Book Review : Sleep Smarter by Shawn Stevenson

This book came along at the right time in my life, just when I quit taking sleeping pills and needed plenty of tips on how to have a night of sufficient natural sleep.

I want to write this one up soon so I can start to use it's wisdom so let's get cracking!

It turns out that sleep can make or break your ability to lose weight, age slowly, prevent cancer, and perform at a high level. Sleep is when growth hormone is released, so that your body can maintain and repair muscle and decrease belly fat.

Your risk of cancer is quadrupled depending on the duration and volume of your sleep debt.

When you improve the sleep, you will likely experience the following benefits :

(1) Better skin health and a more youthful appearance.

(2) Emotional regeneration and better relationships.

(3) Decreased risk of stroke and cardiovascular disease.

(4) Fewer accidents.

(5) Lower levels of inflammation.

(6) Enhanced function of the immune system and lower risk of cancer and infection.

(7) Hormonal balance.

(8) Fast rate of weight loss.

(9) Decreased pain.

(10) Stronger bones.

(11) Lower risk of Alzheimer's disease and cognitive decline; better memory.

(12) Longevity.

Getting 8 hours sleep isn't always the answer, because many people get 8 hours sleep, but they still wake up feeling exhausted and dragged around with low energy all day. Quality is as important as quantity.

(1) KNOW THE VALUE OF SLEEP

Sleep rebuilds you and keeps you youthful. High-quality sleep fortifies your immune system, balances your hormones, boosts your metabolism, increases your physical energy, and improves the function of your brain. Unless you give your body the right amount of sleep, you will never, I repeat NEVER, have the body and life you want to have.

Research shows that after just 24 hours of sleep deprivation, there is an overall reduction of 6 percent in glucose reaching the brain. Simple translation : You get dumber.

Sleep-deprived individuals take 14% longer to complete a task and make 20% more errors than individuals who are well rested.

Learn to structure your time so you get more sleep first, then you will be able to work faster and better. The short cut to success is not made by bypassing dreamland.

SLEEP POWER TIP #1

When you know you have a big task, project, or event coming up, pull out a calendar and plan ahead how you can get your ideal number of sleep hours in. Often, it's as simple as setting up a schedule.

SLEEP POWER TIP #2

Start seeing it as a special treat for yourself (something that you get to do) rather than an obstacle, and love the entire process. Tell yourself "I've got a hot date with sleep tonight."

(2) GET MORE SUNLIGHT DURING THE DAY

It may sound counterintuitive that getting more sunlight during the day can help you sleep better at night, but science has proven that this is precisely the case.

Light exposure (specifically sunlight exposure) triggers your body to produce optimal levels of daytime hormones and neurotransmitters that regulate your biological clock. Too little light exposure during the day and too much artificial light in the evening will negatively impact your ability to sleep well at night.

Approximately 95% of your body's serotonin is located in your gastrointestinal tract, which comes as a surprise to most people. Serotonin production doesn't just magically happen on its own. It's influenced by your diet, it's influenced by your activity level, and it's also influenced by the amount of natural sunlight you get.

Our eyes have special light receptors that send information to the centre of the brain (hypothalamus) to trigger the production of more serotonin. Because of our eyes' extraordinary ability to adapt to changes in brightness, we tend not to be aware of how little light we actually receive when we are indoors. Even a cloudy day delivers 10 times more brightness than ordinary indoor lighting.

Your skin absorbs UV rays from the sun that automatically promote the production of more Vitamin D and serotonin. The role of serotonin and sleep can't be overstated enough. Human skin can produced serotonin and transform it to melatonin.

Melatonin

We can really screw things up if we don't get the right light exposure at the right time. Simply put, when you get more sunlight exposure during the day, and less exposure during at night, you're on your way to a sleep formula that actually works.

Cortisol

Cortisol gives you the energy and gusto to get up and move around. It enables you to be awake and alert. It contributes to your strength, focus, and vitality every day. It's not that cortisol is bad; it's when it's being over or underproduced that challenges can arise.

You naturally have an increase in cortisol in the morning, which is for the purpose of getting up, being active, and enjoying life. Then, there is a natural reduction in cortisol as the day goes on, bottoming out in the evening to set up a great night's sleep.

SUNLIGHT POWER TIP #1

The body clock is most responsive to sunlight early in the morning, between 06.00 and 08.30. Exposure to sunlight later is OK but doesn't provide such a benefit.

Getting direct sunlight outdoors in the morning has been shown to have the maximum impact.

SUNLIGHT POWER TIP #2

UVB sunlight is the most valuable for human health. The problem is that IUVA has a longer wavelength than UVB, and it can penetrate more easily. UVA can move right through the ozone layer, clouds, pollution and even glass. UVB cannot, but it's critical to help balance out the potentially harmful aspects of UVA.

You can find out what time of year and the optimal time of day to get your serving of UVB based on where you are in the world through the bonus Sleep Smarter resources and sleepsmarterbook.com/bonus.

SUNLIGHT POWER TIP #3

Sunglasses inhibit the natural exposure of light you need to assure healthy hormone secretions and healthy sleep. Simple as that.

So try to avoid wearing shares in the sun if you do it for the sake of fashion. If you're going to wear them to protect your eyes then make sure they are truly UV protective!

SUNLIGHT POWER TIP #4

In case you need phototherapy devices during the winter check the bonus resources as above. However, know this, even the best light box won't give you as much phototherapy benefit as 30 minutes outside even on a cloudy day.

(3) AVOID SCREENS BEFORE BEDTIME

Cutting out some screen time at night is likely the number one thing you can do to improve your sleep quality immediately.

iPad readers took longer to fall asleep and had shorter REM sleep than those assigned to read regular printed books. They were also more tired than book readers the following day, even after 8 hours sleep.

2 hours of computer screen time before bed is enough to significantly suppress people's night-time release of melatonin. Long term this will lead to a chronic disruption of the circadian rhythm. For life!!

We are literally not designed to stare into the type of light emanating from these devices. Read a book! Talk to your spouse! Get up, go get a glass of water or some fruit. Go and give someone a hug! Tell your kids you love them. Do some stretching. Call someone (voice call). Turn on your favourite music. That time you spend on your devices needs to be replaces with something you will enjoy. MUSIC!

Unfortunately we are hard wired to be addicted to technology. Dopamine is released when we use it and we keep using it in order to get the little opioid hits of dopamine when the brain discovers something.

Have you ever said "I'll just check my Facebook for a minute," or "I'll just check Instagram for a minute," and then 30 minutes later you've found you've been sucked down an Internet rabbit hole?

We need to put our devices in a more intelligent place in our lives so that we can continue controlling them, instead of them controlling us.

SCREEN PROTECTION POWER TIP #1

If you want to give your body the deep sleep it needs, make it a mandate to turn off all screens at least 90 MINUTES before bedtime in order to allow melatonin and cortisol levels to normalize.

SCREEN PROTECTION POWER TIP #2

Getting off our electronic devices, having a CONVERSATION, and showing affection is vital to our long-term health and well-being.

SCREEN PROTECTION POWER TIP #3

Turn off the cues. Turn off as many automatic notifications on your phone as you can. Turn off the sound.

SCREEN PROTECTION POWER TIP #4

Check out the bonus resource guide at sleepsmarterbook.com for some of the best options on how to use blue light blockers.

You can also find glasses that block blue light! Check out the resource guide again to see some of my favourite sleep-protecting shades.

(4) HAVE A CAFFEINE CURFEW

The reality is that people like coffee. It is what it is. However, having a cup of coffee or caffeinated tea as much as 6 hours before bed can cause sleep troubles. The funny thing is that people who drink coffee late in the day, don't even register that there sleep was disrupted until shown on a monitor later.

Coffee has a half-life of around 5-8 hours.

Caffeine has its perks, but it also has its downside. There is a spike in adrenaline when you drink it, but then there is a crash afterwards, and you don't even return to your starting baseline; you go below it. You feel more tired and irritable than before you even had the coffee.

