Lights Out
Kobe sacrificed sleep. I used to do the same. But sleep isn’t weakness; it’s leverage. Circadian rhythm, gut health, hormones, light; all matter more than fancy gadgets. If you’re tired and wired, it’s not hustle, it’s dysfunction. Fix sleep, and you fix everything else.
A few years ago, I read The Mamba Mentality by Kobe Bryant. I admire larger-than-life sports figures, and he was one of the greatest. If you’ve ever watched his 81-point game, you know exactly what I mean—absolutely insane.
Kobe once said, “I wasn’t willing to sacrifice my game, but I also wasn’t willing to sacrifice my family time. So I decided to sacrifice sleep, and that was that.”
That quote stuck with me. Sleep, for him, was a necessary evil—something to minimize and strip down as much as possible in the relentless pursuit of excellence. I used to think the same way. Sleep was an obstacle, a logistical challenge to work around. After all, why waste hours unconscious when you could be getting ahead?
But I had to face reality. I wasn’t a sports superstar with a staff the size of a football team. I was running myself into the ground. Slowly but steadily, I changed my habits and perception and realized that I had been getting sleep completely wrong.
So, let’s break it down. What actually matters for sleep? What’s just noise? And why is most of what you hear about sleep misleading, oversimplified, or straight-up wrong?
How Much Sleep Do You Actually Need?
The standard answer: 7-9 hours per night. That’s the number you’ll find in every sleep guideline, from the National Sleep Foundation to the American Academy of Sleep Medicine. It’s not wrong, but it’s also not the whole story.
Sleep needs are individual. Some thrive on six hours, while others need nine or more. Chronotype plays a role; some are natural night owls, and others function best by waking up at sunrise. And yes, genetics matter: some extreme outliers can function on as little as four hours, thanks to rare genetic mutations.
But here’s the thing: most people who claim they “only need five hours” are sleep-deprived and don’t realize it. Studies show that when you cut back on sleep, your ability to recognize cognitive decline plummets. You think you’re fine. You’re not.
The real test isn’t how much sleep you get—it’s how you feel and perform. If you wake up without an alarm, feel mentally sharp all day, and function at a high level without caffeine propping you up, that’s what good sleep looks like.
If you wake up groggy, crash in the afternoon, or need multiple espressos to survive the day, your sleep isn’t working for you—no matter how many hours you’re clocking.
The Role of Circadian Rhythms & Light Exposure
Most people focus on how much sleep they get, but few consider when they sleep. That’s a mistake.
Your circadian rhythm—your body’s internal clock—dictates when you naturally wake up, feel alert, and get tired. This biological system is often overlooked in our fast-paced modern lives, but understanding and aligning with it can significantly improve our sleep quality. The problem is that modern life is completely misaligned with it.
Morning sunlight anchors your rhythm. Your body expects bright light exposure early to regulate cortisol and melatonin. But instead of going outside, most people wake up, stay inside, scroll through their phones, and wonder why they feel like zombies.
At night, light exposure needs to drop. Instead, people blast themselves with bright screens, answer emails at midnight, and watch Netflix in bed. Blue light suppresses melatonin, tricking your brain into thinking it’s still daytime.
This isn’t about good habits. It’s about neurobiology. If you ignore your circadian rhythm, no amount of melatonin gummies, expensive mattresses, or sleep-tracking apps will save you.
The Microbiome-Sleep Connection (Yes, Your Gut Affects Your Sleep)
Nobody talks about this enough, but your gut health and sleep quality are deeply connected. Studies have shown that people with diverse gut microbiomes tend to sleep better. In contrast, poor gut health is linked to fragmented sleep, increased wake-ups, and reduced sleep efficiency.
The reason? Gut bacteria influence neurotransmitters like serotonin, which directly impact melatonin production. If your microbiome is imbalanced, your brain’s ability to regulate sleep is disrupted.
Diet plays a significant role in this. Fiber-rich foods like vegetables, legumes, and whole grains help nourish beneficial bacteria, supporting better sleep. Conversely, consuming highly processed foods, excessive sugar, and alcohol late at night can disrupt gut function and interfere with sleep quality.
And here’s where protein intake comes in. Protein-rich foods contain tryptophan, an amino acid precursor to serotonin and melatonin. Consuming protein earlier in the day helps regulate your body’s sleep-wake cycle. Eating large amounts too close to bedtime can increase wakefulness due to digestion.
Hormones & Sleep: The Cortisol-Melatonin Balancing Act
Your sleep is hormonally regulated. The two key players? Cortisol and melatonin.
Cortisol is your wake-up hormone. It should spike in the morning to alert you and gradually decrease throughout the day. However, if stress keeps cortisol levels elevated into the evening, it disrupts melatonin production.
And here’s the kicker: cortisol levels naturally increase as you age. As you get older, it becomes harder to fall asleep and stay asleep—not just because of lifestyle habits but because your body is working against you.
Melatonin, on the other hand, is the signal for sleep. But staring at screens, eating too late, and staying in artificial light all evening block melatonin release, pushing your sleep schedule back.
Caffeine also plays a role. Drinking coffee at 8 a.m. is no problem. But drinking coffee at 4 p.m. is a problem. It’s still in your system at midnight, interfering with deep sleep.
Fixing sleep means fixing hormones, requiring more than a bedtime routine.
Back to Kobe
As always, with legends like him, it’s unclear how much is real and myth-building. Did he really run on four hours of sleep? Maybe. But we now know that sleep is a non-negotiable for elite athletic performance. And an outlier like Kobe? He probably knew that, too.
For the rest of us? Prioritize sleep. It’s not a weakness—it’s an advantage.
Stay healthy.
A note for new readers:
I’m a trained reconstructive facial surgeon, medical doctor, and dentist by training. Before launching my newsletter, I had a varied career: I was a competitive freestyle wrestler, a management consultant (McKinsey), an entrepreneur (Zocdoc, Thermondo, and docdre ventures), and a corporate executive (Sandoz). Today, I’m a Managing Director and Partner at BCG.
If this is your first time here, welcome. I’m excited to share what I’ve learned—and will continue to learn—with you.
DISCLAIMER:
Let’s get one thing straight: None of this—whether text, graphics, images, or anything else—is medical or health advice. This newsletter is here to inform, educate, and (hopefully) entertain you, not to diagnose or treat you.
Yes, I’m a trained medical doctor and dentist. No, I’m not your doctor. The content here isn’t a replacement for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment.
If you have questions about your health, talk to your physician or a qualified health professional. Don’t ignore their advice or delay getting care because of something you read in Health, Redefined. Be smart. Do your research. And, as always, take care of yourself.