Why Does Matt Walker Say Clocks Worsen a Tough Night?

On Huberman Lab, the guidance is to remove all clock faces. On a tough night, knowing the time is 3:22 in the morning or 4:48 in the morning does not help in the slightest, and the reading only makes matters worse than better.

The sequence is direct. A person is already having a tough night, then learns the exact minute, either 3:22 or 4:48. The information fails to help at all. It pushes the night in the worse direction rather than the better one. The practical step is to try to remove all clock faces, and some people have found the step helpful. The tip is described as slightly unconventional, set apart from the stock fare of five tips for sleep hygiene.

Taking the faces out of the room removes the moment when a sleeper reads 3:22 or 4:48 and the night gets worse.