Polymath

Self improvement · Full roadmap · ~88 min read · 26 steps

😴Improve your sleep and physical well-being

Sleep better and move more using methods that actually have evidence

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Unit 1

1

Start here

Course overview

2

Why sleep is not optional

Sleep is active maintenance, not downtime

3

The five jobs sleep does for you

Memory, immunity, mood, metabolism, heart

4

How a night of sleep is built

Sleep architecture, the stages

5

The 90-minute cycle and why mornings differ

Cycles repeat, and their mix changes

Unit 2

The two-process model

Sleep pressure plus circadian rhythm

Adenosine, the chemistry of sleep pressure

Sleep pressure has a molecule behind it

Caffeine and its half-life

Caffeine lingers longer than you think

Why alcohol wrecks sleep

A nightcap is a bad trade

Light is your clock's main signal

Light sets your circadian rhythm

Unit 3

Sleep hygiene that actually has evidence

The short list that works

How much sleep you actually need

A range, not a magic number

The sleep debt myth, and what is true

You cannot fully bank or repay sleep

Naps done right

Short and early, or not at all

Shift work and jet lag basics

When your clock fights your schedule

Unit 4

Insomnia and the basics of CBT-I

The first-line fix is not a pill

Why movement is the other half

Sleep and exercise feed each other

The activity guidelines, in plain numbers

150 moderate or 75 vigorous, plus 2 strength

NEAT and just moving more

The activity outside your workout

Sitting is its own problem

Prolonged sitting harms even active people

Unit 5

Recovery and rest days

You get fitter while you rest

Hydration, nutrition, and your energy

What you eat and drink fuels the rest

Stress, the body, and your nervous system

Chronic stress shows up physically

Common mistakes that quietly cost you

The errors almost everyone makes

Habits beat motivation

Build systems, not bursts of willpower

Unit 6

Where to go next

Where to go next

Start unit 1