I don’t need a lot of sleep. I can function on five hours — no problem. But merely functioning only gets a person so far.

One of the trendiest things to talk about these days is the importance of sleep. So much so that it’s almost becoming cliché.

It’s a strange moment in the health optimization world when the focus is on something we’re all programmed to do naturally becomes the latest craze. And the only reason it feels like some health fad is because so few of us get the sleep we need.

Eight hours is what we’re told we need. For most people that hovers on the back side of seven. For some, it’s even less.

And few question it.

I’ve worked full days, at multiple jobs, on two or three hours of restless sleep, on many occasions — for years. Generally, however, I average around seven.

It wasn’t until I started consciously noticing how I felt with different amounts of sleep that I realized its importance.

First, I began noticing how tired I really was when I slept less than six hours. I found myself relying on coffee to get going. Usually coming back for more in the afternoon — which ultimately screwed up the next night’s sleep.

Rinse and repeat.

When I truly started to notice how it affected me was the nights when I did get a good sleep. I mean eight solid hours of deep, restful sleep. I was laser-focused the next day. Every time I sat at the desk to work I fell into flow almost immediately.

This doesn’t happen often — proper sleep, I mean. But when it does, the results are phenomenal.

Of all the things I want to focus on this year, improving my sleep almost tops the list.