Sleeping Early, Sleeping Well

One of the most transformative habits I’ve developed over the last few years is sleeping early and as a result, sleeping well.

During my city life, my sleep rhythm was erratic. I’d often return from work around dinner time. After a quick meal, there was usually a late-night movie, followed by an early morning scramble to start a new day and face the grind. Occasionally, when a concern for health surfaced, I’d push myself to wake up early for a cycling session. It felt like an accomplishment – brief, fleeting, but then I’d be swept back into the same relentless routine. Days turned into months, and months into years. Some nights, one movie turned into two, stretching sleep even further.

I convinced myself I had the energy to manage on just a few hours of rest. That, I now realize, was the biggest lie I believed. The movies gave me fleeting pleasure. But I was bartering sleep – real rest – for shallow entertainment.

Fast forward to the present.

Now, my evenings close in a much more mindful way. I have dinner early, truly early by city standards. Then I spend some quiet time reading a good book, or occasionally browsing something thoughtful on my computer or e-reader. Never movies. In fact, I haven’t watched TV channels in over a decade.

As night deepens, I change into my sleep clothes and settle into bed, book in hand. Depending on how engaging the book is and how much I’ve exerted myself during the day, I usually fall asleep within ten minutes to an hour. Even the Wi-Fi shuts off automatically at night. No screens, no distractions. My bedside clock is an old-fashioned analogue one.

At times, the lamp remains glowing long after I’ve drifted off, only for me to wake up later and switch it off. My spectacles might slide down my nose, or lie unused on the table if the font is large enough to read without them.

When it rains, the soft drumming on the roof becomes my lullaby. Sleep arrives even sooner.

Mornings begin with the chorus of early birds. According to ancient Hindu belief, this pre-dawn time, Brahma Muhurta is when good spirits roam the Earth. The air feels different then. Sacred.

Another thing that I have noticed is that when the mind is relaxed and happy, the amount of sleep needed to wake up refreshed automatically reduces. After all, sleep is nature’s way of relaxing our mind and rebuilding the body.

Now, after a good sleep at night and with the mind relaxed, I don’t feel tired in the day time. No need for naps in the afternoon. I feel full of energy from morning till late in the evening. No mandatory mugs of coffee or tea, though I don’t mind them.

“Early to bed and early to rise” – I don’t know if it has made me wealthy or wise. But I can say this with certainty: it has made me healthier, and undeniably happier.

BTW, did you know that genetics also have a role to play in the total hours of sleep one requires to feel refreshed?

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