Why it matters
Without enough restful sleep, he says, visceral fat is laid down, including around the heart and in muscle. Poor sleep is so metabolically disruptive that your body can’t properly process the food you eat.
It works both ways: getting healthier helps you sleep. Dr. O’Mara says his own sleep apnoea, with snoring and gasping for air, went away after he cut out carbohydrates.
A day, by light
- MorningGet first lightGet up earlier and get outside soon after sunrise.
- EveningDim the lightsCut artificial light, especially screens. Candles and salt lamps instead.
- NightKeep it darkIn his words: “Inside my house at nighttime, there’s no lights at all.”
How to sleep better
- 01
Get first light
Get up earlier and get outside for the first daylight. He says circadian rhythms play a big part in clearing visceral fat.
- 02
Cut artificial light at night
Especially blue-light screens. His home runs on candles and salt lamps after dark, “like a gigantic campfire.”
- 03
Skip the nightcap
Alcohol is one of the five drivers in its own right. Dr. O’Mara calls it a toxin.
- 04
Take snoring seriously
Loud snoring and gasping for air can be signs of sleep apnoea. See a doctor if this sounds like you.
If you want to sleep better, get healthier.