes before sunsetEasyEarly evidence 3Dim the lights as night fallsAfter sunset, keep your lights low, warm and below eye level, and avoid bright overhead lights in the hours before bed.From about 8 or 9 p.m. until morningEasyGood evidence 4Find your natural sleep windowSpend one week going to bed early to discover when your body really wants to sleep.A one-week test, then most nightsMediumGood evidence 5Keep your bedroom cool at nightKeep your bedroom cool, warm your hands and feet with a hot shower or wash before bed, and let your feet poke out from under the covers.Every night, plus a warm wash before bedEasyGood evidence 6Warm up gently before you wakeLet your bedroom warm up slightly in the last 1 to 2 hours before you wake, or pull on socks and a sweatshirt if you wake early.The last 1 to 2 hours of sleepMediumEarly evidence 7Nap smart, not longIf you need a nap, keep it to about 20 minutes and never longer than 90 minutes.15 to 20 minutes, early afternoonEasyGood evidence 8Recharge with non-sleep deep restNon-sleep deep rest, or NSDR, means lying down and following a guided recording that relaxes your body with slow breathing while you stay awake.10 to 30 minutes, morning, afternoon or nightEasyEarly evidence 9Use sleep supplements carefully, if at allFix your light, temperature and timing habits first, then, with your doctor’s approval, you might try one supplement at a time at a low dose.About 30 minutes before bedAdvancedEarly evidence 10Treat sleeping pills with cautionIf you still sleep badly after trying the other protocols, see a doctor rather than reaching for pills.When sleep problems last for weeksAdvancedStrong evidence 11Time your chai and coffee wellHave your last caffeine 8 to 10 hours before bed, or 12 if you are sensitive.All day: last cup 8 to 10 hours before bedEasyStrong evidence 12Keep alcohol far from bedtimeDo not use alcohol to help you sleep.No alcohol in the 8 hours before sleepMediumStrong evidence 13Skip cannabis as a sleep aidDo not use cannabis to fall asleep or to get back to sleep.Every nightMediumGood evidence 14Put screens away before bedStop using phones, laptops, tablets and TV at least an hour before bed, and keep them out of your bedroom.At least the last hour before bedMediumGood evidence 15Beat jet lag with well-timed lightBefore you fly, nudge your wake time, light, caffeine and exercise 30 to 45 minutes towards the new time zone.2 days before you fly, plus 2 to 3 days afterAdvancedGood evidence