David PerlmutterPresident,, Perlmutter Health Center · Board-Certified Neurologist | Functional Medicine Pioneer | #1 New York Times Best-Selling Author | International Speaker | Host of The Empowering Neurologist Podcast

Trying to get better sleep? Start here.

1 Jul 2026 · 1 min

Watch on YouTube

0:34

In this short health‑advice video, Dr. David Perlmutter answers a common question about improving sleep. He emphasizes that effective sleep habits begin in the morning, not just at bedtime. His core recommendation is to get sunlight in the eyes soon after waking. The morning light suppresses melatonin production during the day, which then allows a stronger melatonin surge when darkness arrives in the evening, facilitating better sleep. Dr. Perlmutter links this circadian reset to broader health benefits, noting that good sleep supports brain health, metabolic function, and even blood‑sugar balance. The video ends after delivering this single, actionable tip.

Chapters

Hey everyone, Dr. David Perlmutter here. You know, one of the questions we get all the time is, what can I do to improve my sleep? All of the habits that you can adopt are not necessarily at night when you're getting in bed. Here's one thing I think is really important. When you get up in the morning, get some sunlight in your eyes. Oddly enough, that's going to help you sleep. I'm suppressing melatonin right now, then I'll get a melatonin surge later on when there's darkness. That's a really important tip because we really want to get good sleep. Good for the brain, good for the metabolism, Oddly enough, that's going to even help you balance your blood sugar. That's all for now.