Better Man Blueprint

How to Sleep Better

You can do everything right, train hard, eat clean, grind through the day, but if your sleep sucks, none of it sticks.

This guide is your playbook for better sleep, built from lived experience, real research, and hard-earned lessons. Not fluff. Not hacks. Just a no-BS system for men who want to perform better in every area of life.

1. Get Morning Light

If there’s one habit that sets your body clock and boosts energy, mood, focus, and sleep, it’s sunlight in your eyes early in the day.

This is foundational. Morning light tells your brain, “It’s time to be awake now… and time to be asleep later.” It triggers healthy cortisol release, sets your circadian rhythm, and helps your body prepare for deeper sleep at night.

In the Better Man Blueprint, sleep is the base layer of physical and mental health. When your sleep is off, everything else crumbles. Your workouts suck. Your focus disappears. You crave junk food. You lose patience. You spin your wheels.

Have you ever felt flat at the gym even though you ate right? Have you ever had uncontrollable cravings out of nowhere? Or snapped at someone and regretted it 10 minutes later? Poor sleep makes all of that more likely. It’s not just about how many hours you log. It’s about quality, consistency, and rhythm.

But here’s the good news: morning light is an easy win.

My Morning Light Routine

I wake up between 4 and 5 a.m. every day (with no alarm). If the sun isn’t up yet, no problem. I still aim to get outside within an hour of sunrise. Most days that’s a walk with my dog, a solo walk or a light run.

Build it into your life

This habit works best when it’s stacked onto something you already do:

  • Walking your dog
  • Drinking coffee on the porch
  • Starting your warm-up outside

Start with 10 minutes. That alone makes a difference. If you’re struggling with fatigue, scattered thoughts, or restless sleep, this is the first switch to flip.

Earlier this summer, I noticed I was missing it. I felt off, tired, distracted, more anxious, and sleep was hit or miss. Once I locked this back in, everything started moving the right direction again. Energy. Focus. Recovery. Even mood.

2. stop Caffeine 12 hours before bed

Caffeine is a powerful tool, but it can silently destroy your sleep. Even if you fall asleep fast, it can keep your brain from dropping into deep, restorative sleep. You wake up groggy, restless, or anxious and wonder why.

Here’s the rule of thumb: Avoid caffeine within 12 hours of your target bedtime.

If you go to bed at 10 p.m., cut it by 10 a.m. If you go to bed at midnight, 12 p.m. is your limit.

My Caffeine Tips

I personally cut off all caffeine by 10 a.m. I wake up between 4 and 5 a.m. and start winding down by 9 or 10 p.m. If I break that rule (even for a late meeting or a mood boost) I usually pay for it with broken sleep and a sluggish next day. Not worth it.

Use it early. Use it smart.

I front-load my caffeine:

  • 200 to 300mg within the first couple hours of waking
  • Occasionally another 100 to 200mg if I’m dragging
  • Always aiming to stay under 400mg total

But I’ve also overdone it. I’ve had days with 800 to 1,000mg of caffeine and every single time, I pay for it. I end up staring at the ceiling until 2 or 3 a.m., lucky to get 3 or 4 hours of sleep.

And once that cycle starts, it can be hard to break. Poor sleep makes you reach for more caffeine. That extra caffeine wrecks the next night’s sleep. And around you go.

It’s like taping over a leaky pipe instead of fixing it. You might get through the day, but the pressure keeps building until something bursts.

Bottom line: If your sleep matters, treat caffeine like a weapon. Time it right. Cut it off early.

3. Keep Your Bedroom Cool

Your body needs to drop core temperature by about two to three degrees Fahrenheit to fall asleep and stay asleep. That’s not a suggestion. It’s biology.

Most guys sleep in rooms that are too warm. It messes with your deep sleep, increases wake-ups, and can lead to sweat-soaked sheets and restless mornings.

My Tips for a Cool Room

I live in Texas, where running the A/C year-round would crush your power bill. In the summer, I set the thermostat to 69 or 70 at night. In winter, I drop the heat to 67 so it won’t kick on too early. I also run a ceiling fan on low. Not blasting me in the face, but enough to keep the air moving.

