Sleep Is Medicine: How to Actually Get the Rest You Need

The most underrated intervention

One poor night of sleep raises insulin resistance, cortisol, and inflammatory markers by the next morning. Chronic short sleep is associated with every major age-related disease.

Six changes that consistently work

1. Anchor your wake time — even on weekends.
2. Get 10 minutes of morning sunlight within an hour of waking.
3. Finish caffeine by early afternoon (half-life is ~6 hours).
4. Stop eating 3 hours before bed.
5. Cool your bedroom to 65–68°F.
6. Reserve the bed for sleep and intimacy only.

When to test further

If you sleep 8 hours and still wake unrested, snore, or have witnessed apneas, a home sleep study is worth pursuing. Untreated apnea silently drives most of the markers we track.