SMART CAFFEINE POWER TIP #1

Set an unbreakable caffeine curfew at 2.00pm.

SMART CAFFEINE POWER TIP #2

Since caffeine incites your body's production of cortisol, it can be utilized (to your advantage) in the morning to encourage a cortisol boost. If you're a generally healthy individual and not physiologically dependent on caffeine, this could help set your circadian timing system to produce a little more cortisol during the day and a little less at night (helping your sleep.)

However, if you have adrenal issues, be sure to check with your physician to make sure that caffeine is safe for you to use.

SMART CAFFEINE POWER TIP #3

If you use caffeine in the right way, there are potential benefits. So there's no real need to abstain.

To maximize your body's potential benefit from caffeine, it has to be cycled. There are several ways of going about this:

(1) Go 2 days on and 3 days off. If you're a healthy, nonaddicted person using caffeine, it can be cleared from your system nicely after 3 days. When you have it again, you'll notice the same benefits as you did during the initial days you used it. OR :

(2) Go 2 months on, 1 month off. This is reasonable if you're using a small amount of caffeine daily, as in one large cup or two small cups. Using more caffeine than this can lead to withdrawal symptoms for the first few days after discontinued use. OR :

(3) Go full on as needed. This is where the magical, "when we first met," experience can happen with coffee and caffeine. On most days, ignore it; live your life normally, without caffeine. But when you need it, go full on into your love affair. Now when I say "need it," I'm talking about when you have a performance, a big project, or something that is really important (but short in duration, so your indulgence won't be more than a couple of days). Use caffeine as a boost, not a crutch, and you'll be able to truly enjoy its benefits while still sleeping like a champion.

(5) BE COOL

The temperature of our bodies has a very strong impact on our ability to sleep. When it's time for your body to rest, there is an automatic drop in your core body temperature to help initiate sleep. If the temperature in your environment stays too high, then it can be a bit of a physiological challenge for your body to get into the ideal state for restful sleep.

Studies have found that the optimal room temperature is really cool at around 16 to 19C!

Studies have also shown that insomniacs tend to have significantly warmer body temperature right before bed. It was demonstrated that cooling the body temperature helped to "balance out" those with chronic sleep struggles with a 75% success rate.

The study also found that the test subjects experienced greater levels of anticipatory anxiety than normal test subjects. Their worry and stress over sleeping were higher, which likely contributed to their increase in body temperature!

Remember, it's not just the environment that needs to be cool; you need to be "cool" too (as in your mental and emotional state.

Stress can arouse your system, elevate your body temperature, and unwittingly disrupt your sleep.

KEEP IT COOL POWER TIP #1

Make sure that the temperature in your room stays close to 19C. You can still have your covers and pyjamas, but don't overdo that either or you'll keep your body temperature too high. Having said all this, every person is unique and has there own "perfectly comfortable" environment. Cooling the room off is a must, but some people feel great all night with a warm duvet, some with just a sheet and some would be better off trying a cooling pad (see tip #3)

KEEP IT COOL POWER TIP #2

If you have trouble falling asleep, try taking a warm bath 1.5 to 2 hours before hitting the hay. Many parents know that this is the secret method for helping young kids fall asleep and stay asleep.

KEEP IT COOL POWER TIP #3

There are mattress pads you can use that may help regulate your body temperature. These specially designed pads can fit securely over one or both sides of your existing mattress. You can check out the cooling pads we recommend at sleepsmarterbook.com/bonus.

KEEP IT COOL POWER TIP #4

Socks! Even though the room temperature should be cool to induce great sleep, this can trigger sleeplessness in some people because their extremities are too cold. The solution : wear a pair of socks in bed if you need to.

(6) GET TO BED AT THE RIGHT TIME

"Timing your sleep is like timing an investment in the stock market - it doesn't matter how much you invest, it matters when you invest." - Kulreet Chaudhary, MD.

It's been shown that human beings get the most beneficial hormonal secretions and recovery by sleeping during the hours of 10.00pm to 2.00am. This is what I call money time.

You get the most rejuvenating effects during this period, and any sleep that you get in addition is a nice bonus. This is based on the seemingly lost realization that we humans are a part of nature, and when the lights go out on the planet, that's a cue from the universe that it's time for us to turn down, too.

When you line up your sleep with your natural hormone release, the benefits from your sleep will be exponentially better. Melatonin, human growth hormone (HGH), and more are secreted in their strongest doses when your sleep is lined up properly.

If your body is chronically deprived of the regenerative sleep between 10.00pm and 2.00am, then you may still feel fatigued when you wake up in the morning.

Cancer Research has now classified overnight shift work as a Group 2A carcinogen, strong enough to be lumped in with lead exposure and UVA radiation!

More injuries, more accidents, and a higher rate of mortality are seen consistently for those who are working overnight.

One fascinating thing about melatonin is that is may be one of the most powerful anti-cancer hormones your body can produce.

Women take note : your body produces one of the strongest antioestrogens (anti breast cancer) every night - if you're getting the right sleep.

Making up for lost sleep on the weekend is too little too late. Snoozing late on the weekend mornings disrupts your sleep rhythm and makes it difficult to go to bed earlier on Sunday night, so you'll already be starting the next week in a hole.

Much of what we like to do late at night can be done during the day! We all have the same 24 hours.

MONEY TIME POWER TIP #1

The 10.00pm recommended bed time isn't exact with all of the variation in time zones, daylight saving time, how far you are from the equator, the time of year, etc. If we get too neurotic about the exact time to go to sleep, it can get a little ridiculous. Just aim to get to bed within a few hours of it getting dark.

For most people, this is going to mean somewhere between 9pm and 11pm, most of the year.

By doing this you are giving yourself a huge hormonal advantage. During the winter season, humans would naturally be sleeping more and going to bed a bit earlier. Conversely, during the summer months when the days are longer, you have a bit of a permission slip to stay up later and enjoy the weather. Nature is giving us direct cues on when to sleep! We just need to learn to pay attention to them.

MONEY TIME POWER TIP #2

To help reset your sleep cycle so that you're actually tired when the optimal bedtime rolls around, make a habit of getting some sunlight as soon as possible when you wake up. This is going to help boost your natural cortisol levels and fully wake your system up.

MONEY TIME POWER TIP #3

If health is your number one priority, then don't work the night shift!

MONEY TIME POWER TIP #4

During normal sleep at night, your body follows a predictable pattern, moving back and forth between sleep, restorative sleep (deep sleep) and more alert stages (non-REM) and dreaming (REM sleep). These stages of REM and non-REM sleep come together to form a complete sleep cycle.

Sleep cycles typically last for 90 minutes each and repeat four to six times per night. So, six normal 90-minute sleep cycles would equal 9 total hours of sleep.

Even if you get a full night's sleep, you can still wake up feeling groggy if your alarm goes off during the middle of one of your sleep cycles. So when setting your alarm try to calculate it based on the 90-minute sleep cycles. This does assume that you fall asleep immediately which rarely happens!

The easiest thing is to just set your alarm 9 hours after lights out.

FURTHER RESEARCH : Best time to go to bed depending on the season and how far you are from the equator.

(7) FIX YOUR GUT TO FIX YOUR SLEEP

The food that you eat can dramatically impact the quality of sleep that you get. The environment in your belly itself can either make or break getting a good night's sleep. It's the ratio of friendly bacteria to unfriendly bacteria in your gut that matters. Jet-lagged people show an increase in a type of bacteria known to be more prevalent in people with obesity and diabetes. If you don't sleep well, then it gives the opportunistic bacteria a chance to take over your gut (and this, your brain).

Remember also that 95% of your body's serotonin is located in your gut. Serotonin is the building block for melatonin, and can impact your brain and sleep more powerfully than almost anything you can think of.

Because of the massive amount of brain like tissue found in the gut, it has rightfully earned the title of being "the second brain.". The gut has been found to contain over 400 times more melatonin than the pineal gland in your brain.

