AMA #42: Optimizing sleep - bedtime routine, molecule regimen, sleep trackers, sauna, & more

The other thing that I think I learned a lot when I was fasting like crazy is how much the low glucose/empty stomach impacted sleep. It was profound. I mean, one of the things that amazed me when I was fasting was how my sleep quality improved in ways that I'd never seen before, frankly.

I wouldn't put sauna as valuable as exercise ... An hour of exercise, I think, is better for you than an hour of sauna if you're really playing the game of of inches.

I know there are a lot of people who like to do their sauna in the daytime ... I do buy that there is some mortality benefit that comes from it. But empirically, the impact this has had on my sleep is insane—so much so that I've often wondered, is the mortality benefit of sauna largely attributed to the sleep benefits that come from its use?

Very difficult to have a good night's sleep if you have alcohol in the proximity of bedtime or even if you have two or three drinks several hours removed from bedtime. It still will linger, and it'll manifest itself in a number of ways, but probably most notably is kind of a reduction in the quality of sleep. So, you'll trade more deep sleep and REM sleep for light sleep. And then, the other thing you'll see is much more frequent wake-ups.

I do try to get into that sauna at least 4 nights a week, if not 5 or 6. I'm really only limited by how much work I need to get done, but it's become a great tool, and I like it before bed.

I think the last thing I'd say is really trying to be as unstimulated as possible before I go into bed. So, I even floss and brush my teeth before doing the sauna ... Once I'm done with that sauna, it's dark, I basically just go to bed. I'm not even going into the bathroom, turning the lights on. I'm certainly not looking at my computer or my phone or anything like that.

I kind of changed my mind a little bit ... I've become a pretty die-hard sauna convert over the last couple of years, and we have one at home now.

I strive for about 3 hours between when I finish dinner and when my head hits the pillow.

When I get into a sauna, it's hot ... We run it at about 198 degrees Fahrenheit. My typical routine is 15 minutes, and then a cold plunge, and then 20-25 minutes.

If you anchor to being right or if you anchor to knowing the truth, if you can be more in the camp of the latter, it's easier for you to accept change.