Sleep Is the First Medicine

Sleep is not a reward for a productive day. It is the process that makes the next day possible.

We rarely begin with the hours in bed. We begin with the ninety minutes before it: light, food, screens, and how quickly the nervous system is asked to stop.

Dim the room. Finish eating earlier than feels necessary. Let the last part of the evening be slow and slightly boring. Mornings, in turn, want light and movement within the first hour.

These are small edges. They move everything else — appetite, mood, blood sugar patterns, patience.