No phone calls after 10 p.m.
A hard stop on calls and conversations late in the evening so the brain can wind down
Picking an hour, often 10 p.m., after which you do not take calls or start conversations, and letting the people around you know. The reasoning is about mental arousal rather than screen light: a late call, a work problem or an argument leaves the mind running for an hour or more after it ends, which pushes back sleep and thins it. Athletes and executives who keep the rule usually pair it with a fixed bedtime and let messages wait until morning. It costs nothing, though it takes some explaining to friends in other time zones.
People on record
Sorted by strength of stance
Does it: documented as part of their own routine. Recommends: explicitly advises other people to do it. Discusses: covered it substantively without clear personal adoption; this can include criticism or disagreement.
- Cristiano RonaldoDoes it
Footballer · Portugal captain and five-time Ballon d'Or winner
Does not speak on the phone after 10 or 11 at night, he told Whoop in 2024, and says he does not like talking in the evening because of his brain. His summary for anyone who needs him: after 10, do not call.
Source: Goal: Topless Cristiano Ronaldo reveals his secret to de-stressing“One important thing, I don’t speak after 10/11 o’clock. I don’t speak on the phone. I don’t like to speak in the night because of my brain. So, after 10 o’clock, don’t call me!”
Goal: Topless Cristiano Ronaldo reveals his secret to de-stressing (opens in a new tab) · 13 May 2024
Aimed at the same thing
Other entries filed under sleep or stress.
- HabitFREE, no cost
Warm bath or shower before bed
Warm water an hour or two before sleep drops core temperature after
On record from 3 of 62 tracked people: 2 do it, 1 recommends it - HabitFREE, no cost
Reading philosophy before bed
Ending the day on a page or two of philosophy, then thinking it over before sleep
On record from 1 of 62 tracked people: 1 does it - HabitFREE, no cost
Washing the dishes
Doing the dishes by hand after dinner as a fixed, screen-free end to the day
On record from 1 of 62 tracked people: 1 does it - Protocol$$$Mid: Roughly $50 to $500, or up to $50/month.
Sauna
Regular heat exposure, often 4 sessions a week at 20 minutes
On record from 17 of 62 tracked people: 11 do it, 3 recommend it, 3 have discussed it - Supplement$$$Cheap: Roughly under $50, or under $15/month.
Magnesium (threonate or glycinate)
Taken 30-60 minutes before bed to help with sleep onset
On record from 11 of 62 tracked people: 8 do it, 1 recommends it, 2 have discussed it - ProtocolFREE, no cost
Breathwork
Structured breathing sessions to shift the nervous system up or down
On record from 7 of 62 tracked people: 4 do it, 2 recommend it, 1 has discussed it
Habit entry · notes paraphrased from cited sources, quoted excerpts copied from the transcript they link to. Not medical advice. Not affiliated with, endorsed by, or reviewed by anyone listed. How this works.