Stop Fighting Willpower. Fix Your Sleep 😴

Stop Fighting Willpower. Fix Your Sleep 

If there was a “magic pill” that improved your energy, lifespan, healthspan, coordination, hormones, insulin sensitivity, recovery, and focus…

You’d take it.

That pill is sleep. 

And when your sleep is off, you’re not just tired—you’re playing life on hard mode.

Why poor sleep makes everything harder ️

Most people treat sleep like a “nice-to-have.”

But sleep is a multiplier. When it’s bad, everything downstream gets harder:

1) Your hunger hormones get hijacked 

Two big players:

• Ghrelin = “Eat more” (hunger signal)

• Leptin = “I’m full” (satiety signal)

When you’re under-slept:

• ghrelin goes up 

• leptin goes down 

Translation: your body pushes you toward more calories, and usually more sugar + fat.

Real-world example: if you normally eat 2,000 calories/day and cravings rise ~20%, that can mean ~400 extra calories without you “choosing” it.

So now you’re not just dieting… you’re dieting with your biology working against you. 

2) Your insulin sensitivity drops 

Sleep loss can make you borderline insulin resistant for the day.

That means:

• carbs/sugar stay in the bloodstream longer

• energy crashes feel worse

• cravings become louder

• body comp goals get harder

3) Your willpower and decision-making fall apart 

This is the sneaky one.

When you’re under-slept:

• you’re more impulsive

• you’re less patient

• motivation feels low

• discipline becomes “expensive”

So it’s not just “cravings.”

It’s also that your brain is more likely to say:

“Skip the workout.”

“Grab the snack.”

“Pour the drink.”

“I’ll start Monday.”

Quantity matters… but quality matters more 

Yes, the typical target is 7–9 hours in bed.

But “time in bed” ≠ “time asleep.”

What you really want is more restorative sleep:

• Deep sleep (mostly in the first third of the night): physical recovery, growth hormone release, cellular cleanup 

• REM sleep (more later): memory, mood, learning, creativity 

If you’ve ever slept “enough” but woke up foggy… it’s usually a quality issue, not just a quantity issue.

The biggest sleep upgrades (without overcomplicating it) 

1) Consistent sleep + wake times 

Your body runs on a 24-hour clock (circadian rhythm).

The more consistent you are (even on weekends), the easier it is for your body to:

• get sleepy at the right time

• stay asleep

• wake up with energy

2) Morning light is medicine 

Within 1–2 hours of waking:

• get outside

• get light in your eyes

• take a quick walk if you can 

This helps set your internal clock so melatonin rises at night when you want it.

3) Don’t eat too close to bed 

If sleep is a struggle, aim for 2–4 hours between your last meal and bedtime.

Late food can:

• spike heart rate

• disrupt blood sugar

• keep your system “on” when it should be powering down

  
  

(And yes… dessert late at night is a common sleep wrecker. I learned that the hard way with a cinnamon roll )

4) Alcohol sedates you… but wrecks your sleep 

Alcohol can knock you out, but it tends to tank REM sleep, raise resting heart rate, and lower HRV.

If you drink:

• keep it light

• finish earlier

• notice how your body responds the next day

5) Caffeine earlier than you think 

Caffeine sticks around longer than most people realize.

If sleep is off, tighten your caffeine window earlier in the day and see what changes.

6) Make your room a sleep cave 

Quick wins:

• keep it cool (roughly 60–68°F)

• block light (blackouts / eye mask)

• block noise (fan / white noise / earplugs)

  
  

Getting to sleep is one thing… staying asleep is the real goal.

7) Stress is the ceiling 

If your brain won’t shut off, sleep won’t be consistent.

One of the best “stress reducers” is productive action (not busyness):

When you make real progress during the day, your mind has less unfinished business to replay at 3:00am.

The takeaway 

Don’t just chase discipline.

Build the foundation that makes discipline possible.

If you want one simple plan for this week:

•  consistent bedtime/wake time

•  morning sunlight

•  finish eating earlier

•  blue light blockers at night

Small changes. Big returns.

Sleep Tight,

Corey