The High Performance Journal - January 24th 2023

When I first got started on my fitness journey I thought it was all about exercise and nutrition.

I thought that if I just focused on those hard enough then I would get lean, increase my energy and reach my full potential.

I was dead wrong.

I was missing the biggest pillar, which was getting quality sleep.

Not getting enough sleep leads to a cascade of problems like low energy, lack of focus & weight gain. Bad sleeping habits are associated with type 2 diabetes, dementia, and Alzheimer's. Not getting sleep is like trading today for tomorrow. Do it long enough and your brain and body will start to break down.

But if you improve the quality of your sleep you will feel more energy, and focus, and have a greater ability to manage your emotions. It will also give your health and performance a massive level up.

In today's newsletter, we'll talk about the biggest mistakes the average person makes when it comes to bedtime and a simple system you can use to immediately improve your quality of sleep.

Let’s get through the sleep basics first:

1. For great sleep, you need to have regular sleep & wake times.
2. Aim to get at least 7 to 8 hours every night.
3. The best habit for sleep is morning, afternoon & evening sun exposure.
4. Drinking alcohol is a net negative for sleep.

In the rest of this newsletter, I’m going to break down:

- 3 most common mistakes I see people making with sleep
- 3 examples of me making those mistakes early on
- A simple system I’d recommend you do instead to start getting amazing sleep.

Sleep Mistake #1 - Nighttime Snacking

Eating 1 hour or less before sleep has been shown to increase periods of wakefulness in the middle of the night.

Eating prompts the release of insulin, a hormone that helps use food for energy. This process can shift your body’s circadian rhythm. Food signals to your brain that it’s time to wake up and can interfere with your ability to fall asleep.

Back when I was a kid I had horrible nighttime eating habits. Little did I know that this was part of the reason I was waking up in the middle of the night.

When I stopped snacking I discovered that my sleep got deeper and I was able to stay asleep without waking up.

Sleep Mistake #2 - Drinking liquids too close to bedtime

Drinking liquids too close to bedtime may push cause you to take nighttime bathroom trips, which will interfere with your sleep.

This can get worse as we age.

While our bodies are programmed to produce urine slowly, excessive liquid intake may push you past the threshold.

When I would wake up in the middle of the night I’d always have to pee. I thought it was due to having a small bladder but it was because I was drinking water right before sleep.

Once I started limiting water intake before bed I had to take fewer middle-of-the-night trips to the bathroom.

Sleep Mistake #3 - Looking at screens

We’re living in an age where we are looking at screens right before sleep.

But the screens we look at emit a blue light that messes with our circadian rhythms. It’s like looking at the sun right before going to bed in that it sends a signal to your brain that it’s time to be awake.

Right before going to bed, I’d be looking at some type of screen usually on a phone or an iPad but I've found my sleep gets massively upgraded when I avoid screens altogether.

The 3-step system for improving your sleep

Now that we know the biggest mistakes people make at bedtime let me share with you a simple system to improve your sleep.

It’s called the 321 Method and it goes like this:

3 hours before going to bed stop all forms of eating.
2 hours before going to bed stop all forms of liquid intake.
1 hour before going to bed avoid all forms of blue light.

While the first 2 are self-explanatory the last one may be a bit difficult for some so let me offer some suggestions…

An hour before bed here are some things to prep your body for a better night of sleep:

1. Read a fiction book
2. Do some light stretching
3. Journal your thoughts & feelings
4. Do 10 to 15 rounds of 4-7-8 breathing (4-second inhale, 7-second hold, 8-second exhale through your mouth)

I’ve found the above to be effective ways to turn the brain off and prep yourself for a wonderful night of sleep.

Bringing it together

Improving your sleep quality will have a tremendous effect on your brain and body.

In the short term, you are creating more energy, improving your mood & hormones while controlling your appetite for the next day.

In the long term, you’re protecting yourself from all sorts of horrible diseases.

Look at it this way…

You sleep for one-third of your lifespan. Why not make it as awesome as you possibly can?

- Dan

PLUS whenever you’re ready, here is 1 way I can help you:

Are you an entrepreneur who wants to get lean, boost energy & get in your best shape in 2023? Apply for one-on-one coaching here.