Peter Diamandis, a longevity investor and XPrize founder, uses a relatively elaborate system for getting better sleep. It’s an important element of his new longevity playbook, in addition to eating right and building muscle. Diet, exercise, and sleep are three health pillars that experts on aging tend to emphasize for just about everyone looking to improve their health and longevity.
Here are the 63-year-old millionaire’s five nonnegotiables when it comes to catching more Z’s.
The $300-plus Oura ring
Oura
The Oura ring looks like a wedding band, but it’s really a wearable that gathers data on how well the wearer sleeps, in addition to tracking movement, temperature, and heart rate throughout the day.
Diamandis says he was an early investor in the company, though his venture-capital firm exited that investment about a year ago. He’s still a die-hard Oura fan and was wearing his ring when I recently met him in person.
If you start to look for it, you’ll notice many other longevity enthusiasts wear an Oura too. Kim Kardashian, Prince Harry, Mark Zuckerberg, and Gwyneth Paltrow have been seen wearing it — and even competing for the best sleep scores.
Martine Paris
“The Oura ring doesn’t help me sleep better,” Diamandis said. “It helps me remain true to my commitment” by encouraging him to get at least seven hours of sleep a night.
Oura gives him a sleep score every morning; he aims to get his above 90%. “I know when I’m going to sleep I am going to have a digital reckoning in the morning,” he said.
It’s an additional push to get him into bed early and adhere to good sleep hygiene, like avoiding screens, food, and alcohol in the hours before he hits the sack.
A $2,550-plus mattress cover
Eight Sleep
It’s baked into our biology, a reminder of our cave-person days: We tend to sleep better at slightly colder temperatures.
Diamandis says he turns his bedroom into a sleep cave at night by turning the thermostat down to 63 degrees and using a cooling mattress cover developed by the 2015 Y Combinator startup Eight Sleep.
The company says Elon Musk, Zuckerburg, and Tim Ferriss are also Eight Sleep adopters. So are some top Formula 1 drivers, CrossFit champions, and pro cyclists.
“You can set the temperature to come and warm you up in the morning when you’re getting up,” Diamandis said of the cover.
A $35 eye mask
Carolyn Van Houten/The Washington Post via Getty Images
Diamandis’ favorite sleep device is a $35 eye mask, which operates like blackout curtains for his eyeballs. This has become a huge asset when he’s traveling for work.
“It basically blocks out all the light,” he said.
A mouth guard for snoring (prices vary)
BSIP/Getty Images
Diamandis is no stranger to the big, loud CPAP machines recommended for people with sleep apnea. “Those things are monstrous,” he said.
He’s switched to using a mouth guard that does something similar for sleep apnea and snoring without the big bulky machine.
“I use what’s called a mandibular advancement device, which is an upper and lower mouthpiece,” he said. “That slightly juts your jaw forward, opens your airway.”
He finds that in addition to helping control his snoring and teeth grinding, it provides “a sense of comfort.”
Good timing
Carlina Teteris/Getty Images
The most important element of Diamandis’ sleep routine is the timing.
“I make every effort I possibly can to be in bed and asleep by 9:30,” he said. “Because I’ll pop up at some time between 5:30 and 6 in the morning.”
Sticking to this strict sleep schedule is how he can guarantee he gets close to eight hours of sleep each night. Unlike his other sleep habits, this one’s technically free, but it certainly isn’t easy for everyone to achieve, as it costs one of our most precious resources: time.