I solved sleep

Today’s Read: 2 minutes, 36 seconds

I got an email yesterday with a very simple question:

Yo Jacob!

I'm struggling to fall asleep fast. I'm losing like an hour of sleep every night because it takes so long to fall asleep.

I've tried everything—counting sheep, meditation apps, you name it. Nothing works.

pls help

- Will from North Carolina

We spend 1/3 of our lives sleeping, but nobody teaches us how to actually fall asleep.

Most people would give you the standard advice:

• No screens before bed

• Meditate

• Take melatonin

• Count sheep

But here's the thing: none of that actually works when your mind is racing at 100mph (#1 reason why people can’t fall asleep).

So I'm going to share something different. A trick that's so simple, you'll think I'm joking.

The 10-Minute Sleep Solution

A few years ago, I was that guy. You know the one - tossing and turning, checking the time every 20 minutes, calculating how much sleep I'd get "if I fell asleep right now."

Then a therapist dropped this knowledge bomb on me. At first, I thought she was messing with me. But this simple trick has helped me fall asleep in under 10 minutes almost every night since.

Ready for it?

Count.

That's it.

(I told you you'd think I was joking)

But here's the key - you have to do it right. Here's exactly how:

1. Lay down and get mostly comfortable

2. Close your eyes

3. Start counting up from 1

4. Your goal? Hit 150

The Rules:

• Count slowly (less than 1 number per second - and no tacking on thousands)

• Let your mind wander (this is key)

• If you move a lot (flip over, crack knuckles), start over

• Forget what number you're on? Just pick any number you remember and keep going

• DON'T try to picture anything (no sheep, no beaches, nothing)

Here's what happens: Around number 60-100, your mind will drift off on some random tangent. Perfect. Let it happen.

When you remember you were counting, just pick up where you think you left off.

You'll probably have one more mind-drift, and then... lights out.

Here’s why this works

Your mind at night is like a stormy sea - waves of thoughts crashing in from every direction. Bills to pay, emails to send, that weird thing you did in 2015 (mine was keeping tater tots snacks in my pocket like Napoleon Dynamite).

That's why counting works perfectly. It's like giving your brain a mindless job: watching waves roll in, one after another. Just engaging enough to hold your attention, but boring enough to let the waters gradually still.

The science is simple: you can't force your mind to be empty, but you can give it something so monotonous to do that it drifts off naturally.

20 Minutes × 365 Days = Mind Blown

Let's do some quick math (stay with me, this gets wild).

Most people take 30+ minutes to fall asleep. With this trick, you're out in 10.

That's 20 minutes saved. Every. Single. Night.

Per Night:

• Old way: 30 minutes of tossing & turning

• New way: 10 minutes of counting

• Time saved: 20 minutes

Per Year:

• 20 minutes × 365 days = 7,300 minutes

• That's 121.7 hours

• Or about 5 FULL DAYS of extra sleep

Over a Lifetime:

• Use this for 80 years = 400 days saved

• That's over A YEAR OF YOUR LIFE back

Think about that. One year of your life back, just from counting differently.

Great Technique, Wrong Tools

Here's the thing about sleep: having a great technique is like having a great workout plan. But if you're working out in crocs... well, you get the idea.

Your pillow is doing more damage than you think.

Quick story: After sending out sleep tips in The Renewal, something weird happened. Instead of questions about the techniques, my inbox flooded with one message:

"What pillow do you use?"

That hit home. Because I was using the same $30 Target pillow I'd bought three years ago. You know the one - starts fluffy, dies in weeks, but you keep it anyway because... well, it's just a pillow, right?

Wrong.

So we did something crazy. We spent a year obsessing over the perfect pillow. And when I say obsessing, I mean full nerd mode:

• Tested 47 different pillows (my bedroom looked like a mattress store)

• Interviewed 13 sleep scientists about neck alignment (they really like talking about necks)

• Created 109 prototypes (my gf nearly left me)

• Learned words like "compression force deflection" (I wish I could unlearn this)

The result? Circadian.

It stays cool all night, molds to your head and neck, and has adjustable height.

Personally, I’ve been sleeping on the prototype for a couple of months and my back pain has virtually disappeared.

But look, I'm not here to sell you anything. The counting technique above works whether you're sleeping on a $500 pillow or a rolled-up hoodie.

That said, if you're curious about what we built:

• We're launching quietly in a few weeks

• Renewal readers get first access

• Special "family" discount (obviously)

• And yeah, if you hate it, get your money back

Want first dibs? Keep an eye on your inbox. And maybe start saying goodbye to that sad pillow of yours.

The Bottom Line

The "experts" will tell you to clear your mind, download an app, or drink some special tea.

I'm telling you to do something simpler: count like a kindergartener.

Tonight, when you hit the pillow, try it:

• No fancy techniques

• No $29.99 meditation apps

• No fighting your racing thoughts

• Just you, counting up from 1, slower than you think

And hey - let me know how it goes. I love getting emails about the first night someone tries this and it actually works. (My favorite was from a guy who said he had a dream he won the Guinness world record for the most numbers counted)

Stay well-rested,

Jacob & The Renewal team

📬 PS: We just crossed 16,000 subscribers, which is wild. We're closing the doors and moving to invite-only next week. Don't worry - you're already in. But if you've got friends stuck outside? Send me an email. I'll sneak them in the back door. (Just don't tell the bouncer)