What If Your Insomnia Starts at Sunrise? episode artwork

EPISODE · Jun 5, 2026 · 15 MIN

What If Your Insomnia Starts at Sunrise?

from The Habit Healers · host Laurie Marbas, MD, MBA

If you’re tired but can’t sleep, or you fall asleep fine and still wake up exhausted, the problem may not be your bedtime at all. In this episode I walk you through why better sleep actually starts in the morning, and a simple four-part protocol to reset your circadian rhythm from both ends of the day.Most sleep advice obsesses over the hour before bed, but the research points somewhere most people never look: the first thirty minutes after you wake up. I explain how morning sunlight sets your internal clock through the suprachiasmatic nucleus, why it controls when melatonin shows up fourteen hours later, and how skipping it leaves you groggy in the morning and wired at night. From there I break down the three evening levers that protect that progress, including a caffeine cutoff that’s likely hours earlier than you think, why eating too close to bed quietly disrupts your metabolism while you sleep, and a five-minute pen-and-paper habit shown to help people fall asleep faster. This is lifestyle medicine you can start this week, one small habit at a time.What you’ll learn:* Why morning light exposure is the most powerful signal for healthy sleep* How your circadian rhythm controls melatonin, cortisol, and when you feel sleepy* The evidence-based caffeine cutoff for falling asleep faster* How late-night eating affects blood sugar and sleep quality* A simple wind-down routine and to-do list trick that quiets a racing mind* The full Sunrise 8-3-1 protocol, you can build one step at a timeDr. Marbas Substack Article: https://drlauriemarbas.substack.com/p/what-if-your-insomnia-starts-at-sunriseCheck out the Habit Healers Community: https://www.skool.com/habithealers/about Get full access to The Habit Healers at drlauriemarbas.substack.com/subscribe

NOW PLAYING

What If Your Insomnia Starts at Sunrise?

0:00 15:25

No transcript for this episode yet

We transcribe on demand. Request one and we'll notify you when it's ready — usually under 10 minutes.

Frequently Asked Questions

How long is this episode of The Habit Healers?

This episode is 15 minutes long.

When was this The Habit Healers episode published?

This episode was published on June 5, 2026.

What is this episode about?

If you’re tired but can’t sleep, or you fall asleep fine and still wake up exhausted, the problem may not be your bedtime at all. In this episode I walk you through why better sleep actually starts in the morning, and a simple four-part protocol to...

Can I download this The Habit Healers episode?

Yes, you can download this episode by clicking the download button on the episode player, or subscribe to the podcast in your preferred podcast app for automatic downloads.
URL copied to clipboard!