In the fast-moving world of entrepreneurship, even the most driven leaders can overlook one of the simplest foundations of peak performance: sleep. For Dmitriy Makarov, a Kyiv-born entrepreneur now based in London, learning to manage rest has been as crucial as mastering marketing strategies or scaling businesses.
“The hardest part of building healthy sleep habits is consistency,” Makarov said. “We live at a very dynamic pace, constantly switching time zones, dealing with heavy workloads, and being bombarded with information, all of which directly impacts sleep quality.”
His perspective reflects the modern challenge for professionals whose schedules rarely stay the same. The entrepreneur believes that sleep, while often dismissed as downtime, is in fact a strategic tool for long-term productivity. “Sleep is not just ‘rest.’ It is a long-term performance technology. And in today’s world, it is definitely worth mastering,” he explained.
Building a System for Sleep
According to Makarov, biohacking sleep comes down to a few essential practices. The first is routine. Even with global travel and shifting deadlines, he aims to go to bed and wake up at the same time every day, including weekends.
Another is preparation. “Sleep prep: minimizing blue light, mentally ‘winding down,’ keeping things quiet, sometimes using a mask or earplugs. These simple things really do work,” he said.
Tracking sleep phases is also part of his strategy. By using tools like Whoop, he studies how his body responds to workouts, late meals, or stress, and how much restorative REM and deep sleep he’s getting.
Finally, Makarov treats sleep as a subject worth studying on its own. He pays attention to circadian rhythms, regeneration, and how different sleep stages restore memory, immunity, and focus.
The Role of Recovery
Beyond sleep, Dmitriy Makarov practices other forms of recovery to stay sharp. “In an ideal world, I would love to spend at least one day a week completely gadget-free, devoting that time to myself, my loved ones, nature, and silence,” he said. He added, “Even 30 minutes of silence without screens can make a big difference.”
Still, he acknowledges the need for flexibility. Business does not always allow for full digital detoxes, but short, intentional pauses can prevent burnout. “My strategy is not perfection, it is awareness,” he explained. “I do not ‘switch off’ by force, but I regularly check in with myself and give myself space to recover.”
GMG: Grind. Mastery. Growth.
Central to his philosophy is a personal concept he calls GMG: Grind. Mastery. Growth. For Dmitriy Makarov, it means working relentlessly toward goals, mastering essential skills like biohacking, and using that mastery as fuel for long-term growth. GMG has shaped both his career and his lifestyle choices, including his approach to recovery.
As he describes it, GMG is not about sacrificing health for success, but aligning habits with ambition. “If you do not manage sleep, it is impossible to stay effective in the long run,” Makarov said. That principle, built into his GMG approach, underlines why he prioritizes rest as much as work.
From Kyiv to London
Dmitriy Makarov’s entrepreneurial path has been unconventional. Born in Kyiv in 2001, he started his professional career quite early, teaching himself marketing while working with IT startups, esports organizations, and local brands between 2015 and 2017. Without a traditional degree, he built his reputation through curiosity, experimentation, and an entrepreneurial mindset. Today, he continues to apply the same spirit of self-directed learning to biohacking and personal performance.