The vagus nerve has a huge role in bringing all this together. 90% of the fibres in the vagus nerve carry information from the gut to the brain and not the other way around.

Some of the things clinically proven to damage or disorient your gut microbiome are:

(1) Agricultural chemicals such as pesticides or fungicides.

(2) Processed foods, especially ones containing excess sugar.

(3) Antibiotics because they take out both bad and good bacteria.

(4) Chemical food additives and preservatives such as sodium nitrate and MSG.

(5) Chlorinated water. Chlorine is a known antibiotic. It's best to get yourself a water filter that removes chlorine. BRITA removes 99% of chlorine. Check out themodelhealthshow.com/water.

Try and eat real food in order to get your vitamins and minerals rather than pills. There's no guarantee that your body will assimilate what's in the pill.

Here are some important good-sleep nutrients you need to ensure you're getting on a regular basis and the best foods to find them in :

(1) Selenium. Sources : Brazil nuts, sunflower seeds, beef, oysters and chicken.

(2) Vitamin C. Sources : Amla berry, acerola cherry, bell peppers, lettuce, kiwi and citrus fruits.

(3) Tryptophan. Sources : Turkey, eggs, sweet potatoes, chia seeds, bananas, almonds and yoghurt.

(4) Potassium. Sources : Leafy greens, potatoes, broccoli, cremini mushrooms and avocado.

(5) Calcium. Sources : Kale, collard greens, sardines, sea veggies and sesame seeds.

(6) Vitamin D. Sources : Swordfish, salmon, tuna, mackerel, shiitake mushrooms and oysters.

(7) Omega 3. Sources : Chia seeds, pumpkin seeds, walnuts, halibut, salmon and flax seeds.

(8) Melatonin. Sources : Cherries, walnuts, ginger, asparagus, pineapples, tomatoes and bananas.

(9) Vitamin B6. Sources : Sauerkraut, kimchi, pickles, yogurt, kefir and kombucha.

(10) Prebiotics. Sources : Artichokes, raw garlic, raw onions, dandelion greens and asparagus.

Magnesium

Magnesium is a certified anti-stress mineral. It helps to balance blood sugar, optimize circulation and blood pressure, relax tense muscles, reduce pain, and calm the nervous system. Yet, because it has so many functions, it tends to get depleted from our bodies rather fast.

Magnesium deficiency is likely the number one mineral deficiency in our world today.

This critical mineral is actually responsible for over 300 enzyme reactions and is found in all of your tissues - but mainly in your bones, muscles and brain. You must have it for your cells to make energy, for many different chemical pumps to work, to stabilize membranes, and to help muscles relax.

One of the central symptoms of magnesium is chronic insomnia. This is valuable information to know because simply getting your magnesium levels up can have a huge impact on your sleep very quickly.

Food alone will likely not solve the issue and beware of taking too much of a low-budget supplement (which might also increase your visits to the bathroom).

Quality is everything when it comes to your magnesium sources. High quality supplements can be helpful in small amounts (the RDA is 400mg), as well as a diet high in magnesium-rich foods (see Power Tip below). But the most effective method of safely and effectively boosting your magnesium levels is through topical application onto your skin.

The fact that your body can absorb magnesium trans dermally (through your skin) has been known for hundreds of years. That's why people take baths in Epsom salts, which is actually magnesium sulphate.

Today, radically better forms of topical magnesium have been developed. Things like magnesium bath flakes and magnesium oils are usually 20% absorbable at best. The topical magnesium that I use is 100% bioavailable and 100% pure and works like a dream. A night hardly every goes by that I don't rub this magnesium into my skin, because I've consistently found that my sleep quality is even better when I use it.

You can find out more information on my favourite topical magnesium, Ease Magnesium, in the bonus resource guide at sleepsmarterbook.com/bonus.

GOOD SLEEP NUTRIENTS POWER TIP #1

Keep the topical magnesium right by your bedside and apply it right before you hop under the covers. The best places to apply it are : (1) Anywhere that you are sore such as muscles from exercising.

(2) In the centre of your chest (aligned with your heart).

(3) Around your neck and shoulders or areas of tension.

Spray it on liberally and massage it in. Four to six sprays per area is a good rule of thumb.

GOOD SLEEP NUTRIENTS POWER TIP #2

Incorporate magnesium-rich foods into your diet. Green leafy veggies, pumpkin and sesame seeds and superfoods like spirulina and Brazil nuts.

GOOD SLEEP NUTRIENTS POWER TIP #3

There are several potential causes of constantly waking up in the middle of the night, but one commonly overlooked cause is trouble in the gastrointestinal tract, namely parasites.

Parasites can be picked up through food, water, pets, unprotected sex, public toilet seats and other ways as well. It's not something to freak out about because a strong immune system will help keep these organisms off and out of you.

The best way to test for a parasite is a stool test. Find out how to get one in the bonus resource guide.

GOOD SLEEP NUTRIENTS POWER TIP #4

Do your best to avoid potentially gut-damaging chemicals that can hinder serotonin and melatonin production. Strive to eat organic, locally grown, unprocessed foods for the bulk of your diet. You can still have fun stuff, but keep it to a minimum.

Be sure to get in three to five servings of foods that contain the good-sleep nutrients listed above every day, and you'll be well on your way to improving your sleep from the inside out.

(8) CREATE A SLEEP SANCTUARY

The bedroom should be for two things : Sleep and Sex.

Bringing anything else to the bedroom (work, TV, books) is a crime.

Fresh air is important! Not just for oxygen, it also carries other ionic elements that are vital for your health and well-being. As the air inside your home becomes stagnant, the ions in the air start to lose their (negative) charge. To fix this, you simply need to get the air moving again. Something as simple as opening a window or turning on a fan can re-energise the air in your bedroom.

Negative ions improve our health in three significant ways:

(1) They make the air more energizing by providing free electrons.

(2) They oxidize odours, fungi, mould, parasites, and toxic chemical gases.

(3) They bind to dust, pollen, cigarette smoke, and pet dander to form larger particles (which make them much easier to remove from your home).

Air ionizers are great for your home in general. You can find my favourites in the bonus resource guide at sleepsmarterbook.com/bonus. Humidifiers also bring back a bit of moisture into the air.

Choose some houseplants! Research which ones are best in Spain. They will do wonders for the air in your house. Take the English Ivy for example. NASA listed it as the number one air-filtering houseplant. It's incredibly easy to grow, and it's adaptable.

You can have it as a hanging or a floor plant, and it requires moderate temperatures and medium sunlight.

Another great plant for your sleep sanctuary is the perennial snake plant. It doesn't require much light or water to thrive. What's most impressive about it is that it absorbs carbon dioxide and releases oxygen during the night (while most plants do this during the day), so it's the perfect plant to keep in your bedroom for a boost in air quality.

Not to be negated, the sight and smell of certain plants also have calming effects on the human body. Take the vine plant Jasmine, for example. It has a positive effect on the quality of sleep one gets, decreasing anxiety and improving the attitude one has after waking up.

Though Jasmine hasn't been a traditional houseplant, it's not starting to grow in popularity. Additionally, the essential oils of jasmine have been show to have many of the same positive effects. You can use an essential oil diffuser or simply dab a couple of drops right onto your pillowcase just before bed if you'd like to utilize the benefits that way.

SLEEP SANCTUARY POWER TIP #1

Get at least one house plant and check out the options in the Sleep Smarter bonus resource guide to see where to find many of the most popular varieties (some can even be delivered right to your door).

SLEEP SANCTUARY POWER TIP #2

Of you share a sleeping space with someone else, make an agreement with them to keep technology our of the bedroom. If necessary have a heart-to-heart conversation to make sure you're both on the same page.

(9) HAVE A BIG "O"

Having an orgasm can be like a full-on sedative for most people. Research shows that during orgasm, both women and men release a cocktail of chemicals, including oxytocin, serotonin, norepinephrine, vasopressin, and the pituitary hormone prolactin.

