10 Peter Attia’s sleep rules for a restful night

Lack of quality sleep can weaken the immune system, impair brain function, and accelerate aging. If you're constantly tired or not waking up refreshed, your sleep habits may need a serious upgrade.

Dr. Peter Attia emphasizes that sleep is key to health and performance. In his book Outlive, he outlines science-backed strategies for improving sleep, enhancing recovery, and supporting long-term well-being.

This article will discuss 10 key Peter Attia's sleep rules and how they can help you achieve deep, restorative rest.

Peter Attia on sleep: What are Peter Attia's 10 rules for sleep?

Peter Attia's 10 sleep rules are the sleep habits that he personally follows to optimize his nighttime rest.

He mostly focuses on making simple lifestyle changes, like managing light exposure and maintaining a consistent sleep schedule, so anyone can incorporate them in their daily schedule to experience better sleep quality and feel more energized.

Peter Attia's sleep routine includes:

1. Avoiding alcohol in the evening

2. Not eating late at night 

3. Turning off electronics two hours before bed

4. Avoiding stressful activities before sleep

5. Using heat therapy for deeper sleep

6. Aiming for 8+ hours of sleep

7. Having a fixed wake-up time

8. Exercising regularly to build sleep pressure

9. Creating a sleep-inducing environment

10. Taking sleep-supporting supplements

1. Avoiding alcohol in the evening

Alcohol may seem like a quick way to unwind, but it can significantly disrupt your sleep cycle. Even small amounts can reduce the quality of your rest, leading to lighter sleep and more frequent wake-ups throughout the night.

Here are the primary ways in which alcohol disrupts sleep:

1. Sedative effects: Alcohol helps you fall asleep faster, but it doesn't promote natural, restorative sleep

2. Fragmented sleep: Alcohol stimulates the fight-or-flight response, causing more frequent awakenings during the night

3. Less REM sleep: REM sleep, which is crucial for emotional health and memory consolidation, is reduced by alcohol consumption

These mechanisms create a vicious cycle by decreasing sleep quality, leading most people to experience higher stress levels and increasing the need for another drink the following night.

If you must drink, Dr. Peter Attia recommends limiting alcohol intake to one drink before 6 pm to minimize its effects on your sleep. 

Source: Edward Eyer

2. Not eating late at night

A healthy diet can improve rest, but Peter Attia warns that eating too close to bedtime can have the opposite effect. Late-night meals may cause digestive issues and spike insulin levels, disrupting the body’s ability to rest. To optimize sleep, avoid eating at least three hours before bed.

Peter Attia says he noticed significant improvements in his sleep quality when fasting. Thanks to low blood glucose levels and an empty stomach before bed, your body becomes better prepared for a deep rest.

Giving your digestive system time to process your last meal allows your body to focus on recovery and deep sleep rather than digestion. Aside from meal timing, what you eat also plays a role in enhancing sleep quality. For example, studies have shown show that ketogenic diets can enhance sleep by reducing nighttime awakenings, improving REM sleep, and decreasing daytime sleepiness.

Source: Ella Olsson

3. Turning off electronics two hours before bed

The blue light emitted by phones, computers, and TVs can disrupt your body's natural sleep cycle by delaying melatonin production, making it harder to fall asleep. To prevent this, avoiding screens for at least two hours before bed is recommended.

If you must use electronics, use blue light filters or blue light glasses to reduce their impact on your circadian rhythm and consume content that is not stressful. Still, the best strategy is to turn off screens and engage in calming activities, such as reading a book or meditating, to signal to your body that it's time to wind down.

Dr. Peter Attia also emphasizes the importance of disconnecting from stimulating content before sleep. Engaging in highly stimulating activities close to bedtime can increase anxiety and keep your brain active, making it difficult to unwind.

Source: JESHOOTS

4. Avoiding stressful activities before sleep

Engaging in stressful activities like checking work emails, social media, or handling high-stakes tasks can elevate your stress levels and keep your mind active when it should be winding down. Attia recommends avoiding these activities at least one hour before bed to allow your brain to relax and prepare for sleep.

He says he uses a second phone with limited access to prevent late-night distractions. This phone is designed for personal calls and messages, ensuring work-related stress doesn't creep into his evening.

