matthew
walker

matthew’s day.

• Within 60 min of waking
  Daylight, outside

  he gets outside for natural daylight within an hour of waking. “it doesn’t matter how long you are outside.” looking through a window doesn’t count.

  lightsleep
• Before 7 am
  Wakes on his own, alarm as back-up

  he usually wakes a little before seven. The alarm is set for 7:04, only to protect his regular schedule.

  sleep

• An hour before bed
  A “to-bed” alarm

  an alarm an hour before lights-out, to start winding down. “you can’t land a plane you never started descending.”

  sleep
• After the alarm
  Lights down across the house

  “turn down almost all of the lights in your house.”

  lightsleep
• 15–30 min before bed
  A digital detox

  “even if it’s 30 minutes before bed, or even just 15 minutes”, a gap between stopping with the phone and trying to sleep.

  sleep
• Before bed
  Warm hands, cool room

  “you have to warm up to cool down to fall asleep.” warm water on his hands before bed, or a bath of about 40°c for 10 minutes; the room at about 68°f.

  sleep
• Before sleep
  10–15 minutes of meditation

  “I usually meditate for about 10 or 15 minutes before bed.” He compares falling asleep to landing a plane: it takes a gradual descent.

  focussleep
• 10:30 pm
  Lights out around 10:30

  “I’m usually sort of around about a 10:30 p.m. guy.”

  sleep
• Every night
  An eight-hour window

  “i give myself a non-negotiable eight-hour sleep opportunity every night.”

  sleep

• Weekends too
  Same times every day

  “i can go to bed at the same time and wake up at the same time, no matter whether it’s the weekday or the weekend. regularity is king.”

  sleep