You won’t be surprised to hear I sleep very well now. My Whoop data shows it: over the last month (March 2025), I averaged 98% sleep performance with near-daily 100% scores. That level of recovery means my training and lifestyle aren’t just sustainable — they’re compounding.
But it wasn’t always like this. For years I took good sleep for granted, then in 2022 trauma destroyed it almost overnight. At the worst point I was pulling <20% sleep scores, surviving on broken fragments of rest. That state lasted over six months before I found a neuromodulation clinic to reset my nervous system out of constant fear. Even then, it took more than another year of mediocre nights before I pieced together the system that rebuilt my sleep architecture. In total, it was a two-year battle — one of the hardest stretches of my life.
The lesson? Sleep is not just about hacks. It’s about nervous system safety. To sleep well today, you need both:
- Lifestyle alignment — food, light, rhythm, and environment.
- Psychological alignment — being at peace with your past, and not anxious about your future.
Anxiety, depression, self-worth issues: they all keep the brain “on guard” and block deep rest. That’s why I work with clients not just on routines but also on the inner work that allows the body to trust itself enough to let go.
Here are the rules I run:
- No food after ~4pm → gives 5+ hours digestion before bed, keeps sleep deep and unbroken.
- Bed at 9:30pm, up by 6am → I do my best work in that rhythm; recovery loves consistency.
- 7pm wind-down → meditation, brain training, light neurostimulation to boost alpha and parasympathetic.
- No stimulants → no caffeine, no sugar, nothing that spikes dopamine or cortisol.
- Lighting control → warm lamps only, red bulbs in meditation space, no harsh overheads.
- Phone lock-down → becomes boring after 8pm, limited apps, no endless scroll.
- Screens dimmed <2300K → nothing blasting blue light in my eyes before bed.
- Environment locked → blackout blinds (summer sunrise is 4am here), cool, quiet bedroom.
- Minimal inputs → little TV, almost no news, mental load kept low.
- Reading ritual → dim filament bulb, book in hand, eyelids close naturally.
There are more advanced hacks I document elsewhere, but honestly, this core set is enough. Now that my system has recovered, even if I break a rule or two, my sleep still holds steady — because my body and mind are finally aligned.