There are few people who would turn down a better night’s rest. Most of us are searching for a way to improve our sleep and wake up feeling refreshed and rested.
One way we may be able to move toward that goal? Biohacking.
“Biohacking and sleep go hand in hand,” says Craig Goldberg, vibroacoustic therapy practitioner and co-founder of technology and wellness company inHarmony.
Let’s take a look at everything you need to know about how to biohack your sleep—including actionable tips for biohacking your sleep.
What is biohacking?
First things first. Before we get into how to biohack sleep, let’s quickly touch on what, exactly, biohacking is.
“Biohacking, in essence, revolves around optimizing your health through personalized lifestyle changes, leading to an improvement in your overall well-being,” explains Goldberg. “It’s about changing your body’s performance, your health, and your overall well-being so that you can achieve a peak state of mind.”
Often referred to as “do-it-yourself biology”, biohacking is about taking your health into your own hands and making small, measurable changes to improve your health—often with technological support.
“Biohacking often involves exploring and utilizing various technologies and techniques to optimize human performance and well-being,” says Goldberg.
According to enthusiasts, you can biohack your way to more energy, higher performance, and—you guessed it—better sleep.
Does biohacking work?
Biohacking is definitely having a moment. But the question is—does it work?
“Biohacking holds the potential to revolutionize overall health,” says Goldberg. “Through personalized approaches to diet, exercise, and stress management, remarkable results can be achieved. This optimization of bodily functions can lead to heightened energy levels, improved mental clarity, and an overall sense of vitality.”
While there’s no argument that improving things like diet, exercise, stress management, and sleep can improve your health, there’s little research on how biohacking specifically improves health—and the research that does exist is generally for specific biohacking techniques versus biohacking in general.
For example, there are studies suggesting that cold plunges may help improve immune function, lower inflammation, and improve recovery and that red light therapy can increase melatonin production, improving sleep quality.
So, does biohacking work? It depends on what you’re actually doing to biohack your way to better health. Just make sure that, before you experiment with any biohacking techniques, you do your research—and talk to your doctor.
“Empowering individuals with the right tools and knowledge paves the way for more people to reach peak performance and attain their ultimate well-being goals,” says Goldberg.
“Biohacking holds the potential to revolutionize overall health. Through personalized approaches to diet, exercise, and stress management, remarkable results can be achieved. This optimization of bodily functions can lead to heightened energy levels, improved mental clarity, and an overall sense of vitality.”
Craig Goldberg, vibroacoustic therapy practitioner and co-founder of technology and wellness company inHarmony
How to biohack your sleep
As mentioned, biohackers claim that these practices can improve health—and that includes sleep.
“Biohacking can be effective in improving sleep quality,” says Goldberg. “By focusing on certain aspects of sleep hygiene and employing biohacking techniques, individuals can positively influence their sleep patterns.”
Leveraging biohacking to improve your sleep offers a number of potential benefits. “Using biohacking to enhance your sleep can lead to increased daytime alertness, improved cognitive function, enhanced mood, and a strengthened immune system,” says Goldberg.
How do you biohack deep sleep—and use biohacking to improve your sleep and wake up feeling rested and refreshed? Try the following tips.
Establish a consistent sleep schedule
Biohacking is all about leveraging your body’s natural processes to improve your health. And so, if you want to improve sleep, you need to optimize your body’s sleep mechanics and circadian rhythm. A great way to do that? Establishing a consistent sleep schedule.
“Go to bed and wake up around the same time every day, even on weekends,” says Goldberg. “This helps regulate your body’s internal clock and promotes better sleep quality.”
Create a sleep-friendly environment
Biohacking isn’t necessarily just about hacking your body; it can also be about hacking your environment to support your body’s processes. And if your goal is to get better sleep, hacking your environment to make it more sleep-friendly can be extremely effective.
“Make your bedroom conducive to sleep by keeping it dark, quiet, and cool,” says Goldberg. “Consider using blackout curtains, earplugs, or white noise machines if needed.”
Then, when you wake up, open those curtains and expose yourself to the morning light. “Exposure to natural light in the morning will help regulate your circadian rhythm, making it easier to wake up in the morning feeling refreshed,” says Goldberg.
Limit screen time before bed
In today’s digitally focused world, many of us spend the majority of our day staring at screens. But “the blue light emitted by screens can interfere with your natural sleep-wake cycle,” says Goldberg.
If you want to biohack your way to better sleep, avoid exposing yourself to screens—including phones, tablets, computers, and TVs—at least an hour before you go to bed. This will allow your body to produce melatonin—aka the sleep hormone—making it easier to fall (and stay!) asleep.
Try vibroacoustic sound
Another way to biohack your way to better sleep? Sound—or, more specifically, vibracoustic sound.
“Vibroacoustic sound involves using low-frequency vibrations, typically delivered through specialized speakers or mats, to provide a form of sound therapy,” says Goldberg. “The vibrations are designed to be felt throughout the body, often in combination with relaxing or ambient music.”
These low-frequency sounds may induce a state of relaxation—which, in turn, can help you get better sleep. “The calming effect of vibroacoustic sound may aid in achieving better sleep and sleep patterns,” says Goldberg.
Nix caffeine before bed
Too much caffeine can ramp up your body’s sympathetic nervous system (also known as “fight or flight”), making it harder to wind down and fall asleep. “These substances can interfere with your ability to fall asleep and may disrupt your sleep cycle,” says Goldberg.
That’s why it’s important to “be mindful of your caffeine and stimulant intake, especially in the afternoon and evening,” says Goldberg. “Opt for herbal teas or decaffeinated beverages in the later part of the day.”
Find the biohacking techniques that work for you
These tips can help you biohack your way to better sleep. But it’s important to keep in mind that what helps one person sleep better may not be effective for another person—so if you want to use biohacking to improve your sleep quality, it may take some trial and error.
“It’s essential to remember that biohacking is a highly individual journey, what works for one person may not work for another,” says Goldberg. “Embrace experimentation, stay open to adaptation, and, most importantly, prioritize your well-being on this exciting quest for improved sleep and overall health.”
FAQs
What are a few examples of biohacking?
Some examples of biohacking include cold exposure, red light therapy, nootropics, and wearable tech.
Can biohacking improve my sleep quality?
Yes! You can use biohacking strategies—including techniques to support your body’s sleep cycles—to improve your sleep.
Are there any potential risks or side effects of sleep biohacking?
The potential risks and side effects of sleep biohacking will depend on a variety of factors—including your own biology and the approach you take to biohacking. Make sure to speak to a doctor before incorporating any biohacking techniques into your wellness routine.
Which sleep-tracking apps are worth trying? Check out our guide to the best sleep tracker apps to find out.
