Short Sleeper Like Me? Falling Asleep Is Everything. Here Are 5 Habits I Swear By

I’ve never needed long sleep to function. But now, I crave that glorious 8 hours every single day.

In my 20s and early 30s, 6 hours felt enough. I could stay up watching shows or movies until 1 a.m. and still wake up like a human espresso shot. No naps. No grogginess. No signs of burnout. I assumed I’d been gifted with some kind of mutation, the kind only a lucky few are born with. The naturally short sleepers (NSS). A rare genetic minority who sleep less than six hours and feel genuinely refreshed. They’re not faking it or powering through. They’re wired differently.

But time has a way of humbling you.

These days, I can’t shake the question: What if I’m not built like that anymore?
What if I never was?

A few months ago, I started reading and listening—again—to podcasts about sleep and everything in between. Because even though I wasn’t exhausted, part of me would linger in bed, hoping to squeeze in more rest. My energy would dip. I started doubting whether I could handle a strength workout if I didn’t feel fully restored. And my skin? It was suddenly more sensitive.

The Lucky Few: Who Are Naturally Short Sleepers?

They don’t need alarms. They don’t rely on coffee. They don’t “catch up” on weekends. Their brains move efficiently through every stage of sleep—deep sleep, REM, memory consolidation, hormone regulation—all in just 4 to 6 hours, without cutting corners. And they don’t just function. They flourish.

They tend to be high performers. Multitaskers. Mentally sharp. Resistant to pain. Some even seem immune to jet lag. That’s according to Dr. Ying-Hui Fu, the neurologist who discovered this phenomenon. In a Vox interview, she called them “Homo sapiens 2.0.”

But here’s the catch: they’re rare. Some studies estimate that only 1–3% of the population carry the specific gene mutations (like DEC2, ADRB1, or NPSR1) that make this possible. Dr. Matthew Walker—neuroscientist and author of Why We Sleep—puts it plainly:

You are more likely to be struck by lightning than be a true short sleeper.

Still, I couldn’t help but wonder. Am I part of that minority, just no longer invincible with age? I’m 37. Can’t blame Mother Nature, can I?

The Nuance

What a naturally short sleeper’s body does isn’t something you can train, force, or supplement your way into. Dr. Fu’s research shows that even among those with the right genes, not all express the trait. It’s complex. Polygenic. Unpredictable.

Most people who think they’re short sleepers are actually chronically sleep-deprived—getting by on adrenaline, caffeine, and a body that hasn’t broken down yet.

God forbid that’s me now.

So I’m erring on the side of caution

I started tracking my sleep. I made changes—not because I was crashing, but because I wanted to prevent the crash from coming. From sleep experts, there’s a running list of tips to help you fall asleep and stay asleep—from ditching melatonin to avoiding alcohol to honoring your circadian rhythm.

As for me…

Here are 5 habits I rely on to make falling asleep less of a struggle:

1. No Coffee 8 Hours Before Bedtime

Walker explains that caffeine’s half-life ranges from 5–7 hours, meaning a cup of coffee at 2 pm may still leave you with 25% of its stimulating effect at midnight—disrupting deep sleep quality and delaying melatonin production. He recommends stopping caffeine 8–10 hours before bedtime.

After a certain hour, I stop thinking about my favorite oat latte. And resist every temptation to make or order one, despite everything that needs to get done.

2. Afternoon or Evening Exercise

Dr. Peter Attia advocates moderate, steady-state (Zone 2) cardio—about 3–4 sessions per week—as it enhances mitochondrial efficiency and builds sleep pressure, helping you fall asleep faster and enjoy better quality rest. He also points out that even light-intensity exercise can aid sleep in individuals with insomnia, though it’s wise to schedule it earlier or allow a buffer of a few hours before bed to avoid elevating cortisol and body temperature .

I do some lifting, ab exercises, and squats. That’s all. And it works wonders.

3. Go to Bed the Same Time Each Night

Dr. Gina Poe emphasizes that consistent bedtime anchors your master circadian clock and harmonizes hormone release cycles, improving both sleep quality and daytime cognitive performance. Regular morning light exposure further reinforces this entrainment. Dr. Satchin Panda supports this rhythm alignment, stating that syncing sleep, meals, and activity with your 24‑hour clock is essential for optimal metabolic, mental, and physical health .

You’ve got to try this. This has been very effective for me.

4. Shower Before Bed

I’ve taken in so much content, I honestly can’t remember where I picked this up. A warm shower or bath 1–2 hours before sleep lowers core body temperature, helping you fall asleep faster and boosting deep sleep duration. The induced vasodilation triggers the body’s internal rest signals.

Personally, it doesn't even have to be a warm bath. The refreshing tap water gets me there just as well.

5. Follow the Rhythm

Panda highlights that exposure to natural daylight, especially in the morning, combined with consistent timing of sleep, meals, and activity, supports a healthy circadian rhythm—enhancing sleep quality, mood, and metabolic health.

So light in the morning. Dim lights at night. No phones. No blue light. Zip.

Sleep Isn’t Just Rest. It’s Repair.

Deep sleep isn’t a luxury. It’s your body’s biological maintenance window.

During deep non-REM sleep, brain waves slow and synchronize, the heart rate drops, and the body clears out metabolic waste. Then comes REM sleep, when the brain processes emotions, consolidates memories, and releases key hormones like testosterone and growth hormone.

Miss these stages—or compress them—and your body pays the price:

→ Weaker muscles
→ Brain fog
→ Slower metabolism
→ Emotional reactivity

Walker calls sleep:

“The single most effective thing you can do to reset your brain and body health.”

Even true short sleepers, with their genetic edge, still cycle through these phases. If you’re not wired like them, trying to copy their rhythm is like skipping surgery because someone else healed with a bandage.

Sleep Is Both a Gift and a Duty

The older I get, the more I realize: you don’t get to outsmart biology. But you can work with it. You can give your body what it’s asking for before it begs.

I still don’t get eight hours every night. But with these habits? Six hours still feels good.

Then again, I’m not getting younger. If I really want those 8 glorious hours…

Maybe I’ll try supplementing with magnesium glycinate—one that already includes vitamin D3, vitamin B6, and zinc.

But that’s a story for another day.