The Mel Robbins Podcast

How To Stop Waking Up Feeling Tired: 7 Tips From a Harvard Researcher

Order your copy of The Let Them Theory 👉 https://melrob.co/let-them-theory 👈 The #1 Best Selling Book of 2025 🔥 Discover how much power you truly have. It all begins with two simple words. Let Them. — When was the last time you had a great night’s sleep? The kind where you jump out of bed and feel energized, refreshed, and focused? Well today, you are going to learn how to use simple science to make sleep your superpower. In today’s episode, renowned sleep scientist Dr. Rebecca Robbins is here to give you 7 simple, free and science-backed tips that will help you and the people that you love help you get better sleep and wake up feeling refreshed, energized, focused, and in control. Dr. Robbins is a Professor at Harvard Medical School and a Research Investigator in the Division of Sleep and Circadian Disorders and the Departments of Medicine and Neurology, at Brigham and Women's Hospital. Starting tonight you will be equipped with the tools to sleep and feel better. Dr. Robbins at Harvard: https://sleep.hms.harvard.edu/faculty-staff/rebecca-robbins For more resources related to today’s episode, click here for the podcast episode page: www.melrobbins.com/podcasts/episode-182 Follow The Mel Robbins Podcast on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/themelrobbinspodcast I’m just your friend. I am not a licensed therapist, and this podcast is NOT intended as a substitute for the advice of a physician, professional coach, psychotherapist, or other qualified professional. Got it? Good. I’ll see you in the next episode. 00:00:00 Introduction 00:04:20: The SHOCKING number of Americans who aren’t getting the sleep they need. 00:07:44: The most effective way to improve your sleep starting tonight. 00:08:25: What our brain actually does while we are sleeping. 00:12:04: Renowned sleep researcher, Dr. Robbins’ favorite tips for a great night’s sleep. 00:13:35: The bedtime routine of Dr. Robbins, a world-renowned Harvard sleep expert. 00:17:40: The REAL amount of time it takes most people to fall asleep. 00:20:49: The wind-down routine that everyone should do before going to bed. 00:23:34: Is getting consistent sleep more important than getting 8 hours a night? 00:26:28: Find what works best for you and your partner: co-sleeping or sleep divorce? 00:29:36: What is a circadian rhythm? 00:32:05: The reason you should start every morning by stepping into the sunlight. 00:35:20: How to get the benefits of sunlight if you are a shift worker. 00:37:00: The key to resetting your circadian rhythm. 00:39:45: The CRITICAL advice that you need to hear for a better night’s sleep. 00:43:30: How to ease into time away from your phone before bed. 00:47:25: What about people who fall asleep watching TV? 00:48:30: The effects of bluelight exposure immediately upon waking up. 00:49:38: When to get OUT of bed if you’re tossing and turning in the night. 00:54:20: The impact of temperature on getting a good night’s sleep. 00:56:20: What is the perfect temperature to set your thermostat to for optimal sleep? 00:1:00:54: The impact alcohol has on your quality of sleep. 00:1:03:30: Caffeine's impact on your ability to sleep and the best time to stop drinking it. 00:1:06:50: How long before bed should you stop eating? 00:1:10:58: Dr. Robbins’ recommended daily habits for getting better sleep. 00:1:16:11: If you take ONE action to improve your sleep, let it be this. High 5 Habit: https://amzn.to/3fMvfPQ The 5 Second Rule: https://amzn.to/3372Rl9

Dr. Rebecca RobbinsguestMel Robbinshost

Jun 10, 20241h 18mWatch on YouTube ↗

WHAT IT’S REALLY ABOUT

Harvard Sleep Scientist Reveals Simple Daily Habits For Truly Restorative Rest

Mel Robbins interviews Harvard sleep researcher Dr. Rebecca Robbins about why most adults wake up tired and how to fix it with seven science-backed, no-cost strategies. They explain how sleep drives memory, learning, mood, health, and long‑term brain function, and why behavioral changes often outperform sleep medications for chronic insomnia. Core themes include the power of consistency, circadian rhythm, light exposure, wind‑down rituals, and the impact of alcohol, caffeine, food timing, temperature, and bedroom design. Listeners are encouraged to test these habits for a week, reframing nighttime as "my time" to restore rather than just collapse.

IDEAS WORTH REMEMBERING

5 ideas

Prioritize a consistent sleep and wake schedule, even if total sleep is limited.

The body’s circadian rhythm thrives on regularity; going to bed and waking up at roughly the same times daily improves sleep depth and next‑day functioning, and can be more beneficial than longer but highly irregular sleep.

Create a nightly wind‑down ritual that you repeat in the same order.

A predictable sequence (e.g., lights dimmed, phone off, breathing exercise, light reading, relaxation) trains your brain to associate those steps with sleep, making it easier to fall and stay asleep over time.

Use light strategically: get bright light by day and darkness at night.

Morning and daytime light—ideally outdoor sunlight—signals your brain to stop melatonin and stay alert, while reducing blue‑light screen exposure and bright overhead lighting before bed allows melatonin to rise and promotes sleepiness.

Protect sleep from common disruptors: phones, partners, and middle‑of‑the‑night rumination.

Putting your phone away (airplane mode) before bed, considering separate sleep arrangements or mitigations for disruptive partners, writing down worries, and getting out of bed if you can’t sleep break the association between bed and stress.

Optimize your bedroom for cool, dark, uncluttered comfort.

A temperature around 65–68°F, pitch‑black conditions, breathable bedding, and removing stress‑inducing clutter and light sources support stable body temperature, stronger melatonin signals, and a calming psychological cue for rest.

WORDS WORTH SAVING

5 quotes

Even if you can't get enough sleep, if you can get consistent sleep, you're going to do much better than someone that's getting enough sleep but keeping different schedules.

— Dr. Rebecca Robbins

Good sleep actually does take a little bit of work.

— Dr. Rebecca Robbins

If you find that you're a little bit addicted to your phone, commit to putting your phone down five minutes before you want to be falling asleep.

— Dr. Rebecca Robbins

You can't complain about something and expect it to change. You gotta do something.

— Mel Robbins

The research shows that when we prioritize sleep, our learning improves, our productivity improves, so the next day, you wake up, and you're able to accomplish what you would have otherwise done in a fraction of the time.

— Dr. Rebecca Robbins

Why sleep quality and consistency matter more than just sleep quantityCircadian rhythm, light exposure, and how to reset your internal clockBuilding an effective wind‑down routine and bedtime ritualManaging interruptions, partners, shift work, and middle‑of‑the‑night awakeningsOptimizing the sleep environment: temperature, darkness, and bedroom setupEffects of alcohol, caffeine, and meal timing on sleep qualityBehavioral approaches versus medication for insomnia and when to seek medical help

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