WEEK ONE THE BIG THREE

The book is so packed with advice that I ask Dr Mosley to narrow it down to three main points. The first, he says, is to follow a more Mediterranean diet, including olive oil, fish, lots of vegetables – especially onions, garlic and tomatoes – nuts, beans and lentils. We should also eat less meat, processed and sugary foods, and drink fewer than seven glasses of wine a week. This is one of the book’s revelations: some recent big studies – one in the US and one in Italy – found that people who follow this diet have better sleep quality.

There’s also an American study that showed when people were given meals ‘containing more saturated fat, carbs and sugar, they had lighter, more disrupted sleep. But when they ate meals that were richer in protein and fibre, they got to sleep faster and spent more time in deep sleep’. One reason might be that this way of eating increases the number and diversity of your microbiome, or gut bacteria. One study from Florida revealed that those with more diverse bacteria slept longer and better.

Dr Mosley’s book suggests aiming for 30 different vegetables a week, as the gut likes variety. My diet isn’t bad, but I tend to stick to the same 10. Dr Mosley also suggests upping gut-friendly foods: probiotics, such as yogurt, sauerkraut and kimchi; and fibre-rich prebiotics, including beans, lentils, onions, leeks, garlic, chicory, oats, flaxseeds and cocoa.

His other two big changes are linked. He recommends we get up at the same time every day – or at least within a limited time window – to regulate the body clock. And early in the day, we should go outside to get some bright light into our eyes. This also sets the body clock. ‘If you can’t because it’s a bit gloomy or wet, it’s worth investing in a light box,’ he says.

What happened? I usually get up around 5am, then swim or walk the dog around 8.30am, so this isn’t so different for me. I almost triple my veg selection to 26 and add more gut-friendly foods. I don’t notice much difference in my sleep, but I assume it might take a while to kick in.