Learn something new: how to sleep better

A thorough walk through what actually affects your sleep – and what you can do about it.

The starting point is personal: Jan Sindre struggled to fall asleep for a period, read up on it, and worked methodically through the advice in Matthew Walker’s book. The solution turned out in the end to be something he had not considered at all.

The episode is built on what Matthew Walker, Andrew Huberman and Bryan Johnson agree on – not on what they disagree about. Everything is explained with the Norwegian conditions in mind: the dark season in winter and the bright nights in summer.

The content is general knowledge based on the sources listed, not individual health advice. If you have persistent trouble sleeping, contact your doctor.

Main topics

• The circadian rhythm and the body clock
• Sleep pressure and adenosine
• Melatonin and light
• Caffeine and its half-life
• Morning light and daylight
• An evening routine and winding down
• The bedroom - dark, cool and quiet
• Alcohol, nicotine and meals
• Sleeping through a Norwegian winter and bright summer nights

Questions this episode answers

• How can I sleep better?
• What is the difference between melatonin and adenosine?
• How long does caffeine stay in the body?
• What time of day should I stop drinking coffee?
• Why does a fixed wake-up time matter more than a fixed bedtime?
• What do I do the day after a bad night?
• How cold should the bedroom be?
• Does alcohol help you sleep?
• What do I do when I am lying awake and cannot fall asleep?
• How do I get enough light during a Norwegian winter?

Key points

• Sleep is governed by two systems - the circadian rhythm and sleep pressure. Everything else builds on those.
• A fixed wake-up time matters more than a fixed bedtime.
• Caffeine has a half-life of five to six hours, and turns up in more than you think.
• The body needs about an hour to wind down - you do not go from a hundred to zero.
• Alcohol makes you fall asleep faster, but sleep worse.
• The bedroom should be dark, cool and quiet.

Sources and references

• Matthew Walker – Why We Sleep
• Andrew Huberman – Huberman Lab, the episode on sleep
• Bryan Johnson – work on sleep and optimisation