Don’t try to sleep
The fixes are simpler than you think
26 September 2025
I’m a late riser by nature. I hated early mornings as a teenager, and that still hasn't changed well into my 30s. Cutting screen time before bed has helped, but sleep is such a crucial part of life that I wanted to dig a bit deeper. In my quest to feel more awake, this week I set out to learn how to sleep.
The cost of crappy sleep
You may be aware that poor sleep kills. Chronic poor sleep messes with immunity, spikes inflammation, and is linked to 172 diseases, including dementia, diabetes & heart disease. Not to mention all the mood-related stuff, like taking extra risks, being more irritable and less empathetic.
And lack of sleep isn’t just about feeling groggy. It ramps up your stress system, like cortisol, adrenaline and blood pressure. Evolution wired us this way. If you were snoozing next to a sabre-toothed tiger, you wanted to be edgy and alert enough to live another day. Useful. That survival reflex still kicks in now, except the “tiger” is your email notifications.
The enemies of sleep
We didn’t evolve for this modern world of bright lights, glowing screens and sedentary days. We’re moths head-butting a light bulb, mistaking it for the moon.
- Smartphones: Dopamine slot machines keeping you in “on” mode. Switch them off before bed, and ideally banish them from the bedroom.
- Sedentary days: Our brains too busy, bodies too idle. Even a walk or yoga helps.
- Alcohol: Knocks you out faster but wrecks REM, fragments your night, and leaves you irritable. This gets worse as you age.
The funny thing is: worrying about sleep is probably the biggest thing keeping you awake. That’s why obsessing over “perfect sleep hygiene” can backfire.
What actually works
Sleep isn’t about forcing it. The harder you try, the worse it gets. Think less discipline and more setting the stage.
- Sleep restriction: Go to bed later to build up sleep pressure. Feels counterintuitive, but it works.
- Stimulus control: Bed is for sleep (and sex). Not for doomscrolling. If you’re wide awake at 3am, get out of bed.
- Cognitive reframing: Stop telling yourself “I’m a bad sleeper” or “Tomorrow will be ruined.” Those beliefs keep insomnia alive.
- Relaxation: Mindfulness, breathwork, and an evening wind-down that doesn’t involve your phone.
Ultimately, sleep is something we do naturally, like breathing. Your body will take it when it needs it. But you can improve the quality, and the benefits stack up fast. So I pulled together the best advice I found this week into one place:
The WIWILAS Guide to Getting a Good Night’s Sleep
What helps you get to sleep? Email me, I want to know!
And remember, this info might be of vital interest to someone you know, so make sure you forward this email 🥹
PS. Some tips from my research were more ‘out there’… “When lying in bed, think about what you are grateful for. Sounds strange, but it actually works.” Nice, I’ll give it a try! As for pretending I’m a medieval peasant? Not sure.