According to Johnson, the 10 habits for fixing terrible sleep are:
- Identifying as a professional sleeper
- Having a consistent bedtime
- Having a wind-down routine
- Eating early
- Avoiding stimulants
- Regulating evening light
- Maintaining an ideal temperature
- Creating a peaceful sleeping environment
- Getting morning light
- Gathering data
“Sleep is the most important thing a human does on a daily basis,” says multimillionaire Bryan Johnson. The longevity enthusiast recently announced on his YouTube channel that he “just logged what is potentially the best sleep score in human history — 8 months of perfect sleep.” This was measured using a wristband device called a WHOOP, which scores sleep quality based on movement and heart rate patterns.
Johnson’s Blueprint Sleep Protocol
- Identify as a professional sleeper. Our current culture prioritizes work over sleep and getting adequate sleep is sometimes perceived as a weakness and waste of time. Johnson thinks this is foolish and the wise make sleep their number one priority. Getting enough sleep will make everything in life easier, he says.
- Have a consistent bedtime. Think about bedtime as the most important appointment of the day. Johnson goes to sleep every night at 8:30 pm so he can wake up at 5:00 am and enjoy the morning. Others can choose a different sleep and wake time as long as it’s the same every day.
- Have a wind-down routine. Thirty to sixty minutes before bedtime, dismiss your worry-worthy thoughts by telling yourself, “Sleep mode is now engaged.” Create a ritual such as reading a book or going for a walk. Importantly, avoid screens.
- Eat everything early. Through experimentation, Johnson found he sleeps best when having his last meal at 11:00 am. He says this time might not work for everyone, but everyone should explore eating earlier. Also, try to avoid large meals at the end of the day.
- Avoid stimulants. Johnson explains that having alcohol at the end of the day diminished his deep sleep by about 80%. For this reason, he has stopped drinking alcohol. He has also stopped drinking caffeine. The guru recommends being mindful of consuming stimulants and to pay attention to when they are consumed.
- Regulate evening light. Johnson eliminates blue light by using a program called f.lux on his computer and wearing blue light-blocking glasses while watching movies. His room is entirely blacked out with curtains and while traveling he wears a mask. Essentially, he says to avoid light at the end of the day. Most importantly, avoid screens.
- Maintain an ideal temperature. Make sure the temperature of your room is not too hot or too cold. Find the goldy-lox zone. Johnson uses an Eight Sleep mattress, which is set to 71°F during deep sleep and 73°F during REM sleep.
- Create a peaceful sleeping environment. Johnson does nothing in his sleep environment (bedroom) but sleep. He says it is important to have a dedicated sleep environment. He also says, if possible, sleep alone because it is difficult to synchronize sleep routines between two people.
- Get morning light. The first thing Johnson does in the morning is get 10,000 lux of artificial light for a few minutes. He says this helps with mood and energy. Importantly, it tells your body that it is time to wake up. Sunlight is the natural alternative to artificial light.
- Gather data. The only thing not free on this list is gathering data, which requires measuring sleep progress. This can be done with something like a WHOOP strap. Your sleep data will help determine if improvements are being made. Otherwise, it will be difficult to precisely measure how well you are sleeping.
Like most of Johnson’s Blueprint protocols, these habits, except for 1 and 10, are based on scientific evidence. Following the first 9 habits should lead to better sleep. The last habit is not necessary, and the subjective experience of feeling rested could be used to measure sleep quality. Still, sleep-tracking devices can provide an estimate of how well you are sleeping without actually scanning the electrical activity of your brain.
Sleep Well, Exercise Hard, and Eat Less
Johnson says that sleep does not solve everything, but it provides the body with enough energy to accomplish what is needed to live longer. This includes exercising hard and eating less. Each week he gets 1 hour and 7 minutes of light exercise, 4 hours and 37 minutes of moderate exercise, and 1 hour and 25 minutes of vigorous exercise. Exercise, especially bouts of high-intensity vigorous exercise, is perhaps the most potent antidote to aging.
Johnson also follows a strict calorically restricted diet. Instead of consuming the 2, 655 calories needed for his age and activity levels, he consumes 1, 980 calories, which is about 15% less. Caloric restriction is the most potent lifespan-extending intervention in mice. Therefore, it is a promising age-slowing strategy for humans. Since getting good sleep can help with controlling stress and hunger, it may be easier to eat less food when sleeping well.
By sleeping well, exercising hard, and eating less, anyone can potentially live longer. Johnson also takes many supplements including nicotinamide riboside (NR), an NAD+ precursor. He has also taken NMN, another NAD+ precursor, which he says has the same effect as NR. Supplements like these could also potentially contribute to living longer when combined with sleeping well, exercising hard, and eating less.
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