Best Of Sleep: Top Sleep Tips To Fall Asleep Faster And Optimize Your Sleep!

Katie Bowman, a biomechanist, argues that modern bedding coddles the body in chair-shaped postures, preventing the natural movement that occurs when sleeping on harder surfaces. She transitioned over 18 months, first to a lower mattress, then a futon, and finally to sheepskins on the floor. She also reduced her pillow height to zero, allowing her neck to move freely. She recommends supplementing with 'pressure-related movements' like foam rolling and massage balls. Ben Greenfield does 15 minutes of 'morning tenderizing' with hard foam rollers and is considering a wooden slatted bed. Bowman notes that floor sleeping also saves space and can be done with a portable sheepskin when traveling.

Scott describes his 'Pavlov's dog routine' as doing the exact same thing for the last 10–15 minutes every night. His sequence includes bathroom, brushing teeth, stretching, putting on an eye mask, turning on a sound machine, doing a gratitude practice, and getting into bed. Ben Greenfield adds that he makes his routine travel-friendly by using portable items like lavender essential oil sprinkled on the pillow, a sleep mask, a red light headlamp, and a pillow under his knees while doing 4-7-8 breathing. He avoids dependence on bulky sleep technologies that can't be replicated in a hotel.

Scott explains that if you consider going to sleep as the beginning of your day, you will treat it with more respect and care. This shift helped him personally after years of sleep deprivation as a doctor who wore a 'sleep is for quitters' shirt. He notes that while morning routines with sunlight and grounding are important, they are ineffective if the preceding eight hours of sleep were poor. The anchoring technique is a cognitive tool to make sleep non-negotiable.

Bowman explains that even when lying on a mattress, the cushion allows the body to maintain flexions acquired from sitting—what she calls 'chair residue.' A firm surface like the floor acts as a 'taskmaster,' forcing joints into a broader range of motion and stretching tissues that are chronically tight. She transitioned over 18 months from a bed to a lower mattress to a futon and finally to sheepskins on the floor, and reduced her pillow height gradually to allow neck movement. She recommends a stepwise adaptation, similar to transitioning to minimalist shoes, and supplementing with 'pressure-related movements' like foam rolling, massage balls, and body work. Ben Greenfield adds that he does 15 minutes of 'morning tenderizing' with hard foam rollers and massage balls. Bowman also notes practical benefits: floor sleeping frees up square footage in small homes.