OXYTOCIN

Sometimes known as the cuddle hormone because it promotes bonding between people when they're engaged in intimate activities like hugging, touch, and of course, having sex.

Oxytocin has a calming effect that counters the effects of cortisol and helps to promote sleep. It's release also triggers a cascade of bodily events including the release of other feel-good chemicals called endorphins. A fun fact about the word endorphins : It's derived from the words endogenous (produced from within) and morphine, from Morpheus, the god of sleep in Greek mythology.

SEROTONIN

Serotonin flows when you feel significant or important, so it's not just about the sex; it's about the relationships, the connection, and the experience overall.

NOREPINEPHRINE

Also referred to as noradrenaline, it's secretion takes place during REM sleep to help promote the efficacy of REM sleep and all of the physiological benefits that it provides.

VASOPRESSIN

Vasopressin increases sleep quality and decreases levels of cortisol in relationship to sleep. The fact that it can be released directly into the brain after sex leads researchers to believe that it helps increase the relaxation response along with oxytocin.

PROLACTIN

Prolactin is a hormone that's linked to sexual satisfaction, and it's also heavily related to sleep. Studies show that prolactin levels are naturally higher during sleep, and animals injected with the chemical become tired immediately.

Plasma prolactin concentrations are substantially increase for more than an hour following orgasm for both men and women. With that said, we can finally understand why sex is sometimes referred to as sleeping with someone!

Because prolactin is connected to sexual satisfaction, its release is the reason that men generally can't "go another round" and need time to recover. It's also important to note that men produce four times more prolactin when having an orgasm through intercourse as compared to masturbation.

DOING IT THE OTHER WAY

Good sleep also leads to good sex! If you want a healthy, happy woman, then you have to do what you can to ensure that she gets sleep at night.

Lack of sleep leads to lowered libido and poor sexual health in both sexes. Testosterone is a huge player in this, and data shows that sleep deprivation intrinsically leads to reduced testosterone in men. Low testosterone can five way to a whole host of issues such as increased storage of body fat, depression, and even erectile dysfunction.

Simply put, to improve your sexual health, it is a must that you improve your sleep.

THE BIG "O" POWER TIP #1

Share with your partner what turns you on. On what turns her on. Communication is the key.

THE BIG "O" POWER TIP #2

Nutrition and exercise are also a critical part of supporting your sexual health.

THE BIG "O" POWER TIP #3

Get physical! An obvious aspect of sex's impact on sleep is the physical exercise involved. When you put in some banging work, you'll naturally become more fatigued after the session is over. Move around, get involved, and put your back into it. Lying back and just getting fucked is fine as well, but if you want to earn your sleep black belt, then you've got to put some work in, too.

(10) GET IT BLACKED OUT

It's a well established fact that we sleep better in a dark environment, yet so many people aren't taking full advantage of this.

Did you know that your skin actually has receptors that can pick up light (and then it sends messages to your brain and organs) and can interfere with your sleep?

One of the most devastating impacts of this light pollution is the confirmed effect on melatonin production. Melatonin has been proven to : (1) Improve immune system function.

(2) Normalize blood pressure.

(3) Reduce the proliferation of cancer cells and tumour growth.

(4) Enhance DNA protection and free radical scavenging.

(5) Decrease risk of osteoporosis.

(6) Decrease risk of plaques in the brain (like those seen with Alzheimer's disease).

(7) Alleviate migraines and other pain.

(8) Improve thyroid function.

(9) Improve insulin sensitivity and weight reduction.

Even a simple nightlight could contribute to myopia in children. Research showed 55% of children who slept in a lightened room developed near-sightedness.

LUX CAPACITOR

Research indicates that just by changing the colour spectrum of light you're exposed to at night, you can help prevent melatonin from being bullied by the Biff-like power of blue lighting.

According to Harvard Researchers "Red light has the least power to shift circadian rhythm and suppress melatonin."

Instead of basking in the hot light of standard bulbs from our lamps and overhead lights, try utilizing the soft lights of candles in the evening to transition to a great night of sleep.

You can even swap out certain lights in your home or a couple of lamps with red bulbs.

Lux from direct sunlight is upwards of 100,000! Compare that with the normal light exposure our ancestors would get from moonlight (at under tiny 1 lux).

Indoor lighting can range from 50 to 500 lux, automatically triggering a suppression of melatonin if you're unprotected from these lights at night.

GET IT BLACKED OUT POWER TIP #1

The alarm clocks with the white or blue digits are more disruptive than ones with red digits. Get a new alarm clock.

GET IT BLACKED OUT POWER TIP #2

In preparation for sleeping in your pitch-black room, lowering the luminosity of the lights in your home (turning down the lights) or utilizing different colour bulbs is a very good idea. As the data shows, red lights are great, plus candle light can be a nice alternative.

Himalayan salt lamps feature a soft pinkish-orange tint so move it into your bedroom now!

GET IT BLACKED OUT POWER TIP #3

The purpose of dark curtains or blinds is to block out unnatural light. The natural light you get from the moon is not bright enough to worry about. You do need to worry about streetlights and community lights. If there are none, then sleep with the windows open!

GET IT BLACKED OUT POWER TIP #4

Joseph Mercola, doctor of osteopathic medicine, recommends that, even during the midday sun, your bedroom should be very dark when you go in there.

(11) TRAIN HARD BUT SMART

Muscle is a reservoir for anti-raging hormones that help to protect your DNA from oxidation. The research shows that you can stay younger, longer if you have more lean muscle on your body.

The secret is that your body is transformed from your workout while you sleep. This is when your body releases large amounts of beneficial hormones and elicits repair programs to build you up better than before.

Exercise can be amazing for you. As a matter of fact, it's essential to being the healthiest version of yourself. You got so many positive benefits, from improving insulin sensitivity, to boosting healthy hormone function, to enhancing your metabolism. But when it's placed on top of an already overwhelming stress load, it can lead to some significant problems. When the exercise is done is important.

Morning workouts are the ideal if you want to get the best sleep at night.

Researchers discovered that people who exercised at 7.00am slept longer and had a deeper sleep cycle. In fact, morning exercisers had up to 75% more time in the reparative "deep sleep" stage at night. This is so impressive, and a huge leverage point if you're interested in a longer life and a better body. Remember that we also have a big spike of cortisol in the early morning for the sole purpose of exercise.

The second best time to work out in the day is around 4.30pm. After spiking during exercise your body temperature will fall nicely allowing you to sleep at 10.00pm. Any earlier in the afternoon and you will lose this benefit.

What happens to us as we get older? Why could so many of us eat pizzas all the time when we were younger and stay relatively lean? Why could we stay up late and still be able to function? Well to put it simply, at that time of our lives we have the hormones of a beast. We are just churning out anabolic hormones that are trying to help propel our gene pool to be successful in the future. Our bodies change because our hormones change.

It's been confirmed that certain lifestyle practices ca either slow down or accelerate the loss of your telomere length (essential for long life). Research in California found that sleep deprivation is one of the biggest triggers for accelerated loss of your telomere length.

What this means is that in those days in our teens and early twenties when we decided to forgo the sleep our bodies need, we could definitely "get by" easier, but we're unknowingly accelerating our aging so much that we won't even know what hit us when it all suddenly stops.

It is essential that this information is about sleeping smarter is readily shared with our kids - especially high school and university students.

People who did a moderate amount of exercise - about 100 minutes a week of activity such as tennis, swimming or running - had telomeres that on average looked like those of someone 5 or 6 years younger as compared to those who did the least exercise.

Instead of doing long duration cardio (running, cycling, etc.) focus on heavy superset-style strength training. Your workouts will be shorter but intense.

Can running be good for you? Absolutely. But it comes with some important caveats. We've been misled to believe that "cardio" in the form of jogging for long time periods is the ideal way to lose fat. The reality is that nothing could be further from the truth. Running for long distances can actually increase muscle loss through a process called gluconeogenesis. Only do running, if you truly love it.