I usually sleep in just bottoms. Sometimes a tee or tank. Blankets are light. You don’t want to wake up sweating or tangled up in sheets. And forget leaving the window open unless you’ve got earplugs. I’ve been woken up by owls, coyotes, and late-night street noise more than once.

Tools and Tricks for a cool room

  • Set your thermostat at night between 60–67°F if you can
  • Use a fan or open window for airflow, but protect against noise
  • Choose lightweight bedding and breathable sleepwear
  • Try a hot shower or sauna before bed. It helps the body cool down naturally

If you’re in a warm climate or stuck in an apartment with weak A/C, even a small shift can help. Sleep cool, sleep deeper, wake up stronger.

4. Build a Wind-Down Ritual

You don’t stumble into great sleep. You create it.

Start thinking of your wind-down like a workout. Your bedroom is the gym, but it’s only for two things: sleep and sex. No TV. No phone. No chaos.

My Wind-Down Ritual

Most people set a morning alarm. I set an evening one. At 9 p.m., I shut it down. No more work. No more stimulation. That’s when the ritual starts.

I head to my room. Brush teeth, wash face. I drink magnesium earlier in the evening (not too close to bed so I don’t have to pee). I avoid eating 3–4 hours before bed, and I don’t slam water late either. I might take CBD gummies. They help me calm down, but they’re optional.

I lie down with a good fiction book. Fiction keeps me relaxed. Nonfiction gets my brain racing. Once I start feeling tired, I’ll throw on a low-stimulation podcast like Lex Fridman or Modern Wisdom. I set a sleep timer for 15–30 minutes and let it fade out.

My phone stays out of sight and out of mind. I use soft lighting or a lamp. Blue light is off limits. And I run a simple white noise machine I found on Amazon to block out random sounds.

When Things Go Off-Track

If I’m traveling, I always pack earplugs and a sleep mask. Sometimes melatonin or CBD. Maybe a packet of chamomile tea.

If I can’t fall asleep, I don’t force it. I breathe. If it’s been 30 minutes and I’m still restless, I’ll turn on a nightlight and read. And if I wake up at 3 a.m. and can’t fall back asleep, I don’t spiral. I just get up, start the day, and don’t overdo caffeine the following day.

Not a “Night Owl”

Nobody is born to be nocturnal. If you think you’re a night owl, you probably haven’t tried this. Or your life right now makes it harder (shift work, new baby, etc.).

But the principle stays the same: protect your evening like you protect your time in the gym. Because that’s where tomorrow starts.

5. Create a sleep schedule and stick to it

Your brain and body love rhythm. Same sleep time. Same wake time. That consistency builds momentum. It trains your nervous system to know what to expect and when.

My Sleep Routine

I give myself some grace on weekends for socializing or a date night. But I’m rarely up past midnight. I try to schedule morning activities on Saturday and Sunday—workouts, church, volunteering—so I’ve got a reason to get up and out. I never “sleep in.” If the sun is up, I’m up. I can count on one hand how many times I’ve slept past sunrise in the last five years.

I used to feel the “Sunday scaries” all the time, especially when I was drinking. It’s social jet lag. You stay up late, throw off your rhythm, and pay for it Monday morning. Avoid at all costs.

Play Hard, Pay Hard

As Jocko Willink says, every choice is a trade-off. If being out with your friends matters to you, do it. That’s part of a full life. But engineer it to work for you. Maybe meet up earlier in the day. Maybe cut it off before midnight. I’ve learned this the hard way: nothing good happens after midnight.

Simple rule: play hard, pay hard. Don’t expect to run wild all weekend and show up sharp on Monday. Be honest with yourself about the cost.

Stay on Track After a Disruption

I never skip a workout just because I didn’t sleep. I don’t call off work. I power through. Anyone can get through one bad night.

Here’s how I reset after poor sleep:

  • Stand more during the day (I raise my desk to avoid zoning out)
  • Take walks outside instead of pounding caffeine
  • Use light, movement, and meals to re-anchor my body clock

What I don’t do: slam 600mg of caffeine or nap for three hours. That just digs a deeper hole.

