Wellness · 7 min read
The Anatomy of a Good Night's Sleep
Sleep is not passive. It is the most complex healing process the body performs, and it can be helped or ruined by the last two waking hours.
What sleep actually does During deep sleep, the brain's glymphatic system flushes metabolic waste — including proteins associated with cognitive decline. During REM, memory is consolidated and emotion is integrated. Skip these and no amount of coffee restores what was lost.
The two-hour rule The last two hours before bed determine sleep quality more than anything else in the day.
A protocol 1. **Sunset:** Dim overhead lights. Switch to warm lamps. 2. **Two hours before bed:** Last meal ends. Digestion competes with sleep. 3. **One hour before bed:** Screens away. If unavoidable, warm filter, low brightness. 4. **Thirty minutes before bed:** Warm shower or foot soak. The subsequent drop in core temperature triggers sleepiness. 5. **In bed:** Five minutes of 4-6 breathing. Then let go.
The morning half of the equation Ten minutes of sunlight on the eyes within an hour of waking. This sets the circadian clock and pays back at bedtime.
You cannot out-supplement bad sleep hygiene. But good hygiene rarely needs supplements.
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ॐ शान्तिः शान्तिः शान्तिः
Peace, peace, peace.