QUALITY OVER QUANTITY

To get the best hormonal response, you need to lift heavy weights. This will trigger your body to secrete more anabolic hormones that will enable you to feel better, looks better, and sleep better.

Women think that lifting weights will make them bulky. Not true! Unless she's on steroids or is a professional eater. I don't want a single woman to lose sight of the real unrivalled benefit that lifting weights can give you.

By lifting weights you actually change your bodys' composition and potentially go from an apple shape to an hourglass shape. Lifting weights enables you to express your true genetic potential. Your genes expect you to life heavy things, and when you do that, your body changes accordingly.

Bottom line : Lifting weights doesn't make you big; eating a large amount of food makes you big. Lifting weights won't make you big and bulky; chocolate croissants will make you big and bulky.

I had my insomniac clients lift weights for just three 30-minute sessions per week. They dropped bodyfat, improved health biomarkers, and most importantly, got the sleep they really required.

There are immediate improvements, but the substantial benefit to sleep health kicks in after a couple of weeks of exercise, so don't give up!

It's not surprising that world-class athletes utilize sleep as part of their overall training programs. Athletes like LeBron James, Roger Federer, Usain Bolt and Michelle Wie average more than 10 hours of sleep per night! Federer actually gets a 2 hour nap in during the day as well!

TRAIN SMART POWER TIP #1

Whether you choose to do a full workout in the morning or afternoon, make sure to get some activity in during the first part of the day regardless. You can take just a few minutes to do some body weight exercises, go for a power walk, do some yoga or jumping jacks.

TRAIN SMART POWER TIP #2

Take out a schedule and block off specific appointment times for you to work out using the info above. You can set a time for the morning or early evening. If you're really serious about being the healthiest person you can be, you'll set your personal exercise appointment and sleep time first, then schedule everything else around them.

You shouldn't hike past 5pm in the evening. If you have a long hike, start early.

TRAIN SMART POWER TIP #3

Do something you enjoy! The best form of exercise is the exercise you'll actually do. Outside of a couple of days of strength training (which is essential - and many people love doing this already), add some days of additional activities that you enjoy.

TRAIN SMART POWER TIP #4

Get an accountability partner. Statistics show that having external accountability drastically increases your rate of follow-through.

I highly recommend listening to my show. Visit themodelhealthshow.com or subscribe to The Model Health Show on your favourite podcast app.

You can also join the Sleep Smarter Facebook group via the bonus resource guide (sleepsmartbook.com/bonus) and get matched up with some helpful accountability there too.

When selecting a one-on-one accountability partner, avoid choosing someone who has a history of struggling with the same challenge that you have.

Look for someone who's better (at least a little bit) in the area that you need improvement in, and hopefully you can offer them the same in another area.

TRAIN SMARTER POWER TIP #4

It's not only exercise that impacts your sleep, but sleep also impacts your exercise.

In the beginning, if you have to push yourself harder to exercise, have the courage to do so, knowing that eventually you won't have to push because the vision of a better life and the way you feel will start to pull you.

TRAIN SMART POWER TIP #5

Make sure that you're lifting weights at least 2 days per week. Focus on compound lifts that give you the most bang for your buck. You can grab some sample step-by-step exercise protocols in the Sleep Smarter bonus resource guide. there are also free tips om how to line up your nutrition and supplementation (like how to strategically use caffeine) to accelerate fat loss from your workouts.

If you have a history of sleep problems, I recommend short "superset" training sessions that last no longer than 30 minutes. You can do this by pairing two exercises together for noncompeting muscle groups. We'll use legs and chest in this example:

Do 8 to 10 reps of weighted squats followed immediately by 8 to 10 reps of incline presses. Rest until fully recovered (upwards of 2 minutes), then repeat the superset again. You can switch up the exercises but the basic format remains the same. Structuring your program like this is great for fat loss and optimizing your hormones for a better night's sleep.

(12) GET YOUR "FRIENDS OUT OF YOUR ROOM

People who don't turn off their phone 1 hour before bed, typically take twice as long to fall asleep. It also takes them an hour longer to fall into deep sleep.

The most alarming thing is that right now at least 50% of Americans sleep with their cell phones right by their sides. You r thoughts will linger on your last interaction with the phone. Turn it off and put it away!

The WHO has now classified cell phone radiation as a Group 2B possible carcinogen. We just don't know what is the long-term impact of creating a giant Wi-Fi umbrella around our world.

How you begin and end your day has a huge impact on your life. Starting the day checking emails and messages on your phone means you are putting other peoples priorities ahead of yours! You are starting the day addressing other people's needs instead of taking time to care for yourself physically and getting focused on your own goal for the day.

FRIENDS OUT POWER TIP #1

Never use your phone as an alarm clock. Use a real alarm clock.

FRIENDS OUT POWER TIP #2

If your partner uses her phone in bed while you are trying to sleep you will need to have a face to face chat with them. Explain why this is important to you, and ask them if they'd be willing to work with you on this. Remind them that you want them to be happy as well but insomnia shortens your life!

FRIENDS OUT POWER TIP #3

It's suggested that things like TV's, music systems, AC units, computers and fridges be at least 6 feet away from your bed. And that means 6 feet in the vertical sense, too!

If you're staying in a hotel, do not charge your phone, or anything else, right next to your bed. Use the charging point farthest away.

FRIENDS OUT POWER TIP #4

Try turning off the Wi-Fi in your house at night to see if it has any effect on your sleep.

(13) LOSE WEIGHT AND DON'T FIND IT AGAIN

One of the most overlooked problems with getting great sleep is having too much body fat on your frame.

Overweight peoples cortisol goes up much more after eating a mean than people with normal weight. Cortisol is as close to an anti-sleep hormone as you can get.

I have gone from near 20% body fat to sub 7% body fat.

Even without the vast benefits of exercise, the power of simply changing your diet has a huge impact on getting improved sleep.

THE LOWDOWN

If you're focusing on cutting calories to lose weight, then you might as well buy yourself some larger-size clothes right now. Research shows that up to 70% of the weight you lose through traditional calories restriction is coming from a loss of your lean muscle tissue.

The problem is that people are thinking in terms of weight loss instead of body-fat loss. You don't want to lose weight. You want to lose fat. You have to incite your body to secrete hormones that use stored body fat for fuel, and it's really as simple as that.

If you're activating hormones that store fat all the time, then you're automatically throwing yourself out of the game, even if you're carefully counting your calories.

Your body's major fat-storing hormone is insulin. You may think of it only in regards to diabetes, but it's one of the most important hormones to your survival (and it can make you very fat if you don't know how to turn it off).

The number one thing that insulin reacts to is carbohydrates. This includes all starches like bread, pasta, and potatoes; refined sugar products like cakes, candy, and soda; and even healthier carbohydrates like fresh fruits. To your body, it doesn't matter. These carbs come in, and the insulin is turning on.

To shift your body into a more fat-burning state, you need to put more of your focus on the other two macronutrient groups: protein and fat. Don't think of fats as being the enemy. In fact, a better word for dietary fats would simple be energy.

It's not about having a low-carb diet necessarily; it's about having a better ratio of all three macronutrient groups for you and your unique metabolism.

As fat as weight loss is concerned, by eating a higher ratio of protein and healthy fats, you'll be enable your pancreas to produce more glucagon instead of insulin.

If you want to be the leanest, healthiest version of yourself, head over and check out The Fat Loss Code and TheFatLossCode.com

THE MICRONUTRIENT SECRET

Micronutrients are things like vitamins, minerals, trace minerals, phytonutrients, and enzymes that enable our bodies to function at their highest level.

Also, micronutrients are essential to healthy hormone function. Eating micro-nutrient rich foods can trigger your body to secrete more leptin (the satiety hormone) to keep you balanced, healthy and in control.

How do you Get all of these micronutrient-rich foods? Easy : by simply eating real food!

