Sleep
The single highest-leverage input for health.
Consistent, sufficient, good-quality sleep is the foundation that almost every other health outcome depends on.
Why it matters
Sleep is when the body consolidates memory, clears metabolic waste from the brain, regulates hormones, and repairs tissue. Chronic short sleep is linked to worse mood, impaired focus, blunted recovery, weight gain, and higher long-term disease risk.
No supplement can substitute for sleep. Most supplements marketed for energy, focus, or recovery are, at best, working around a deficit that good sleep would fix more effectively. Fix sleep first, then layer supplements on top.
Putting it into practice
- Keep a consistent sleep and wake time, even on weekends.
- Aim for 7 to 9 hours for most adults.
- Get bright light early in the day and dim light in the evening.
- Keep the bedroom cool, dark, and quiet.
- Cut caffeine by early afternoon and limit alcohol near bedtime.