Aaron Hartman, MDFunctional Medicine Specialist | Clinical Researcher

The Secret to Better Sleep Starts When You Wake Up | The Real Reason You’re Not Sleeping

6 Jul 2025 · 0 min

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0:22

This is a short excerpt from a YouTube video by Aaron Hartman, MD, arguing that sleep initiation effectively begins at wake time: setting consistent wake times and exposing oneself to light (natural or artificial, including red light) helps entrain cortisol rhythms and supports later sleep. The clip emphasizes morning light exposure and routine as upstream strategies for better sleep.

I think the initiation of sleep starts earlier, like we talked about, and then actually, like you said, starts at the very beginning of the day when you wake up, which is to say, set your rhythms that your body know that it's supposed to be making cortisol by waking up appropriately, consistently at the same time and exposing yourself to light. And if there's no light outside, unfortunately, that means artificial light or red light, which would be healthier. That's a nice alternative.