The Power of Daily Habits: Yunha Kim Of Sleep Reset On How Small Health Changes Can Lead to Big Results
An interview with Dr. Bharat Sangani
Consistent sleep schedule: Aligning your bedtime and wake-up time with your body’s natural rhythm can drastically improve your energy and mood. Sleep Reset reviews your sleep data to help you find your optimal schedule and gradually adjust to it.
When it comes to health and wellness, small, consistent changes often have the most profound impact. Daily habits, whether in nutrition, exercise, mindfulness, or sleep, can accumulate to create lasting transformations. In this series, we aim to explore the power of small, intentional actions and how they can lead to big health results over time. As a part of this series, we had the pleasure of interviewing Yunha Kim.
Yunha Kim is a serial entrepreneur who has founded and sold several consumer tech companies in Silicon Valley that have been used by millions of people. Recognized as Forbes 30 Under 30 and Business Insider’s 30 Under 30 Most Creative in Advertising, Yunha has raised tens of millions of dollars from top Silicon Valley investors, including YCombinator, Stanford University, and dozens of founders and executives of leading companies. Currently, she is the Founder and CEO of Sleep Reset, a clinically proven sleep program developed by doctors at Stanford and Yale. Yunha graduated from Duke University with degrees in Economics and Chinese, and dropped out of Stanford Business School to start Sleep Reset. You can follow her on her Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/yunhajudykim/:
Thank you so much for your time! I know that you are a very busy person. Our readers would love to “get to know you” a bit better. Can you tell us a bit about your ‘backstory’ and how you got started?
Thank you for having me! I founded Simple Habit, a meditation app, in 2016 after experiencing the profound benefits of meditation and mindfulness in my own life. By 2020, Simple Habit had helped over 7 million people manage stress and anxiety. Through our conversations with users, we discovered that sleep was their biggest concern and that Simple Habit’s meditations were helping with stress and promoting better sleep. This issue was particularly personal to me, as my own sleep challenges had worsened during the COVID pandemic. In response, we decided to partner with sleep experts to create Sleep Reset — is a personalized sleep program grounded in science
Sleep Reset incorporates Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Insomnia (CBT-I) and one-on-one sleep coaching to improve sleep and reduce sleep anxiety. After launching Sleep Reset and seeing it being clinically proven through peer-reviewed research papers published by sleep doctors, I felt the conviction of its potential to change millions of people’s lives who are otherwise dependent on melatonin and sleeping pills to sleep. Given that conviction, I’ve made the tough decision to sell Simple Habit so that we can double down on Sleep Reset.
None of us can achieve success without some help along the way. Is there a particular person that you are grateful for, who helped get you to where you are? Can you share a story?
My journey with Sleep Reset was deeply inspired by my mother’s experience. Watching her struggle with sleep issues after menopause opened my eyes to a critical health challenge that often goes overlooked. Her sleep difficulties led to a decline in her overall health, and when she was later diagnosed with cancer, it reinforced for me just how fundamental good sleep is to our wellbeing.
What began as a personal mission, watching my mother’s health journey, has evolved into something much more meaningful. Today, I find it particularly moving when our customers, many of whom are in my mother’s age group, share similar experiences about their struggles with sleep as they’ve gotten older. Their stories remind me of my mother and reaffirm that we’re playing a significant role in people’s lives. My mother’s experience not only inspired our product but continues to drive our mission to help others maintain better sleep health as they age.
You are a successful leader. Which three character traits do you think were most instrumental to your success? Can you please share a story or example for each?
- Ability to learn & adapt quickly: Starting a company, especially in a rapidly changing space like digital health and wellness, requires the ability to learn about your users and their needs and pivot when needed. The transition from Simple Habit to Sleep Reset exemplifies this adaptability — it was born from deep user insights and sleep research data showing that while meditation helps, people struggling with chronic insomnia needed a more comprehensive, science-backed solution. Sleep Reset transformed the landscape of sleep care by providing a clinically-validated digital program that combines CBT-I (Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Insomnia) with personalized sleep coaching.
- Grit: The entrepreneurial journey is filled with unexpected challenges and obstacles. What defines a leader is their response to these situations. It’s about maintaining clarity in difficult moments — distinguishing between what you can and cannot control, and having the courage to take action on the things within your influence. This resilience isn’t just about pushing through; it’s about making thoughtful decisions under pressure and staying focused on the long-term vision while managing short-term challenges.
- Self-care: Leadership effectiveness starts with personal wellbeing. I maintain strict self-care practices to ensure I can bring my best self to work and lead by example. This includes:
- Getting a good night’s sleep
- Daily meditation to maintain mental clarity
Exercise and movement throughout the dayOk, fantastic. Let’s now turn to the crux of our interview. Can you share a small health habit you adopted that had an unexpectedly large impact on your physical or mental well-being? What inspired you to make that change?
One small change that had a profound impact was setting a consistent bedtime even on the weekends. It sounds simple, but before this, I would stay up late on weekends unknowingly creating a “social jetlag” effect — essentially putting my body through a different time zone every weekend. This constant disruption to my circadian rhythm made Monday mornings particularly challenging, waking up groggy. Inspired by our research for Sleep Reset, I decided to prioritize my circadian rhythm. The result was transformative — I felt more energetic during the day and much clearer mentally. That one small habit set the foundation for other positive changes in my life.
