Building better sleep habits is a gradual process, and it takes time to rewire ingrained patterns. For one individual, the journey to better sleep habits spanned 66 days, beginning with the challenge of getting to bed earlier. Despite a lifelong tendency to stay up late, they embraced a new approach, focusing on consistency and self-awareness rather than rigid rules.
In the first week, despite their efforts to go to bed earlier and wake up with natural light, they found themselves battling fatigue by Saturday afternoon. This was a familiar cycle of tiredness, yet they pushed through, hoping for better results. By the second week, however, they found relief in strategic napping taking short, planned naps when sleep was insufficient. This helped them recover from late nights and made the weekends feel less exhausting.
As the weeks progressed, they started to notice more significant improvements. In week three, they learned to trust their body’s natural sleep signals, allowing themselves to read until they felt sleepy, which led to easier transitions into sleep. By week four, when they encountered a familiar struggle of mind racing at night, they implemented techniques like writing down tasks and practicing mindfulness to calm their thoughts.
By the fifth week, sleep consistency had become more apparent. They no longer oscillated between forcing themselves to wake up early and catching up on sleep. Instead, they allowed themselves to go to bed when they felt tired, typically between 11 p.m. and midnight, and woke up as late as their schedule allowed. This consistency continued into the sixth week, where they found relaxation in winding down with a phone conversation and realized that the myth of needing to avoid phones entirely before bed wasn’t as crucial as once thought.
By week seven, even when external stressors like an international election disrupted their routine, they had learned to let go of the pressure to fall asleep immediately. They got up, read more, and stopped obsessing over the clock or how many hours of sleep they would get. This shift in mindset helped them relax more, contributing to better sleep.
By the eighth week, the individual noticed a significant reduction in daytime grogginess. Their sleep was more consistent, and they felt more energized. This reinforced the idea that “good sleep begets good sleep,” as better rest during the night led to more productive days. By the ninth week, they had achieved the first consistent sleep routine of their life. The 66-day journey had not only improved their sleep but also helped them shed the anxiety surrounding the need for perfect sleep. They had developed a routine that worked for them, and the process had been less challenging than anticipated, thanks to their willingness to let go of perfectionism and embrace a more flexible approach to rest.
