For many years, I treated sleep almost like an obstacle.
Something that had to fit between work, plans, household duties, family, travel, meetings and the next idea. Preferably quickly and without taking too much of the day. Life is too short to spend it sleeping, right?
Today I would say this instead: life is too short to spend it constantly exhausted.
I still want to create, travel, meet people and begin things I may once have been afraid to try. I also know that I do not want to pursue them at the expense of my own recovery.
Only one thing has changed. I no longer want to do it at my own expense.
Longevity does not begin with expensive therapies, supplements or an attempt to stop time. It begins much closer to home, including in the bedroom, when we put the phone away, close our eyes and allow the body to do the work it cannot do while we remain in constant action mode.
Sleep and longevity: what does research tell us?
A large 2026 study published in Nature examined the relationship between sleep duration and biological ageing. Researchers used data from around half a million UK Biobank participants aged 37 to 84 and analysed 23 biological ageing clocks across 17 systems and organs.
The lowest biological age was observed among people reporting roughly 6.4 to 7.8 hours of sleep. Both short sleep, below six hours, and long sleep, above eight hours, were associated with signs of faster biological ageing.
This was an association, not proof of a simple causal relationship. The message is not to compete for one perfect number. It is a reminder that sleep is connected with the condition of the whole body.
Your body does not switch off at night
During sleep, your brain organises information and memories. Your body regulates hormonal and metabolic processes, your immune system works, and your heart and blood vessels have an opportunity to recover.
That is why concentration is harder after a poor night, patience runs out sooner and decisions feel more difficult. Chronic sleep deprivation and poor sleep quality are associated with a higher risk of conditions including high blood pressure, heart disease, diabetes and mood difficulties.
NHLBI information about sleep deprivation ↗
Does everyone need exactly the same amount of sleep?
No. Most healthy adults are advised to get about seven to nine hours, but individual needs vary with age, health, daily rhythm, activity and sleep quality.
Do you wake feeling rested? Do you have energy during the day? Can you focus? Do you fall asleep without a long struggle with your thoughts? Is your sleep calm or frequently interrupted?
Your body often answers before an app, a watch or a table does. You only need to start listening.
As we age, sleep becomes even more important
Sleep can become lighter, more fragmented and more sensitive to stress, temperature, light and late meals. Hormonal changes can also affect falling asleep and waking during the night.
This does not mean we have to accept exhaustion. If we want to preserve energy, memory, mobility and curiosity, sleep cannot remain the last item on the list. Recovery is part of caring for your future self.
How can you improve sleep without turning life upside down?
1. Keep a regular wake-up time
A consistent morning helps the body maintain its circadian rhythm, even after a weaker night.
2. Create an end-of-day signal
Dim the lights, take a warm shower, read a few pages or choose a calm audio session. Your body needs a clear message that it no longer has to stay alert.
3. Do not take the whole world to bed
Your phone opens the door to work, news and other people’s concerns. Most of them do not need to be solved before midnight.
4. Observe quality as well as duration
For several days, note when you fall asleep, how often you wake and how you feel in the morning.
5. Do not wait until your body demands rest
Recovery works best as a regular practice, not an emergency response.
Why did the app enter my life?
I was not looking for another app. I was looking for a way to calm down more easily, sleep better and consciously influence my state. I wanted a tool I could use at night and during the day when I needed a reset, focus or energy.
I do not treat the app as a magic button or a replacement for healthy habits. For me, it is part of conscious recovery. I share it because I use it myself, and I help interested people explore the programmes and move calmly through their first 7 days.
Longevity is not only the number of years lived
I am less interested in how long I will live than in how I will feel while living. Will I have energy, curiosity, presence and the desire to create, learn and travel?
Sleep will not solve everything. It may, however, be one of the best investments in the person you will become in a few years.