Here's a simple list of things to help you know if it's a real food or not :

(1) If you can't tell where it comes from, changes are it's not real good (e.g. a bagel doesn't have any resemblance to a strand of wheat).

(2) If it comes though a drive-thru window, chances are it's not real food.

(3) If there are more than five ingredients, chances are it's not real food.

(4) If it even has to list the ingredients on it, chances are it's not real food.

(5) If it has a mascot or you get a special toy for buying it, chances are it's not real food.

Stanford studies shows that when individuals were sleep deprived, they ended up with significantly decreased levels of leptin in their systems. Again, leptin is known as the satiety hormone because it plays such as important role in regulating appetite. Chances are, when you're tired or sleep deprived, this is the hardest time to resist the junk food that you know you should be avoiding.

Eve Van Cauter, professor of medicine at Chicago University, calls sleep deprivation "the royal route to obesity." Now understanding the fact that sleep deprivation decreases your insulin sensitivity, disrupts your hormonal cycles, and depresses your brain function, we know that her statement is 100% true.

LOSE WEIGHT WHILE SLEEPING POWER TIP #1

If you really need to have something to eat closer to bedtime, have a high-fat, low-carb snack. This will ensure your blood sugar stays stable. In contrast, if you eat a higher-carb snack right before bed, your blood sugar will spike, and the impending blood sugar crash can be enough to wake you up out of sleep.

Give your body a sold 90 minutes (more is better) before heading off to bed after eating.

According to one study, eating easily digested carbs 4 hours before bedtime led people to fall asleep faster.

LOSE WEIGHT WHILE SLEEPING POWER TIP #2

Remember this always : Nutrient deficiency will lead to persistent overeating (which will lead to poor sleep and poor overall health).

LOSE WEIGHT WHILE SLEEPING POWER TIP #3

Have your first meal be an epic one. Start your day off smart. Most people in our modern world have been programmed to start their day by having dessert for breakfast : oatmeal, toast, pancakes, bagels, cereal, fruit smoothies, and more. You're starting your day with a huge insulin spike and setting yourself up for a day of fat storage because of this.

Here we have one of the biggest secrets to long-term fat loss : Keep insulin down through the first part of your day.

A breakfast of a vegetable omelette, sliced avocado topped with kelp granules (a sea veggie that's great for thyroid function), and some omega-3 supplements is a hormone-healthy way for you to start your day.

If you're going to make a smoothie, don't make a purely fruit smoothie. Make it a predominantly green smoothie, Load that blender up with a ridiculous amount of green leafy vegetables like spinach, some berries (blueberries), protein powder, almond milk, cacao powder and cinnamon. The greens and micronutrients will help keep that insulin response to a minimum.

Even though green smoothies are OK, the best breakfast option for most people is to go with some protein (like eggs, steak or salmon), veggies (cooked and/or raw), and some healthy fats (like avocado, coconut, olives or nuts and seeds).

STOP WITH THE TOAST, CEREALS, OATMEAL AND FRUIT SMOOTHIES.

(14) GO EASY ON THE BOTTLE

Did you know that you actually get smarter while you sleep? This comes through memory processing and if your REM sleep is disrupted then this process will be too.

REM sleep is significantly disrupted by having alcohol in your system.

As discussed in section 4 adenosine levels rise to encourage your body to go to sleep.

Alcohol leads to increased extracellular concentrations of adenosine, which does make you sleepy but it is artificial and throws off your sleep homeostasis as your body makes a concentrated effort to clean it all up.

This likely is going to lead you to waking up during the night feeling like shit. Furthermore, every time you wake up from an alcohol-influenced sleep, it can be more difficult for you to tall back into the optimal stages of sleep you need to recover. Bottom line : If you do drink closer to bedtime, be sure to give yourself ample time to go to the bathroom before turning in.

IMPORTANT : Drinking close to bedtime can also exacerbate current health problems you might be experiencing. Prostate and bladder problems come to mind.

And what about diagnosed sleeping problems?

People with sleep apnoea need to be careful here. They will tend to stop breathing more frequently and for longer periods of time after drinking. The cocktail of booze and sleep apnoea is life threatening.

Driving a car while sleep deprived causes you to drive 10 times worse than normal. Driving a car while tipsy causes you to drive 3 times worse than normal. This doesn't sound too bad but consider that most people who are tipsy are drinking and driving after dark, so they could end up driving closer to 30 times worse.

EASY ON THE BOTTLE POWER TIP #1

Wrap up the drinks at least 3 hours before hitting the sack. If you want to play at a high level and still hang out with your friends for drinks, then hook up with them for happy hour instead of an all-night bender.

EASY ON THE BOTTLE POWER TIP #2

Avoid driving alone for long distances late at night. Especially if you had a drink.

EASY ON THE BOTTLE POWER TIP #3

Drink more... water, that is. To help nullify the effects of alcohol faster, you need to drink more water to help flush out the metabolic waste products left behind. For every alcoholic drink you have, your body can eliminate up to four times as much liquid! Dehydration is one of the primary causes of nausea and other nonappealing symptoms of a hangover.

.To recover faster and keep your body hydrated, wine expert Anthony Giglio recommends that you have one 250ml glass of water with every alcoholic drink that you consume. Keep a pitcher of water at your table when you're drinking.

(15) PLAY YOUR POSITION

The reality is that your sleeping position matters. A lot. It affects, among other things :

(1) Blood flow to your brain.

(2) Stability of your spine.

(3) Hormone production.

(4) Joint and ligament integrity.

(5) Oxygen supple and efficient breathing.

(6) Muscular function and healing.

(7) Heart function and blood pressure.

(8) Digestion and cellular metabolism.

If you're sleeping in a position that compromises your body's ability to function and recover, it doesn't matter how many hours of sleep you get, you're going to feel like shit when you wake up. Me?

One of the most important facets of your sleeping position is maintaining the integrity of your spine.

There are many sleeping positions and to make it simple, we're just going to focus on getting you into the best position for your back, your stomach and your side.

HAVE YOUR OWN BACK

Many experts will tell you that sleeping on your back is the ideal position to be in. First of all, your spine can be in the best position here. You will also have less likelihood of digestive distress, like acid reflux, in this position. And, for all those who are cosmetically conscious, sleeping on your back allows your facial skin to breathe, so you'll be less prone to having breakouts and early-onset wrinkling.

The downside of sleeping on your back is the greater likelihood of sleep apnoea.

Back-sleeping is the most politically correct choice, but, admittedly, not the most comfy position to be in. It's definitely safer for your spine, but it's not the best position if you're making either of the following big mistakes:

(1) Using a huge pillow. Having a pillow or pillows that are too big under your head while lying on your back totally misaligns the natural curve of your spine. You can end up with neck pain, back pain, headaches, or even worse. You'll also have poor circulation to your brain all night because the blood is trying to move uphill past 'Pillow Mountain'.

Break the pillow addiction immediately because it's bad business for your back and your brain.

(2) Using a worn-out mattress. If your mattress is old and saggy your spine's natural curve is compromised.

Get a new mattress every 10 years.

SLEEP LIKE A BABY

Lying on our stomach as infants is actually critical to our development. But you need to be careful. Lying down face-first as an adult with your legs straight and your arms right by your sides is probably a bad idea.

On the brighter side, some research shows that lying on your stomach can help prevent some minor snoring and some symptoms of sleep apnoea. Sleeping belly-down keeps your upper airways more open, so this could be okay for you if you follow a few simple rules:

(1) Lift a knee. Lift one knee up to open your hips and take some of the pressure off your spine from lying with your legs straight.

(2) Lose the pillow. If you're going to sleep on your belly, then ditch the pillow, because you really don't need it. Using a pillow will hyperextend your neck all night, and that's just silly. Think of walking around all day with your head tilted back looking at the sky. Yes, you'll look crazy, but you'll also have neck problems.

