How to Dominate Your Sleep Efficiency #26

In our last Heroic Elite Daily, we explored why Time in Bed (TIB) ≠ Sleep. To consistently get the 7–9 hours of sleep you need, you must optimize your sleep efficiency—the percentage of time you’re actually sleeping while in bed.

Here’s the deal: if your sleep efficiency is around 85–90% which is very good, you’ll need 8–8.5 hours in bed to hit your recovery target. Now let’s take it a step further and talk about how to dominate your efficiency.

Top Tips to Optimize Sleep Efficiency

1. Set a Consistent Sleep Schedule: Go to bed and wake up at the same time every day—even on weekends. This trains your body’s internal clock (circadian rhythm) to maximize sleep quality.

2. Create a Dark, Cool Sleep Environment:

• Use blackout curtains to eliminate light.
• Set your room temperature to 65–68°F, the optimal range for quality sleep.
• Eliminate screens and other light sources an hour before bed.

3. Establish a Wind-Down Routine:

• Dim the lights, stretch, or journal to signal your body it’s time to relax.
• Avoid screens and bright light to prevent blue light from disrupting your melatonin production.

4. Stop Caffeine Early: Caffeine has a half-life of 5–6 hours. If you drink it in the afternoon, it can linger in your system and reduce your sleep efficiency.

5. Keep Your Bed Sacred: Your bed is for sleep (and one other thing). Avoid using it for work or scrolling through your phone to train your brain to associate it with rest.

The Heroic Elite Mindset

Dominating your sleep efficiency is about intentionality. By optimizing your environment, schedule, and habits, you ensure your time in bed translates into the restorative sleep you need to crush your 101-day challenge.

Every night, your commitment to great recovery fuels elite energy, focus, and resilience the next day.

Action for Today

Pick one tip from this list to implement tonight. Start with the simplest, most impactful change for you:

• Do you need a set bedtime?
• A darker room?
• A caffeine cut-off?

Make a small adjustment, track your progress, and build from there.

P.S. For more on this, check out the Philosopher’s Notes on:

• Why We Sleep by Matthew Walker
• Sleep Smarter by Shawn Stevenson
• The Sleep Revolution by Arianna Huffington