Why 5 Hours of Sleep Can Feel Better Than 8

Ever sleep 8 hours and wake up feeling like you got hit by a truck? But then sleep just 5 hours and somehow wake up sharp, alert, and ready to go? If you've ever wondered why this happens, you're not alone. Here's the truth most people don't know: It's not about how long you sleep. It's about when you wake up. Your brain doesn't work on a simple timer. It works in 90-minute cycles. And if you wake up at the wrong point in that cycle—even after a full 8 hours—you're going to feel terrible. But if you wake up at the right point after just 5 or 6 hours, you'll feel amazing. In this video, I'm breaking down exactly how sleep works and how you can hack your wake-up time to never feel groggy again. *What You'll Learn:* ✅ The 4 stages of sleep and why they matter ✅ Why waking up mid-cycle makes you feel like garbage ✅ How to calculate your perfect bedtime using 90-minute cycles ✅ The 5 things destroying your sleep quality (and you probably don't even know it) ✅ The exact evening routine to prepare your body for deep sleep ✅ Why your phone is ruining your rest (and what to do instead) ✅ How to wake up naturally with light instead of shocking your system ✅ The first 10 minutes after waking that determine your entire day ✅ Why 7.5 hours is better than 8 hours (the math actually matters) *The Science Behind It:* Your sleep is divided into cycles: light sleep, deep sleep, and REM. Each cycle lasts about 90 minutes. If you wake up during deep sleep, your body isn't ready—you feel disoriented, heavy, like you're moving through mud. But if you wake up at the end of a cycle, when you're transitioning back to light sleep, you feel refreshed. That's why 6 hours (4 complete cycles) can feel better than 8 hours (waking up mid-cycle). *What's Killing Your Sleep:* Most people don't realize they're sabotaging their own rest. Scrolling on your phone before bed, drinking coffee after 2pm, keeping your room too warm, going to bed stressed—all of these destroy your sleep quality. You might be in bed for 8 hours but only getting 4 hours of actual restorative sleep. *The System:* 2 hours before bed: Dim the lights 1 hour before bed: No screens 30 minutes before bed: Cool your room Right before bed: Brain dump everything on your mind Wake up: At the end of a cycle, with light, and move your body *The Bottom Line:* Sleep isn't about quantity. It's about quality. It's about rhythm. It's about working with your body, not against it. You don't need 8 hours. You need complete cycles. And when you align with your body's natural rhythm, everything changes. More energy. More focus. More clarity. Not because you're sleeping more—but because you're sleeping right. This isn't just about sleep. It's about taking control of your day before it even starts. --- If this changed how you think about sleep, hit that subscribe button. The difference between feeling tired and feeling alive isn't more time in bed—it's knowing when to get out of it.