Aging Well Starts with a Good Night’s Sleep

Recently I stayed at the Union Square Hyatt in New York City, and the smoke detector had a red blinking light that I didn’t really notice until I went to sleep. It was crazy. Blinking all night long, right on the ceiling where you couldn’t reach it to cover it. I’ve seen other lights like that on clocks, TVs, mini-fridges… but this one was next-level annoying for a room that’s supposed to be made for sleep.

I’ve been meaning to travel with electrical tape so I can take a little piece of it to cover lights, but I keep forgetting. It could be such a simple fix, but in this particular room, I would have needed a ladder to reach the ceiling, so that wouldn’t have worked there.

As we age, sleep becomes even more important. Poor sleep over time is linked to worse mood and overall health risks. It’s not optional: we all need 7–9 hours of sleep a night.

Some people think of sleep as a badge of honor… “Look at me, I can get by on four or five hours because I’m so busy.” But the truth is that kind of sleep deprivation actually ages people faster. Our brains and bodies repair themselves overnight, and short-changing that process robs us of the restoration we need.

Here are some Key Takeaways from a recent episode of The Mel Robbins Podcast featuring Dr. Rebecca Robbins, PhD (Assistant Professor of Medicine at Harvard Medical School and Associate Scientist at Brigham and Women’s Hospital), who studies the science of sleep:

1. Your brain needs morning light to reset your circadian rhythm and shut off melatonin, so get outside even if it’s cloudy.

2. Looking at screens before bed floods your brain with blue light, disrupting melatonin and keeping you wired when you should be resting.

3. Alcohol may knock you out faster, but it wrecks sleep quality—leaving you feeling like you never slept at all.

4. Keep your bedroom dark, cool (65–68°F), and clutter-free so your brain instantly relaxes when you walk in.

5. Stop eating at least two hours before bed so your body isn’t stuck digesting when it should be powering deep sleep.

On a funny personal note… for years I thought my husband, Scott, was freezing me out of the house with how low he set the thermostat at night. Now I’m the one happily setting it to 68 degrees at night, and somehow he’s the one freezing. Thankfully since I started hormone replacement therapy I’m no longer dealing with hot flashes, but something’s changed. I crave a cool, dark room now and I know my sleep quality is better for it.

I’ll be sharing one of my go-to sleep tools in the I AM Sharing My Favorite Things section. It’s an eye mask that’s designed with space around my eyes (originally for lash extensions but amazing for anyone who wants comfort).