Category: fitness. Date read: May 5, 2018. My rating: 2/5. Buy on Amazon.
21 tips on how to sleep better. Some of the tips are common sense and some are counter-intuitive. Proposes a useful 14 day plan to apply almost all tips. Repetitive.
Being awake breaks your body and sleep is the way to fix it and make it stronger.
You need sleep to have the body and health you want. You can't be the best version of yourself if you're tired.
See sleep as an incredible indulgence, as something you're really looking forward to.
General Advice
Avoid using sunglasses, they inhibit the natural exposure to light you need.
Learn to use coffee. Coffee has a 6 hours half-life. Go without coffee for days (it can be cleaned out of your system in 3 days) and then use coffee if you really need a boost.
Eat green leafy veggies, seeds like pumpkin and sesame, and super-foods like spirulina and Brazil nuts for higher sources of magnesium.
Always have one 8-ounce glass of water with every alcoholic drink that you consume.
Make sure the temperature of your bedroom stays close to 68 degrees Fahrenheit at night. Try to stay a bit on the cool side.
Use non-restricting and hypoallergenic cloth to sleep.
Don't work in your bedroom. Block out lights from outside. Remove all inside lights from your bedroom. Put an English Ivy in your bedroom.
Use supplements only after you've done all other natural things. Don't start with supplements.
Book yourself a massage periodically.
Daily Habits
Wake up always at the same time.
Get out of bed early. People are not designed for the night. We don't have good sight, good smell, nor good hearing. We die at night.
Use coffee in the morning to boost your cortisol levels and begin the day.
Get more exposure to sunlight in the morning (06:00 to 08:30) and during the day.
Do some exercise during the first part of the day.
Have a big breakfast. For example, vegetable omelet, sliced avocado topped with kelp granules, and some omega-3 supplements.
Do a full workout in the mornings or in the afternoons. Do a couple of days of strength training and a couple of days of some activity you enjoy.
Avoid coffee after 2pm.
Prefer strong caffeinated teas instead of coffee in the afternoon: Earl Grey or English Breakfast.
Get less light exposure during the night.
Your last alcoholic drink should be 3 hours before bed time.
Have a warm bath 2 hours before bed time.
Your last meal should be 90 minutes before bed time.
Turn off all screens 90 minutes before bed time. Avoid the internet, it's a constant release of dopamine. Read a book. Talk to your spouse.
If you really need to eat something closer to bed time, have a high fat and low carb snack to ensure your blood sugar stays stable.
Chamomile tea, a cup of kava kava, or valerian (the strongest herb), are good natural herbs to help you fall asleep and stay asleep during the night.
Practice meditation before going to bed. Don't meditate on your bed.
Schedule your sleep time to include the hours between 10pm and 2am.
Calculate your wake up time. Sleep cycles lasts around 90 minutes. Calculate between 4 and 6 sleep cycles.
Go to bed within 30 minutes at the same time each night.
Right after getting to bed, use topical magnesium at night everywhere that you are sore, in the center of your chest, and around your neck and shoulders.
Learn to relax your body, calm your mind, and fall asleep. Remember, for the most part, you're no longer in real danger. Don't let your mind believe otherwise.