Keep moving. Reset your rhythm. And get back to work.

6. Don’t Medicate Bad Sleep (Fix the Root problem)

It’s tempting to reach for a nightcap, melatonin, or a sleeping pill when sleep isn’t clicking. But here’s the truth:

Alcohol wrecks your sleep quality. It might help you relax or fall asleep faster, but it shreds your REM and deep sleep. Even one or two drinks before bed can reduce recovery, fragment your rest, and make you feel worse the next day. It’s like detonating a bomb in your bed. Just don’t do it.

Sleeping pills and prescriptions (like Ambien or benzos) might knock you out, but they don’t lead to natural sleep architecture. You’re sedated, not restored. You often wake up groggy or foggy, and the relief is temporary. Trust me—I’ve used them all. They only mask the real issue: poor sleep habits.

As Tim Ferriss says, “There’s no biological free lunch.” Everything has a trade-off. The quick fix comes at a cost. If you lean too hard on supplements or meds without fixing your routine, you’re just painting over rust.

My Experience with Sleep Meds

I’ve used alcohol, weed, Ambien, benzos—you name it. They might help for a night or two, but if your habits suck, none of them will save you. The real win came when I installed a repeatable system. A night-time alarm, as recommended by Alex Hormozi, changed everything. It gave my evenings structure, just like the gym does for my mornings.

I’ll occasionally use CBD or melatonin, but only in small, intentional doses. Melatonin is a hormone—your body already makes it. Circadian rhythm and light exposure matter more than pills. And most guys are overdosing. Take the minimum effective dose.

Use supplements as tools, not as crutches.

7. Track Your Sleep (But Don’t Obsess)

You can’t improve what you don’t measure, but when it comes to sleep, too much data can mess you up.

Wearables are everywhere now: Apple Watch, Oura, Whoop, FitBit. They give you deep sleep charts, HRV trends, readiness scores, and for some guys, anxiety.

This is the nocebo effect in action: you check your sleep score, see a red zone, and suddenly convince yourself you’re tired. You go through the day sluggish, not because you are tired, but because the app said you should be.

Use the data to spot trends, not to tell you how to feel.

my Sleep Tracking

I use an Apple Watch with the AutoSleep app on iOS. I don’t wear it every night, but it’s useful for checking patterns: late caffeine, stressful days, intense evening workouts, poor sleep. I’ve done full overnight sleep studies too. Those are the only real way to get detailed, clinical accuracy.

The truth? Most wearables aren’t great at measuring sleep stages or HRV. So don’t geek out too hard.

  • Don’t chase perfection.
  • Don’t panic when you get a “bad score.”
  • Don’t let a piece of plastic ruin your day.

Use what you already have. Pair it with a simple journal if you want to log caffeine timing, workout intensity, or mood. Then adjust.

I also never judge my energy based on how I feel first thing in the morning. I get up, feed the dog, move around, step outside. Then I ask how I feel. Sometimes a crappy sleep still leads to a solid day, especially if I protect my routines.

Track sleep. Just don’t let it tell you how you’re going to perform.

Sleep Better: Do This, Not That

After all the deep dives and personal insights, here’s where we bring it home. This is your quick-hit checklist—a straight-up, no-excuses snapshot of what works and what doesn’t. Use it to audit your habits, build your routine, or reset when things get off track.

Do:

  • Get outside for morning sunlight within 60 minutes of waking
  • Front-load your caffeine and cut it 12 hours before bed
  • Keep a consistent sleep and wake time (even on weekends)
  • Wind down before bed using low light and low stimulation
  • Keep your bedroom cool, dark, and quiet
  • Use supplements only when necessary, at minimal doses
  • Use wearables to track trends, not to judge your worth

Don’t:

  • Slam caffeine after lunch
  • Drink alcohol to “relax” before bed
  • Pop melatonin like candy
  • Let one bad night of sleep derail your whole week
  • Assume you can out-supplement bad sleep hygiene
  • Let a bad sleep score ruin your momentum

Build these into your daily rhythm. Don’t aim for perfection. Aim for better. A few smart decisions each day can change everything about how you sleep, feel, train, and show up.