The 'Only 3 Things' I Changed to Improve My Sleep After 8 Hours of Sleep Still Left Me Tired

Even though I sleep 8 hours every day, I feel tired when I wake up in the morning.

Have you ever had the experience of thinking, 'Maybe I should sleep more,' and then sleeping for 10 hours on your day off, only to feel even more sluggish?

In reality, sleep is almost always a matter of 'quality' rather than 'quantity.' After I struggled with the same problem and tried various things, I changed just three things, and my morning wake-up experience changed completely. I'm going to talk about that now.

First of all, what is 'sleep that doesn't relieve fatigue'?

During sleep, the body repeats cycles of 'non-REM sleep (deep sleep)' and 'REM sleep (light sleep)' approximately every 90 minutes.

Fatigue is primarily reset during the non-REM sleep (deep sleep) phase. This is when growth hormones are secreted, and cells are repaired and memories are organized.

In other words, no matter how many hours you sleep, if you aren't entering deep sleep, your body won't recover. If you feel like you 'didn't really sleep' or 'dream too much,' it might be a sign that you are only getting light sleep.

Change #1: Take a bath 90 minutes before bed

'It's better to take a bath right before bed so you're warm and can sleep'—this is actually counterproductive.

The human body is designed so that drowsiness increases when core body temperature drops. If you take a bath right before bed, your body temperature stays elevated, making it harder to enter deep sleep.

Taking a lukewarm bath at 38–40°C for 15–20 minutes, 90 minutes before bed, allows your body temperature to drop smoothly after the bath, which is the perfect timing for drowsiness to set in.

The first night I tried this, I felt, 'Oh, this is different.' The lightness of waking up the next morning was clearly different.

Change #2: Make the bedroom 'just 2°C' cooler

The ideal room temperature for a good night's sleep is considered to be 16–19°C. In Japan, room temperatures tend to be high, especially in summer, which is a major cause of light sleep.

You don't need to blast the air conditioning; just lowering the set temperature by just 2°C from where it is now makes it easier for your core body temperature to drop, improving the quality of your sleep.

In winter, conversely, watch out for dryness. A room temperature of around 18°C and 50–60% humidity is the best environment for sleeping well. Many people find that just using a humidifier makes a difference.

Change #3: Fix your 'wake-up time'

If you think, 'I'll catch up on sleep this weekend,' and sleep until noon, Monday morning will be tough—this is a state called 'social jetlag.'

Your internal clock is reset by being exposed to light and waking up at the same time every day. Even if your bedtime varies, fixing only your wake-up time is the most effective approach.

What I did was simple: wake up at the same time on weekends as on weekdays. The first two weeks were tough, but from the third week on, I started to get the feeling of 'Oh, I woke up naturally.'

Sleeping in is not 'paying back sleep debt,' but rather an act of 'shifting your internal clock.' If you want to get rid of fatigue, it is actually counterproductive.

Bonus: '3 Habits' You Should Stop Before Bed

In addition to the three above, simply stopping these can also improve your sleep.

1. Keeping your smartphone by your pillow More than blue light, the real problem is the mental state of alertness caused by 'worrying about notifications.' Just not bringing your smartphone into the bedroom will improve your sleep quality. Charge it in another room.

2. Alcohol before bed The idea that 'drinking alcohol helps you sleep well' is a misconception. While alcohol may help you fall asleep faster, it interferes with deep non-REM sleep and makes you more likely to wake up in the middle of the night. If you have a habit of a nightcap, try stopping it once and you will see the difference.

3. Lying down while thinking Thinking about 'tomorrow's tasks or today's mistakes' while in bed keeps your brain in an alert mode. Keep a 'worry notebook' by your pillow and write down everything that is on your mind before you lie down; this will help your brain switch off more easily.

Summary

To change my sleep, I didn't need expensive supplements or special gadgets.

• Take a bath 90 minutes before bed

• Make your bedroom 2°C cooler

• Fix your wake-up time

Just these three things. All of them are things you can start doing today.

If you feel like you 'can't get rid of your fatigue,' please start by fixing your wake-up time rather than your bedtime. Just doing that will regulate your internal clock and improve the overall quality of your sleep.

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