This past month was definitely not my most interesting or transformative challenge of the past year. Nonetheless, it might have been the most important. It is hard to overstate the value of high-quality sleep, and I say this as someone who has struggled to achieve this for decades. All-in-all, the month was a surprising success. I completely eliminated my bedtime viewing habits, generally fell asleep faster, and was more excited upon rising than before the challenge.

WHAT I LEARNED:

• Inversions are not that hard – Seriously, I thought maintaining a tripod inversion for a few minutes would be difficult, but after spending a couple of nights learning how to get into prep position and roll out of inversion, it was rather simple. Now a handstand – that is difficult! Maybe I will try tackling that at some point in the future.
• I fall asleep fast listening to political commentary – It really does put me out, better than an audiobook or white noise. The nice thing about it is that I don’t care whether I actually listen to it or not (unlike other audio), but it still engages my mind. Maybe this is the perfect combo for inducing sleep. I feel like eventually I want to forego it, but it works for now.
• Outdoor morning meditation feels natural and motivating – Yes, yes, yes! This was by far the best thing about the month. I think the fact that it could be quite cold in the mornings made it even better. Also, 5 minutes is the perfect time window.
• I like lemon water, but it is too much trouble normally – I really did enjoy having lemon water in the morning, but was annoyed at having to prepare the lemon. I guess I could try just putting the lemon slice in water the night before and setting the glass near the bed. Somehow, I feel this would greatly diminish the experience.
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WHAT I WILL DO GOING FORWARD:

• Do inversion for ANY length of time – Although I found doing inversions enjoyable and possibly somewhat sleep inducing, 5 minutes felt like too much time. I think I will keep it on my protocol, but do it for whatever amount of time I want, even if just for a few seconds.
• Stop watching political commentary during the day – There are many educational and entertaining YouTube channels I am subscribed to that are much more worthwhile than politics. I think I will put all of the political channels I am currently subscribed to on my bedtime podcast playlist. Then, I will unsubscribe from them on my PC.
• Lock in morning meditation, indoors if raining – If I continue nothing else, it will be this. I don’t even have to remind myself. It has already become a habit that is both beneficial and enjoyable. The only contingency would be to forego the outdoors if there is inclement weather.
• Take a sip of water; do lemon on weekends – I think establishing the routine of drinking water upon waking is a good one. However, I’m reducing the amount to just a sip – something I will actually be happy to do. I’ll still try to do lemon water on weekends, partly because I have a bag of lemons in my fridge.

I am certain I will do more sleep-related challenges in the future, specifically regarding polyphasic sleep. For now, I am content with the increased optimization I have achieved in this area. May all of you have nourishing, rejuvenating sleep throughout the year 2025.

Namaste.