5. Using heat therapy for deeper sleep

Spending time in a sauna, hot tub, or taking a warm shower before bed raises your body temperature. By lying in a cool bed right after, you cause a rapid temperature drop, signaling to your brain that it's time to go to sleep.

Dr. Peter Attia incorporates this practice regularly, using the sauna four to six nights a week to enhance his sleep quality and health. He pairs this with the Eight Sleep mattress cover to create a sharp contrast between the sauna's heat and his bed's coolness. This temperature drop is a key factor in improving sleep quality, as it helps facilitate the body's natural cooling process and enhances REM sleep.

For those without a sauna, a warm bath or shower and a cool sleeping environment can still be beneficial. Consider incorporating this temperature shift into your routine for deeper, more restorative sleep.

Source: Max Vakhtbovycn

6. Aiming for 8+ hours of sleep

Quality sleep requires enough time, so aim for at least 8 hours in bed to ensure your body gets sufficient rest and recovery. This allows for a full recovery and ensures you experience all the necessary sleep stages, including deep sleep and REM sleep, critical for mental clarity, cognitive function, and physical repair. 

Sleeping less than necessary each night will not only affect your daily activities but may also lead to health issues like high blood pressure and inflammation.

While sleep quantity is essential, sleep quality is equally important. Pay attention to factors that may disrupt your rest, such as snoring, background noise, or using an uncomfortable pillow. Addressing these issues can significantly improve your overall sleep experience.

Tracking your sleep with a sleep tracker can help here as it can provide valuable insights into key metrics like heart rate and heart rate variability. Peter Attia's sleep tracking habits allow him to fine-tune his sleep routine based on how his body is responding to changes he’s incorporating.

Tracking your sleep can help you optimize rest by monitoring the sleep cycles your brain experiences every night: 

| Sleep stage            | Function                                                           | Duration per cycle |
| ---------------------- | ------------------------------------------------------------------ | ------------------ |
| Stage 1 (Light sleep)  | Transition from wakefulness, muscle relaxation begins              | 1–5 minutes        |
| Stage 2 (Stable sleep) | Body temperature drops, heart rate slows, memory processing starts | 10–25 minutes      |
| Stage 3 (Deep sleep)   | Physical recovery, immune function, muscle repair                  | 20–40 minutes      |
| Stage 4 (REM sleep)    | Dreaming, memory consolidation, learning                           | 10–60 minutes

Bonus read — Dive into our guides on sleep and discover more ways to improve your sleep habits: 

• Eight Sleep reviews

• BedJet vs. Eight Sleep

• Eight Sleep alternatives

7. Having a fixed wake-up time

Dr. Peter Attia emphasizes the importance of having a fixed wake-up time, even on weekends. Deviations, such as waking up early or sleeping in, can disrupt the body’s circadian rhythm and negatively affect sleep quality. 

Maintaining this consistency regulates your body's internal clock, making it easier to fall asleep and wake up refreshed.

Source: Miriam Alonso

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8. Exercising to build sleep pressure

Regular exercise, particularly sustained endurance workouts like zone 2 training, improves sleep quality. This moderate-intensity exercise helps build sleep pressure, making it easier to fall and stay asleep.

To improve your sleep quality, aim for at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity exercise per week. Dr. Peter Attia himself follows a consistent exercise routine that consists of: 

•     Four hours of Zone 2 training per week

•     One high-intensity VO2 max workout

•     Four strength training sessions.

Still, it's important to avoid intense workouts, especially high-intensity exercises, within 2–3 hours before bedtime. This can elevate your heart rate and increase cortisol levels, making it challenging to fall asleep. Instead, focus on building consistent exercise habits earlier in the day.

Source: Leandro Boogalu

9. Creating a sleep-inducing environment

Ensure your bedroom is as dark as possible to support your body's production of melatonin, the hormone that signals it's time to sleep. Use blackout curtains or an eye mask to block out any external light — the darker your room, the better your chances of falling into a deep, restorative sleep.

In addition to darkness, maintaining a cool room temperature — ideally between 60–67° F (15–20° C) — can significantly improve sleep quality. A cooler environment helps your body drop its core temperature, facilitating deeper stages of sleep.

Dr. Attia also recommends keeping the room quiet to minimize noise disruptions. If you're sensitive to sounds, consider using earplugs or a white noise machine to create a more peaceful environment.

