Sleeping 4 hours a night is not a flex, it’s a cry for rest.

For a long time, I thought sleeping less made me stronger. I mean, we all went through that Tony Robbins era, the one where he proudly said he only sleeps a few hours a night and still dominates the day. I admired that energy. I thought, “If he can run on four hours and still change lives, maybe I can too.” But here’s what I’ve learned the hard way: Sleep deprivation doesn’t make you powerful. It makes you disconnected. From your body, your emotions, your intuition, and your joy for life.

Running on four hours of sleep might look productive, but it’s not sustainable. The body may continue to move, but the mind slowly shuts down. When you’re always “on,” you lose the ability to be present, creative, or emotionally grounded because your nervous system is stuck in survival mode. No diet, supplement, or workout can replace what your body does naturally during deep rest. Sleep is where hormone balance, detoxification, cellular repair, and emotional regulation actually happen. You can’t biohack your way around burnout; you have to recover your way through it.

Your body knows when it’s night, but your phone doesn’t

We live in a world that makes stillness feel impossible. Even when we’re tired, we scroll. Even when we’re anxious, we scroll more, as if another reel might finally calm our nervous system. But instead of peace, we end up consuming strangers’ lives, bad news, and dopamine hits until our brain can’t tell the difference between a real threat and a glowing screen. And then we close our eyes, wondering why our mind is still running laps.

The truth? Your brain can’t switch off if you never stop feeding it noise. These days, I catch myself before bed and ask, “Do I really want to carry this energy into my dreams?” If the answer’s no, I put the phone away. The best tip is to leave your phone in another room. I reach for a book or my journal instead. A good story slows my thoughts, and journaling helps me release whatever the day has left behind. It’s my favorite way to tell my body, “You’re safe. You can let go now.”

Cause your day begins the moment sunlight hits your eyes, not the moment your phone lights up. Morning light tells your body it’s time to be awake. Evening light; the warm, red hues of a sunset tells your body it’s time to rest. It’s basically nature’s simplest therapy: reminding you that your rhythm matters.

A night routine that feels like love (and you’ll actually stick to)

Let’s be real, your night routine shouldn’t feel like another checklist. It should feel like coming home to yourself. Slow down. Breathe. Let the day be done. Some nights I journal, some nights I just lie there in the dark and let my thoughts untangle. But no matter how the day went, I try not to go to bed angry. Give the people you love a kiss. A hug. A moment of softness. Say “I love you” before the lights go out, even if it’s been a messy day. Because when you fall asleep replaying what went wrong, your body stays tense. But when you fall asleep remembering what went right, your whole system exhales. Peace doesn’t come from perfect routines. It comes from choosing connection with yourself and with the people who matter most.

Gratitude isn’t just a mindset trick; it’s a nervous system regulator. So before you drift off, think of three things: the three things that give joy in your life. That’s the energy you want to end your day with, not fight mode, but safe mode.

Two simple add-ons that make a big difference

When it comes to sleep, the small things you do before bed matter most, especially the nutrients that help your body relax and repair overnight.
Here are two that truly change the game for me:

1. Take magnesium glycinate
If you struggle to unwind at night or your mind keeps racing, this one’s for you. Magnesium is the mineral of relaxation it helps calm your muscles, slow your heart rate, and quiet your nervous system so you can actually drift off. How: Take 200–400 mg about an hour before bed.

2. Add 1–2 scoops of collagen to your evening drink

Collagen isn’t just for your skin; it’s your body’s repair material. It provides amino acids that help rebuild tissue, balance blood sugar overnight, and support recovery while you sleep. How: stir 1–2 scoops into chamomile tea or warm, high-fat milk (think coconut, raw, or A2 milk).
It’s beauty sleep, literally, from the inside out.

Enough sleep is a form of self-respect

It’s not about being perfect, it’s about being kind. Kind enough to give your body what it’s been begging for. We glorify overworking and under-resting, but the truth is, healing doesn’t happen in motion. It happens in stillness. And stillness isn’t laziness, it’s power.

If you’re feeling tired, bloated, anxious, or stuck, don’t start with supplements or new diets.
Start with sleep.
Start with softness.
Start with silence.
Start with love.

Because nothing will align not your hormones, your mindset, or your confidence until you remember that rest isn’t optional. It’s a form of self-respect. Sleep isn’t wasted time. It’s the moment your body rebuilds trust with you. So tonight, go to bed early, and let your body do what it’s been waiting to do all along: heal. That’s not a weakness. That’s wisdom.