What advice would you give to someone who struggles with consistency? How can they build daily habits without becoming overwhelmed?
Start small and focus on one change at a time. Consistency is easier when the habit feels manageable. For example, if you’re trying to keep your bedtime consistent on the weekends and you’re used to sleeping 2–3 hours later, start by keeping your weekend bedtime within one hour of your weekday schedule. This smaller shift helps maintain your body’s natural rhythm while still allowing for social flexibility. Celebrate small wins, and remember that progress is more important than perfection. Building habits is a marathon, not a sprint.
How do you identify which habits are worth focusing on, and which might not provide meaningful results? Do you use any specific frameworks or tracking methods?
I focus on identifying the few key habits that drive the majority of results, rather than trying to change everything at once. This principle deeply influenced how we built Sleep Reset — we don’t ask people to follow a long list of sleep rules or completely overhaul their lifestyle. Instead, we analyze their sleep data and patterns to pinpoint the specific behaviors that are most impacting their sleep quality. For some people, it might be their inconsistent weekend schedule, while for others, it could be their afternoon caffeine habit. By focusing on changing just these high-impact variables rather than enforcing a rigid set of rules, we see better long-term success rates. I personally don’t follow every single sleep hygiene rule perfectly, but I’m disciplined about the ones that matter most for my sleep — like maintaining a fairly consistent sleep schedule even on weekends and avoiding late-night meals. It’s about being strategic rather than perfectionist.
Can you explain how compounding benefits work when it comes to daily health habits? Have you experienced any surprising long-term transformations from seemingly small changes?
Compounding benefits are fascinating when it comes to sleep habits. Through Sleep Reset, we’ve seen how improving just one aspect of sleep creates a cascade of positive changes. For example, when someone starts maintaining consistent sleep-wake times, they often experience better sleep quality within days. But the real transformation happens over weeks and months — their circadian rhythm stabilizes, leading to improved daytime energy, better stress resilience, and enhanced cognitive performance. One particularly interesting pattern we’ve observed is how better sleep creates a positive feedback loop: when people sleep better, they make better food choices, have more energy to exercise, and manage stress more effectively, which in turn leads to even better sleep. We’ve had users start with the simple goal of sleeping through the night, only to find that after a few months, they’ve transformed their entire relationship with sleep — from dreading bedtime to looking forward to it. These weren’t immediate changes, but the compound effect of consistent, science-backed habits led to profound transformations in their overall wellbeing.
What are “5 Health Habits That Lead to Great Results ”?
- Consistent sleep schedule: Aligning your bedtime and wake-up time with your body’s natural rhythm can drastically improve your energy and mood. Sleep Reset reviews your sleep data to help you find your optimal schedule and gradually adjust to it.
- Strategic meal timing: We also guide you on optimal daily routine, particularly avoiding eating or drinking 2–3 hours before bedtime, as this significantly impacts sleep quality.
- Daily mindfulness practice: Even five minutes can make a difference, and we focus on techniques specifically designed for better sleep.Gratitude journaling: Starting or ending the day by noting three things you’re grateful for can shift your mindset and improve overall mental well-being. Your sleep coach can help you incorporate this powerful practice into your daily routine. We’ve found that noting three things you’re grateful for before bed can help quiet racing thoughts and improve sleep quality.
- Worry list technique: For those who experience nighttime anxiety or racing thoughts, our sleep coaches teach you how to effectively use the worry list technique — writing down concerns before bed to prevent them from disrupting your sleep. They’ll help you customize this practice based on your specific stress patterns.
What role does mindset play in forming new habits? How do you maintain motivation when the results aren’t immediately visible?
Mindset is fundamental when forming new habits. Viewing habits as opportunities to grow rather than obligations makes the process more enjoyable. When results aren’t immediately visible, I remind myself of why I started. It also helps to focus on the process rather than the outcome — small, consistent actions will eventually lead to big changes.
How can our readers further follow your work?
You can follow me on LinkedIn here for updates on Sleep Reset and insights into sleep health and wellness. I also enjoy sharing behind-the-scenes stories and tips to help others improve their daily routines.
Thank you so much for sharing these important insights. We wish you continued success and good health!
About The Interviewer: Dr. Bharat Sangani is a cardiologist and entrepreneur with over 35 years of experience, practicing in Gulfport, Mississippi, and Dallas, Texas. Board-certified in Internal Medicine and Cardiology, he specializes in diagnosing, treating, and preventing cardiovascular diseases, including heart disease and hypertension. In 1999, Dr. Sangani founded Encore Enterprises, a national real estate investment firm. Under his leadership, the company has executed transactions exceeding $2 billion, with a portfolio spanning residential, retail, hotel, and office developments. Known for his emphasis on integrity and fairness, Dr. Sangani has built Encore into a major player in the commercial real estate sector. Blending his medical and business expertise, Dr. Sangani created the Life is a Business mentorship program. The initiative offers guidance on achieving balance in health, wealth, and relationships, helping participants align personal and professional goals. Now based in Dallas, Texas, Dr. Sangani continues to practice cardiology while leading Encore Enterprises and mentoring others. His career reflects a unique blend of medical expertise, entrepreneurial spirit, and dedication to helping others thrive.
The Power of Daily Habits: Yunha Kim Of Sleep Reset On How Small Health Changes Can Lead to Big… was originally published in Authority Magazine on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.