Lets get straight into it, there’s some basics things to do for sleep which you should already be doing and then it gets more advanced.
My approach is a combination of holistic and also logical. Cover the basics and then biohack what isn’t working.
A bit like in the gym; train, eat, sleep and you’ll go far. Going straight for the advanced methods without covering the basics will result in temporary gains at best.
Level 1: Sleep Basics
These are the things that aren’t sexy and require high amounts of discipline, which is why few people do them but guess what? …they provide results.
Limit caffeine – depending on sensitivity, some are okay before midday. Personally any caffeine disrupts my sleep (even if I have it at 8am)
Reduce Alcohol – while alcohol can help you get to sleep quicker, it decreases the quality of your sleep.
Don’t eat to close to bedtime – Eating close to bedtime can impact the quality of your sleep, aim to have dinner around 2.5 hours before your intended sleep time. Benefits HGH release and you aren’t trying to digest food while trying to sleep (which can cause fermentation of foods and lead to pathogenic bacterias)
Screens off before bedtime – Partly because of blue light interfering with your circadian rhythm, partly because technology use speeds up your mind/momentum and this is when you NEED to be winding down.
Wind down routine – The above is adhered to when you have created a wind down routine for the evening.
I can go deep on how to create and structure an evening routine but it will ideally have a pattern disrupt like walking then yoga or meditation. It’s integral to have an activity that takes you away from what you are doing in early evening to gather your thoughts and be conscious about what you do next.
Just don’t use TV or netflix as your wind-down routine – more than 30-40 mins of consecutive sitting can trick your body into thinking its already time to sleep and that results in lower quality sleep later on.
Level 2: Basic Stressors
At this point you have covered the strategies above and you still aren’t getting high quality sleep where you feel refreshed.
Identifying acute stressors is key
Taking supplements that could be keeping you awake:
B Vitamins at night
Overworking – not enough time for you to wind down before bed
B vitamins at night, caffeine, overworking
Nutrient deficiencies
Blood Tests for irregularities
Level III: Strategic Intervention
, Inflammation/Cortisol levels, Liver issues, Blood sugar issues
Nutrient deficiencies, Blood tests, Supplementation: magnesium, zinc,
Circadian Rhythm hacking
– blue light blockers after 5pm
– light box in the AM
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