The Best Bedtime: The Earlier, The Better?

Last night, I did something I haven’t done in years: I went to sleep at 9:00pm. I didn’t think I’d be able to fall asleep, but I was out within minutes. I slept for 10.5 hours, had unbelievably vivid dreams which I was able to recall in clear detail several hours later (I usually forget dreams instantly). It felt like going to sleep earlier somehow counted more. Maybe it does, or maybe this was just a blip on the radar — a random occurrence.

I’m 29 years old, with a history of being a night owl 5-6 days of the week. I approximate that I’ve had about 10 years of sub-optimal sleep, which means I’ve missed several thousand hours of rest. I realize how harmful this chronic sleep deprivation can be, so I’ve been trying to nap more and sleep longer every day. My sleep habits have improved, but…

Last night was such a pronounced difference in my normal quality of sleep, my normal quantity and level of realism of dreams… I’ll continue experimenting with earlier bedtimes, aiming to consistently fall asleep around 9:00p.

Sleep is so underrated. Finding the ideal diet and exercise regimens are constant sources of debate, but very few disagree on the benefits of getting more quality rest.