(3) Use the pillow for something else. Placing a small, firm pillow underneath your belly and hips will reduce the stress on your low back and neck. Simply place a pillow in a comfortable spot on the same side that you've lifted your leg, and you're in a much healthier position to sleep on your stomach.

ON THE WINNING SIDE

Most people report that they prefer to sleep on their side, and for good reason. Our most intense times of sleep and development happened while we were in the womb, curled up in the foetal position. Sleeping on our side is the natural sleeping position to emulate this developmental template.

Side-sleeping can be a quick fix for snoring and can help to improve breathing, more so than lying on your back. Plus, sleeping on your side (the left side in particular) has been reported to ease troublesome digestive problems like acid reflux and heartburn.

Here are some simple tips for sleeping on your side:

(1) Shoulder lean. Instead of sleeping with your shoulder directly under you, move it forward slightly to avoid constriction of your shoulder and arm muscles.

(2) Pillow proposition. Make sure that your head isn't propped up too high on pillows. You want to ensure that you're maintaining the natural straight position of your spine with a pillow that supports your neck, but doesn't raise your head too much.

(3) For this with back pain. Experts recommend sleeping on your side with a soft pillow between your knees if you have a history of back problems. This helps to stabilize your spine and alleviate pressure from your hips and lower back.

HOT BED OF QUESTIONS

Many people across the world sleep on the ground, yet sleep more peacefully than people on the highest-priced beds.

Consumer reports states that you need to replace your mattress every 7 years, but this is something that most of us just don't take into account. We get a mattress, go on about our lives, and usually don't give it a second thought.

At first the mattress will feel fine, but over time it loses its resiliency, and you might not even realize that problems you're having are related to where you lay your head down at night. It's not just back pain, but neck problems and issues with internal organs.

WINDOW DRESSING

Many people are shocked to find out that most mattresses contain toxic foams and synthetic fabrics, and are treated with chemical flame retardants that off-gas and lead to a whole host of health problems.

The British Medical Journal's research has shown that the reuse of infant mattresses triples the risk of cot death. This is because whenever anyone sleeps on a mattress, skin cells are shed by the body that can become organic matter for microbes to decompose. What can result is a microbial, toxic dance-off that can silently pose a great risk to your health.

Parents should wrap their new baby's mattress in an inexpensive, nontoxic protective cover.

The next time you make the decision to purchase a mattress for yourself or your family, be sure to follow my recommendations in the Sleep Smarter bonus resource guide.

PLAY YOUR POSITION POWER TIP #1

Start off the night in your ideal sleep position, and if you wake up during the night and find yourself in a position that you don't want to be in, simply make a conscious effort to get into one that you prefer.

PLAY YOUR POSITION POWER TIP #2

Make sure to communicate your sleeping needs and preferences to your partner - this simply cannot be emphasized enough. Talk to them with intention and compassion. Understand their sleeping needs, and make sure that you're doing what you can to make them feel comfortable too.

It can create a greater connection, or it can create more irritation than you can imagine. The simple solution is to communicate with love and respect.

PLAY YOUR POSITION POWER TIP #3

Set your sights on getting a nontoxic, non-off-gassing mattress that has a higher level of resiliency than the industry standard if at all possible.

(16) CALM YOUR INNTER CHATTER

There is a great quote that says, "My bed is a magical place where I suddenly remember everything I was supposed to do." This is so very true!

People who hop into bed and then proceed to think about the when, where, who , why, what, and how of their life...all while they're supposed to be sleeping. If this sounds familiar to you (yes!) then you have a serious issue with something we call inner chatter. But don't worry, there is a solution. MEDITATION

Meditation or brain training, can be as simple as sitting quietly and focusing on your breathing, or counting your steps as you walk around the park. You can even turn everyday activities like taking a shower or washing your clothes into a great mindfulness meditation.

Let's take a look at the proven ways that a meditation practice can improve your life:

Performance.

Meditation training makes you better at focusing.

There is an absurd amount of data mounting about the beneficial impact of meditation on work performance, productivity, memory, and focus. Don't be the one who misses the boat because you didn't take advantage of this valuable resource.

Health.

Research at the Medical College of Georgia in Augusta found that mediation lowered blood pressure and reduced the risk of heart disease and also reduced chronic pain and associated inflammatory markers.

Sleep.

Meditation is an effective treatment for insomnia. The study showed that over a 2-month period, sleep latency, total sleep time, total wake time, wake after sleep onset, sleep efficiency, sleep quality, and depression improved in patients who practiced meditation.

BRAIN WAVES

We all have four different brain wave frequencies measured in Hz. Here is a brief description of the four:

Beta waves (15 to 40 Hz)

This is the brain rhythm in the normal state of wakefulness, associated with thinking, alert and conscious thinking, problem-solving, and attention toward the outer world. You are most likely in a "beta state" while reading this right now!

Alpha waves (9 to 14 Hz)

When you are truly relaxed, calm, lucid and not thinking, your brain waves slow from the alertness of beta waves to the gentle waves of alpha. The "alpha state" is where meditation begins, and it's a brain wave frequency that heightens your imagination, visualization, memory, learning and concentration. This is the gateway to the subconscious mind and reprogramming your thinking.

Theta waves (4 to 8 Hz)

Theta waves are present during deep relaxation and meditation and light sleep, including the important mental imagery of the REM dream state.

We are more receptive to insights and information beyond our normal conscious awareness in this state.

Delta waves (1 to 3 Hz)

The delta frequency is the slowest of the frequencies and is experienced in deep, dreamless sleep. It is also seen occasionally in very experienced meditators.

Much of our regeneration and healing happen in this brainwave sate, making getting enough deep sleep critical to our survival.

BREATHING FOR THE WIN

We tend to breathe shallow and short, barely giving our bodies the oxygen that it needs.

We have an autopilot that operates our breathing, but at any time we can jump in and grab the controls. We can make our breathing deeper, more shallow, faster, slower, and variations of it all. We can consciously control our breathing, but why? Evolutionary speaking, it's to our advantage because our temporary perception doesn't always equal our reality.

BREATHE LIKE A BABY

Worry over a job interview, potential layoff, missing a flight, negative comments on social media, loss of money or an inability to pay a bill, the health and well-being of people you care about, traffic jams, work deadlines, and on and on and on...Even though these things hardly ever really hurt us, many of us worry about them on a daily basis. All of the things that stress us out and create fear are activating our fight-or-flight system. Just because we we perceive them as a threat, the fight-or-flight system is turning on and our body is experiencing the effects.

MINDFULNESS

While walking, you can notice the feel of the ground under your feet, or even breathe deeply, syncing your breath with your steps. You can tune in and be more mindful while you're eating, while you're talking to a friend (instead of thinking about what you're going to say, actually fully and completely listen to them), while taking a shower or a bath, while exercising, while having sex, while cleaning the house, and on and on.

When it's time to sleep your focus should be on, well, sleep. You can take your focus and put it on what you want, instead of the bazillion other things that your mind can jump around.

PRIME TIME

One of the best times for meditation is when you're already close to the alpha and theta brain waves. This would be as soon as you wake up in the morning, or right before bed at night.

Meditation in the morning is proven to help people sleep at night.

If you ever find yourself in a situation where you wake up too soon and have trouble going back to sleep, simply lie on your bed and practice a breathing meditation to put your brain into the alpha and/or theta state to mimic some of the benefits of the sleep you would be missing out on.

This is an incredible resource to have at your disposal when you need to.

CALM IT DOWN POWER TIP #1

If you decide to meditate at night to help you wind down for sleep, try doing it before you get into bed, not while you're in bed. Again, the neuro-association you want to have with your bed is sleep and sex and that's it.

CALM IT DOWN POWER TIP #2

If you want to use a simple meditation to help you fall asleep while lying in bed try this :

Do a full body scan (guided) meditation. Breathe in and out of each part of your body as you move through them from toe to top.

