This one habit has had the biggest impact on my sleep

If I had to pick one habit that has had the biggest impact on my sleep, it's this: early morning sunlight exposure.

Most people think sleep starts an hour before bed. For me, sleep starts in the first 30–60 minutes after waking.

My goal is to get outside as close to sunrise as possible—ideally within about 15 minutes of sunrise, or a little before. Low-angle sunlight is less intense and easier on the eyes. It also contains more red light, which is rejuvenating due to longer wavelengths that penetrate deeper into tissue, supporting healthy skin exposure without higher UV risk.

Any amount of time is better than nothing. Go outside for five minutes if that is all you have. I aim for at least 10 minutes, 20 to 30 when I can, before I put in my contacts so the unfiltered light gets into my eyes. This early-day light is a powerful circadian signal.

Your eyes and skin both feed time-of-day information to the brain. Morning light tells the body it's daytime. That signal, even on a cloudy day, helps set your 24-hour clock that later decides when melatonin rises and when you feel sleepy. Bright light in the morning also helps reduce the impact of evening light exposure (not eliminate it, but it improves resilience).

Most people skip that signal and spend the day under artificial indoor light, then blast their eyes with screens at night. No wonder their bodies are confused. A lot of "sleep problems" are just a clock that never reset properly.

Here's what I stack into my morning light window:

1. A 10–30 minute outdoor walk: Minimum is 10 minutes. If I can do more, that's even better. When I spend the first hour of my day outside, I feel the difference at bedtime.
2. Barefoot grounding (when practical): During my neighborhood walk, I'll often walk barefoot on grass. Is "grounding" the most proven intervention on earth? No. But it may reduce inflammation and there is no real downside other than the occasional weird looks from children.
3. Stretching: I have a pull up bar in my patio so I'll do some dead hangs in the morning to decompress the spine. Maybe throw in some hanging leg raises if I feel like it.
4. Voice journaling on my phone: This sounds counterintuitive—phone usage early—but I'm using it intentionally. A quick voice journal helps clear mental clutter before it becomes nighttime rumination. It's also a nice productivity hack. I have AI pick up my transcript later and turn it into an actionable daily briefing.

After all this, I'll also try to maintain natural light exposure during the day. If I'm working from home, one of the highest-ROI moves is working near an open window (or at least cracked open). Unfiltered daylight beats indoor artificial lighting by a mile.

At first, you may not want to wake up before sunrise every day and go outside. I get that. But after doing it every day for a few weeks, you'll notice the difference and may not want to go back to sleeping in. At least that's what happened to me.