Four years ago, someone gave me an OURA ring as a gift.

In essence, it's a wearable health tracker designed for your finger, capable of measuring various health metrics like heart rate, temperature, physical activity, and more. The concept is to keep the ring on continuously, allowing it to gather, analyze, and display your health data through their app.

The catch?

Over time, you'll gain a better understanding of your daily physical activity levels, your readiness to tackle the day, and the quality of your sleep. Sounds interesting, right? So, why did I decide to get it?

In short, I was looking to get better sleep.

Years went by and I gathered a lot of data, but did my sleep actually get better?

The short answer: no.

Holes in a Dam

You may suspect that I didn’t purposefully use the ring to monitor my sleep or that I disregarded the information it provided. However, that’s not true.

I tried everything.

I attempted to cut back on my caffeine consumption, reducing it from three cups daily to just one. No luck. I switched up my exercise routine, alternating between morning, afternoon, and evening sessions. No success. I experimented with my diet, focusing on foods that help with sleep and steering clear of those that hinder it. Still, nothing changed. I even went so far as to give up alcohol for several weeks, turning into “that guy” during social outings. It didn’t help either.

“How could this happen?” I recall pondering to myself.

One day, during a session with my therapist, our discussion naturally shifted to this subject. She listened attentively as I described my struggles with sleep and my futile efforts to make things better. I even shared the data from my OURA app with her. After a brief, thoughtful silence, she provided an insight that changed my entire outlook.

"It could be," she remarked, "that you're just patching up holes in a dam that's already leaking."

Her words resonated deeply.

Our discussion opened my eyes to the fact that, despite my hard work, I was overlooking the obvious: the root problem. Ultimately, we discovered that my sleep issues weren't caused by my daytime activities, but by what I was doing in the evening. Specifically, the things I did just before going to bed.

The image was painted.

My nighttime routine left much to be desired. Instead of winding down, I found myself squeezing in some last-minute work, diving into an hour of YouTube videos, or endlessly scrolling through Instagram. Despite these habits, I was convinced that my sleep quality would improve thanks to my revamped workout plan, healthier diet, and reduced caffeine consumption.

Oh, was I wrong.

Form First

Reflecting on it now, I can see where I went wrong:

I wasn't disregarding or rejecting the data; I just wasn't paying attention to it.

In the bodybuilding community, there's a popular saying.

”Form is king. Weights are secondary.”

”Form is king. Weights are secondary.”

A person aiming to build muscle can access top gyms, high-quality equipment, and all necessary supplements. However, without mastering proper form, they won't make significant progress in their bodybuilding journey.

I owned an OURA ring, which is considered one of the top sleep trackers available. My mattress was incredibly comfortable, I had a sturdy roof above me, and my room was air-conditioned. Plus, my neighborhood was calm and quiet. To put it simply, I had all the makings of an ideal sleep setting.

Yet I wasn’t sleeping ideally.

The message was unmistakable: Having the finest tools, methods, and intentions isn't enough. Unless you identify and address the underlying issue or problem, you won't be able to make any progress in improving your situation.

Sleep was just one example.

In numerous aspects of our lives, we often focus on addressing the symptoms instead of delving deeper to find the root cause. Why does this occur?

Because it’s simpler. And undoubtedly, it feels less awkward. However, often you have to confront this unease.

You have to be ready to go above and beyond.

So, the next time you encounter an issue—be it trouble sleeping, a challenging relationship, or some form of conflict—I encourage you to resist the immediate urge to tackle it head-on.

Instead, begin by looking a bit deeper.

Don’t just go and plug the holes.

Find what’s causing the dam to leak.