When I see a shooting star, blow out the candles on my birthday cake, or find a penny or a four-leaf clover (which I’ve only ever captured in jewelry form), I wish for one thing: a good night’s sleep. But luck and magic aren’t enough. I need to do the work, buy the gear, make the arrangements, query the experts. I remember when I used to crawl into bed, turn out the lights, and leave this world for eight blissful hours. What was once a mindless activity has now become a skill requiring practice, discipline, and methodology.
We all know how important sleep is; doctors have made that perfectly clear. “We used to think of sleep as one of the pillars of health,” says Dr. Tony Masri, a neurologist, sleep specialist, and co-founder of Helyx Health, a mental-wellness clinic. “We now realize it’s not a pillar, it’s the foundation. Your nutrition, your exercise, sex—all of that is so secondary to your ability to cope with life if you’re not sleeping well.”