SLEEP FOR SUCCESS

Being well-rested with enough sleep means acting with vitality and being naturally energized during the day.

It is the time when recovery for the body and mind take place, has the ability to improve mood & motivation, and is often a neglected area of health for many people.

But not you.

As part of the High-Performance Program, prioritizing sleep is an absolute NECESSITY to success.

I cannot guarantee results if you choose to sacrifice sleep.

This page will contain a collection of resources that will guide you to improving your sleep habits - and in turn receive better sleep and better performance.

Assessing Your Sleep Habits

The first step to solving your sleep problems is figuring out what they are.

Over the next 2 weeks, you’ll be keeping track of information related to your sleep schedule. This information is vital to understanding your sleep habits and how they impact your performance.

  • Step 1: start keeping a Sleep Journal. In the Notes App on your phone, keep track of the following information every day for 10-days straight.

    • Time of last caffeine drink of the day

    • Time of last meal/snack

    • Time you stopped using electronic screens (phone/tv/tablet)

    • Time you got into bed

    • How long it took to fall asleep

    • Time you got out of bed

    • Time you had your first drink with caffeine in it (coffee/tea)

    • Time you first went outside into the sun

    • Time you had any stimulant substances (what/when)

  • Step 2: Fill out the Epworth Sleepiness Scale. This questionnaire lets us figure out how much sleep debt you carry that may be inhibiting your performance.

  • Step 3: After 10-days, repeat the Epworth Sleepiness Scale and assess your sleep needs using the Stanford Sleepiness Scale.

  • Step 4: Dependent upon your sleep needs, create a framework to add sleep back into your schedule to reduce your sleep debt to 0.

  • Step 5: With a sleep debt at 0, we then test your ability to lower your sleep with the Stanford Sleepiness Scale over a period of days.

By the end of this process we will:

  1. Have eliminated your chronic sleep debt negatively affecting performance

  2. Know exactly how much sleep you need to be at your best

  3. Know how many hours of sleep loss you can take before experiencing negative effects

  4. Build a framework that allows you to maintain a flexible schedule and still ensure you get all the sleep you need!

8 Winning Habits

Set your sleep up for success by prioritizing these eight things. The worse your sleep is the more important it is to control the things that you can.

1. Sleep in a cave - cold, dark, silent & comfortable - for the most suitable environment

2. Set up a consistent sleep schedule so that you can go to bed at around the same time each day accounting for getting adequate amounts of sleep

3. Avoid bright lights before going to bed (especially technology/devices)

4. Avoid thinking about stressful things or future responsibilities (including work) within 60 minutes of going to bed.

If you struggle with this, 90m before bed make a written list of the next day’s tasks. This will help put you at ease that tomorrows tasks are accounted for when you wake up.

5. Don’t eat big meals before bed

6. Reserve time in bed for sleep and sex

7. Get outside within the first hour of waking for at least 10 minutes

8. Use smart substance-timing (alcohol, caffeine, tobacco) and be wary sleep aids for potential negative effects

  • Alcohol: limit drinks to 2-4 per sitting based on tolerance. Avoid consumption at least 3 hours before time to sleep.

  • Tobacco: Avoid within 4 hours of time to sleep.

  • Caffeine: Avoid within 8-10 hours of time to sleep depending on tolerance. Avoid within 1-2 hour of waking depending on sleep quality.

  • Marijuana: Avoid within 2 hours of time to sleep. If using as an acute sleep aid, do not use for more than 5 days in a row. Avoid for 2 hours upon waking.

You will radically improve the quality of your sleep and energy levels by following these 8 sleep habits.

Education & Resources

Stand on the shoulder of giants. Arm yourself with comprehension to make the best use of the information and be most equipped for sustainability.

Educational Articles:

Books:

  • Why We Sleep - Matt Walker

  • The Power of Habit - Charles Duhigg

  • The Promise of Sleep - Will Dement

Websites: