5 tips you can implement tonight to have the best night sleep of your life. Let's get into it. Sleep is the foundational layer to our metabolic health.
You can the best quality food, exercise for multiple hours a day, but if your sleep is not optimized, none of it matters.
Stan Efferding, the Rhino, has an amazing quote that summarizes the importance of optimizing your sleep:
"If you wake up at 4 am to do cardio after only 5 hours of sleep, you're stepping over $100 bills to pick up nickels."
Some key benefits to a proper night's sleep include:
- ✅ Increased mental clarity & cognitive function
- ✅ Stable blood sugar = weight gain prevention
- ✅ Decreased blood pressure
- ✅ Better Mood
- ✅ Increased testosterone
Conversely, sleep depravation can be devastating towards your overall health. One study found that five hours of sleep decreased testosterone levels by 10 - 15% of male participants, after one week.
This article will focus on 5 techniques you can implement that will immediately give you better quality sleep:
- No screens 2 hours before bed
- Black-out room
- Implement Mouth Tape
- Supplement with Glycine
- Cut Caffeine Early
No screens Get off your phone and screens at least 2 hours before you go to bed.
The blue light emitted by your screens hinders the production of melatonin, the hormone that controls your circadian rhythm (your body's internal clock).
PRO TIPS:
- ✅ Invest in a pair of blue-light blocking glasses
- ✅ Use "Night Shift" option on cell phone
- ✅ Get phone and electronics out of the bedroom
Black out room
Invest in a great pair of blackout curtains to completely darken the room. They cost as little as $20. You can also utilize a quality eye mask that will add another layer of darkness protection. I use MZOO for $20 on Amazon. Amazing product.
Mouth Tape
Using mouth tape over your lips sounds simple but has some incredible benefits. The tape encourages you to breathe out of your nose instead of your mouth. Nose breathing is how we are naturally meant to breath.
Some potent benefits of mouth taping include:
- ✅ Deeper sleep
- ✅ Improved oral health
- ✅ Solves mouth snoring
- ✅ Increased Immunity
- ✅ Lowers blood pressure
Since incorporating mouth breathing, I wake up in the morning more alert and am lest restless during the night.
Supplement with glycine
Glycine, a simple amino acid, is shown to be a powerful sleep aid. One study showed that participants that took 3g of powdered glycine noticed a significantly improved night's sleep.
I personally use @solbrah's powdered Glycine mixed into some Ginger Chamomile tea. The Glycine has a pleasant, sweet taste and dissolves well. I notice a quicker time to fall asleep when taking it. I also notice very vivid, pleasant dreams with Glycine.
Cut the Coffee Early
Caffeine surprisingly has a half-life of 5 hours. That means if you drink a coffee with 100mg of caffeine at 5 pm, 50 mg of caffeine will still be in your system at 10 pm when you are trying to fall to sleep.
Shoot to cut coffee / caffeine consumption 8 - 10 hours before bed to ensure it is completely out of your system before bed. Switch to tea or decaffeinated options if you are craving something besides water.
OTHER QUICK TIPS TO IMPROVE SLEEP:
- ✅View sunlight within 1 hour of waking
- ✅Eat your meals earlier (2-3 hours before bedtime)
- ✅Wake up and go to sleep at a consistent time (6 am / 9 pm for example)
- ✅Keep your room cool (66 - 68 degrees)
If you want to see me breakdown more Animal-based nutrition hit the follow button @MrSollozzo and @carniclemenza