For most of my life, I was a terrible sleeper.
I’d work all day, go to the gym, have dinner and get into bed, ready to get my 8 hours.
And then I’d start thinking…
I’d think about work, about life, about the things I wanted to build.
An hour would go by…
Then two…
Then three.
Before I knew it, I’d wake up the next day with 4 hours sleep, feeling like I’d just run a marathon.
And then I’d spend the whole day frustrated because I was exhausted for no good reason.
So last year I said enough.
I researched and tested everything I could to try and finally get consistent sleep.
And while I’ve not absolutely perfected it, this is by far the best I’ve ever slept in 30 years.
And it’s not because I’m working less or just going to bed earlier.
(I’m actually in a pretty intense work period right now.)
It’s because I’ve found what works to stop the endless mind-whirring that used to keep me up.
So today I’m going to share five changes that dramatically improved my sleep.
And, most importantly, the subtle mistakes I was making that ruined my efforts for years.
Tip 1: Consistency matters more than time
One of the first improvements I made was tracking my sleep debt.
I started prioritising rest when I’d built up too much.
But even after catching up, I’d still feel wrecked.
Then I found something surprising:
Studies show that sleep consistency can be just as important as total hours slept, maybe even more.
That means going to bed and waking up at roughly the same time every day.
It helps regulate your internal clock, which makes it easier to fall asleep, stay asleep, and wake up feeling rested.
Of course, life happens. You don't have to be perfect.
But research suggests your schedule can vary by up to 30 - 45 minutes without much impact.
I track this with my Whoop band, alongside sleep debt.
I still sleep in a bit on weekends, but I try to stay within that 45-minute window.
Tip 2: Temperature
This one might sound basic, but I’d never paid attention to the temperature of my room.
Turns out I sleep way better in a cold room.
And I’m not the only one.
A study published in Current Biology found that cooler room temps help your body reach deep sleep faster.
The sweet spot is around 15–19°C.
If it’s hot, I try to open the windows early in the day to cool the room in advance.
That bit’s important because I never sleep with the window open.
Here’s why:
Tip 3: Noise
This one’s obvious. Loud noises make it hard to sleep.
But they also mess with your sleep quality. Even subtle sounds can pull you out of REM.
If you live in a city like me, background noise is hard to avoid.
So rather than avoiding it, I found that when I add intentional background noise I stay in REM sleep longer.
There's a few ways to do this:
- A white noise machine: Cheap and worth it if you like the sound.
- Sleep music: Try brain.fm or look up the new Sollos sleep playlists on Apple Music.
- A fan: Works as a test, but possibly not the healthiest long term.
Tip 4: Wind-down
Most people know not to stare at screens right before bed.
But I’ve had to take that even further.
There are two rules I follow strictly.
If I break either, it usually takes me 1–2 hours to fall asleep.
Rule 1: No work for 2 hours before bed
I love working late, but I’ve learned my brain needs time to shift gears.
I stop work 2 hours before I want to sleep. Not just to stop thinking about work, but to start thinking about something else.
Which brings me to rule 2.
Rule 2: No screens OR business content for 1 hour before bed
Turns out, even if I’m not working or looking at a screen, a business podcast/book will flip my brain back into work-mode.
Maybe for you it’s not work.
Maybe it’s relationships, or money, or something else you overthink.
Whatever it is, I’d avoid engaging with it right before bed.
That last hour is for anything that doesn’t trigger the “let’s fix this” part of your brain.
I find that non-business audiobooks are best for me.
(I’m currently listening to Mindset by Carol Dweck, if you’re looking for something.)
Tip 5: Light
The more I looked into sleep, the more I realised how much light affects it.
Light at night suppresses melatonin, the hormone that helps you sleep.
To fix this, I installed blackout blinds in my room.
And honestly, I can't believe how much they helped.
If you can’t do that, a simple eye mask works just as well.
(To be honest, I used to think eye masks were ridiculous. Now I never travel without one.)
Also, if you wake up in the night, avoid turning on bright lights.
Instead, you can get motion-detected night lights that give off just enough glow to see, but not enough to wake you up fully.
I’ve got them in the hall, kitchen and bathroom and I haven’t had to turn on a light at night in months now.
Bonus tip: Experiment
The biggest thing I’ve learned is that sleep is personal.
What affects me doesn’t always affect my partner, and vice versa.
So treat it like an experiment.
Make a change. Notice what happens. Keep going.
It takes time, but it’s one of the best investments you can make.
I’d also love to hear what’s worked for you. Just reply and let me know.
Have a great week,
Tim