Sleep Toolkit: Tools for Optimizing Sleep & Sleep-Wake Timing

Matt Walker's book on the importance of sleep.

Smart mattress cover that cools and heats the bed to support deep sleep onset, maintenance, and morning wake-up.

View bright sunlight outdoors within 30-60 minutes of waking to trigger cortisol peak and set circadian timing.

If waking before sunrise, flip on bright indoor artificial lights, then go outside once sun is up.

For people in very dark locations, use cheap bright ring lights or LED drawing tablets as a substitute for morning sunlight.

Free phone app to measure lux in your environment to evaluate morning light exposure.

Vitamin/mineral/probiotic drink for foundational nutrition and gut microbiome support.

Cold shower or ice bath 1-3 minutes in morning to release adrenaline/dopamine and raise core body temperature for alertness.

Light exercise (walk, jog, skipping rope, calisthenics) in the morning to raise core body temperature and increase alertness.

Preferred caffeine source; choose non-smoked varieties due to carcinogen concerns with smoked varieties.

Delay caffeine intake 90-120 minutes after waking to clear adenosine and avoid afternoon crash.

To shift circadian clock during jet lag, eat meals on the local schedule of your destination.

Zero-cost guided deep relaxation scripts on YouTube to replenish energy, replace naps, and help fall back asleep.

View low-angle sunlight in late afternoon/around sunset to signal evening to circadian clock and offset some artificial light effects at night.

From 10pm-4am avoid bright artificial lights especially overhead; use only minimal light placed low to the ground.

Hot bath, hot shower, or sauna 20-30 min in evening triggers compensatory cooling that drops core body temp and facilitates sleep.

Drop bedroom temperature by at least 3 degrees; layer blankets as needed, leave hands/feet out to regulate.

Take ~145mg of magnesium threonate 30-60 min before bed as part of sleep stack to enhance sleep depth.

Take 50mg of apigenin 30-60 min before bed to support falling and staying asleep.

Take 100-400mg theanine 30-60 min before bed for deeper sleep.

Self-hypnosis app developed by David Spiegel at Stanford to improve sleep, fall back asleep, and reduce anxiety.

Take 2g glycine every third or fourth night in addition to standard sleep stack for enhanced sleep onset.

Take 100mg GABA with glycine every third or fourth night to enhance falling asleep.

Take 900mg myo-inositol every other night with standard sleep stack to fall asleep faster and fall back asleep more easily after waking.

Eye masks can improve sleep maintenance, provided not too tight and room is cool enough.

Elevate feet/end of bed by 3-5 degrees to enhance glymphatic washout and sleep depth.

James Nestor's book on the benefits of nasal breathing.

Apply medical tape over mouth at night to force nasal breathing, which reduces snoring and sleep apnea.

Practice nasal-only breathing during low-intensity cardio to train sinuses to dilate, which translates to easier nasal breathing in sleep.

Keep sleep and wake times consistent within plus or minus one hour, including weekends.

Light/exercise/caffeine 2-4 hrs before temp minimum (~2 hr before wake) delays clock; after temp min advances clock — use for jet lag/shifting schedule.

Shift workers should stay on the same shift schedule for at least two weeks to reduce harm.

Use red light bulbs (e.g., Juve, Cozy Light) when needing to be awake at night without disrupting cortisol rhythm.

Single-ingredient supplement brand for building customized protocols.