10. Taking sleep-supporting supplements

Supplements help enhance sleep quality, especially when facing stress or having difficulty falling asleep. Common supplements like magnesium, glycine, and ashwagandha have been linked to better sleep by promoting relaxation and reducing anxiety. Magnesium threonate and magnesium oxide are especially beneficial for supporting deeper sleep cycles. 

Dr. Peter Attia incorporates these supplements into his nightly routine and notes that he does not rely on melatonin unless he's experiencing jet lag, in which case he uses it to adjust to new time zones.

The table shows key sleep supplements Peter Attia uses and their benefits for sleep:

| Supplement  | Benefit                                                                     |
| ----------- | --------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| Magnesium   | Helps relax muscles, reduce anxiety, and promote deeper sleep               |
| Glycine     | Improves sleep quality and helps reduce core body temperature               |
| Ashwagandha | Reduces cortisol and anxiety, promoting calmness and better sleep           |
| Melatonin   | Aids in falling asleep and is particularly useful for jet lag or shift work |
| L-theanine  | Promotes relaxation without causing drowsiness and helps ease into sleep

While these compounds have proven benefits, choosing supplements based on your individual needs is essential, so consider consulting with a healthcare professional and getting a blood test to uncover any deficiencies before creating your stack.

Bonus read — Learn more about the benefits of supplementation in our detailed guides below:

• Types of nootropics

• Adaptogens and nootropics

• Nutrigenomics

• Peter Attia hormone replacement therapy

Bonus step: Understand your genes for better sleep 

Genetics play a significant role in how we sleep, influencing everything from sleep patterns to conditions such as insomnia, anxiety-related sleep disturbances, and delayed sleep phase disorder. While lifestyle changes and sleep strategies like those recommended by Dr. Attia are beneficial, they may not fully address the genetic factors impacting your sleep.

Understanding your genetic predispositions can offer valuable insights into the root causes of your sleep struggles. For example, certain genes influence: 

• How much deep sleep you get

• How easily you fall asleep 

• Your susceptibility to conditions like sleep apnea or restless leg syndrome

Identifying these genetic factors enables you to tailor your sleep routine to suit your needs.

Nucleus Premium offers whole-genome sequencing, giving you a detailed look at your unique genetics and how they might affect your sleep. This information lets you make smarter, more personalized choices to improve your sleep.

Whole-genome sequencing (WGS) offers a deeper understanding of how genetics impact sleep quality by examining your genetic code and identifying specific markers related to sleep disorders, sleep patterns, and overall rest quality. This information allows you to customize your sleep strategies, ensuring they align with your unique genetic makeup. 

Optimize your sleep with Nucleus’ DNA insights

Nucleus offers one of the most comprehensive whole-genome sequencing services available, providing a deeper understanding of how your genetics influence your sleep. By analyzing nearly 100% of your DNA — including rare genetic variants that commercial tests may overlook — Nucleus delivers highly accurate insights with 99.9% precision. This allows you to identify genetic factors contributing to sleep disturbances, such as:

• Insomnia

• Delayed sleep phase disorder

• Hyperthyroidism (may cause sleep disturbances)

• Anxiety disorders (can affect sleep)

• Depression (can affect sleep)

You’ll also receive personalized recommendations on lifestyle, diet, and fitness, along with a free consultation from a board-certified genetic counselor at SteadyMD to interpret your results and offer sleep optimization advice. Nucleus also provides AI-powered health tips to help you make smarter, data-driven decisions for your well-being.

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Take control of your sleep quality with Nucleus

For $399, Nucleus Premium provides a complete genetic analysis, helping you uncover how your DNA impacts your sleep. The package includes your test kit, free shipping both ways, and continuous updates as new research emerges — offering a long-term resource for optimizing your sleep strategies.

Getting started with Nucleus is simple:

1. Sign up for Nucleus Premium

2. Provide your personal information

3. Order your test kit 

When you receive the test kit, complete a quick cheek swab and mail the sample. Once your sample reaches the lab, your results will be available online within 6–8 weeks. You'll also receive ongoing updates as genetic science evolves.

Your sample is processed in CLIA-certified and CAP-accredited U.S. labs that meet the highest clinical standards, ensuring accuracy and reliability. The platform is also fully HIPAA-compliant, so your data remains secure and confidential.

Featured photo Source: Andrea Piacquadio