CALM IT DOWN POWER TIP #3

If you've found that you are consistently waking up in the middle of the night, there could be a couple of potential causes. The most obvious culprit is abnormal hormone cycles. As we've discussed in previous chapters, optimizing your hormones through smart nutrition, exercises, and following the tips in this book is key to setting your hormones back on track. Another issue could be an unknown or unresolved sleep apnoea. Losing weight is key here too.

Read a little each day, listen to podcasts, or regularly go to meet-ups and events to help you continue to make progress on cultivating the life you really want. Being fulfilled instead of freaked out is probably a lot closer than you know.

CALM IT DOWN POWER TIP #4

If your sleep happens to be interrupted, meditation and relaxation techniques can be very helpful. If you can simply lie in bed, stay relaxed, and think positive thoughts (even smile and be happy to be alive!), then go ahead and stay in bed. However, if you're still working on improving yourself and find that you are agitated and frustrated, then by all means give yourself permission to get out of bed and journal or read (with the right kind of lighting we covered in previous chapters to keep cortisol low). There's no need to create a negative neuro-association to your sleeping environment. You may find that you get sleepy again while reading and drift off.

There is even some evidence that segmented sleep has been part of human evolution. Segmented sleep is essentially going to bed early in the evening and sleeping 3 to 4 hours, waking up for an hour or two, then returning back to sleep for another 3 to 4 hours until morning. Though this might not be ideal for most people, it's another thing to put your mind at ease and know that you are okay.

CALM IT DOWN POWER TIP #5

There are also more "active" forms of meditation that you can do to see many of the same benefits without sitting in one place. Try a daily qigong practice (pronounced Chee-gong) for a month or two. You can check out my favourite qigong practice in the bonus resources as well.

Tai chi is often described as "meditation in motion," and it's another excellent practice to consider.

Whether it's a breathing meditation, guided meditation, or movement-based meditation like these, take action to uncover a practice that works for you. The benefits are outstanding, and it only takes a few minutes a day.

(17) USE SMART SUPPLEMENTATION

You first need to address the lifestyle issues that are actually causing the sleep problem. If you jump to taking drugs or supplements, then you'll just be treating a symptom and increase the likelihood that you'll develop a dependency on something that can harm you long term. Focus on the lifestyle stuff in this book first.

Chamomile

Chamomile flavonoids have significant anti-inflammatory properties and studies indicate that chamomile can be used as a mild sedative and sleep inducer. Have a cup of chamomile tea before bed as often as possible.

Chamomile has been used historically as a sleep aid, but now our modern testing methods are proving its efficacy for this and many other health benefits. What studies show is that chamomile can help calm the nervous system, relax muscles, and set you up for a better night's sleep when you need it.

Kava Kava

Kava kava is well known for its sedative properties and is commonly used to treat sleeplessness and fatigue. 300mg of kava kava may improve mood and cognitive performance. Several studies show that it's effective for reducing the signs and symptoms of anxiety.

Preparing a cup of kava kava tea can be part of a relaxing evening ritual.

Valerian

This traditional herb is the strongest of the three herbs that I recommend and a moderate sedative. It's indicated for individuals who have a hard time galling asleep, and it also promotes uninterrupted sleep. The root of the valerian plant is used as medicine and pressed into fresh juice or freeze-dried to form a powder.

For tea, you can use a pre-packaged tea bag or simply pour 1 cup of boiling water (2 to 3g) of dried root, steep for 5 to 10 minutes, strain the tea, and enjoy. there are also tinctures and dried powder supplement capsules of valerian as well as the previous two medicinal herbs.

5-HTP, GABA, and L-Tryptophan

I bundled all three of these together because they are not the ideal choices, due to the fact that they're not natural herbal preparations like the previous three. These are isolated chemicals, and they can be helpful if intently monitored and used with caution.

In a study complied by the University of Maryland, people who took 5-HTP went to sleep quicker and slept more deeply than those who took a placebo. Researchers recommend 200 to 400mg at night to stimulate serotonin, but it may take 6 to 12 weeks to be fully effective.

Some people swear by the sedating effects of GABA to help manage stress. If GABA is of interest to you, 500mg in the evening is a good place to start.

L-Tryptophan is actually the precursor to 5-HTP and there are several foods rich in it. However the amounts of tryptophan found in them may not be enough to get the effects you are looking for. L-Tryptophan is a simple over-the-counter supplement you can use in addition to what you get from your diet. It can ideally be taken 90 minutes before bed.

IMPORTANT : These, like all other supplements, will influence people differently. One supplement might be a miracle for one person that helps them re-establish their sleeping cycle, while for someone else it may cause them to have crazy dreams or even feel groggier in the morning. Bottom line : It's unique to you whether something is gong to be helpful or not. This goes for food, supplements and even exercise. You have to experiment to find out what is the most intelligent, safest, and most effective long-term choice for you.

THE MELATONIN MISTAKE :

What you need to understand is that melatonin is a hormone (not a vitamin). And just like any other hormone therapy, such as testosterone therapy or oestrogen therapy, it comes with a greater risk of side effects and potential problems.

It can potentially down-regulate your body's natural ability to utilize melatonin on its own. Essentially, you can shut down your body's ability to even use melatonin at all, and you end up needing more and more. I'd say avoid it or at least try other things first.

The best way to use a sleep-regulating supplement is in a short-term period to establish a normal sleep pattern, or to re-establish a normal sleep pattern after a time zone change from travel or a time change due to daylight saving time.

Do safe, smart, natural things first, then only bring the supplements in to compliment the things that you are already doing.

SUPPLEMENTATION POWER TIP #1

Think about it. Your body has an ancient, finitely intelligent design, then in comes a chemical from the science lab and strange things can happen. Never mistake a product in a capsule for being real food.

SUPPLEMENTATION POWER TIP #2

Find the right does for you. The best advice is to start low and work your way up, unless you are 100 percent certain in what you are doing.

SUPPLEMENTATION POWER TIP #3

Don't mix sleep aids with alcohol. By mixing the two together you can relax your muscles too much, stop breathing, or cause a deadly accident if driving.

(18) BE EARLY TO RISE

It's waking up early in the day that sets the template for a great night's sleep.

"Going to sleep early and waking up early syncs the body clock with the earth's natural circadian rhythms, which is more restorative than trying to sleep while the sun's up" - Tracey Marks, MD.

The use of artificial light has morphed into an addiction that has seen our sleeping hours and health plummet to all-time lows. Our genetics haven't changed much from those of our ancestors who lived much closer to nature.

Once artificial light stepped into the picture, it effectively varied the length of our days. Our body clocks are out of order as sleep and wake times constantly vary from one night to the next.

This lack of consistency may be one of the biggest issues of all - creating a state of perpetual jet lag.

THE EARLY RISER CLUB

Early risers have been proven to get a full grade point higher than night owls with a 3.5 to 2.5 GPA respectively.

Night owls are out of sync with the typical corporate schedule and miss out on critical opportunities more often because their timing is off.

Humans are designed to be up in the day and sleeping at night. Being a night owl is a new idea.

Leo Babauta from the website Zen Habits has three brilliant suggestions to help you get up early@

(1) Get excited. The night before, think of one thing you'd like to do in the morning that excites you. It could be something you want to write, or a new yoga routine, or meditation, or something you'd like to read, or a work project that has you fired up. In the morning, when you wake up, remember that exciting thing , and that will help motivate you go get up.

(2) Jump out of bed. Yes Jump out of bed! With enthusiasm. Jump up and spread your arms wide as if to say, "Yes! I am alive! I'm ready to tackle the day with the gusto of a driven maniac." Seriously, it works.

(3) Put your alarm across the room. Once you've turned it off, go straight to the bathroom to pee. Then you're less likely to get back into bed. Now remember the exciting thing. If you didn't jump out of bed, at least stretch your arms wide and greet the day.

When you get out of bed, get your senses stimulated with something nice. The smell, taste and touch of a nice breakfast with coffee or tea with enliven you.

I'm a huge advocate of drinking a big glass of water or two firs thing in the morning. I call this an inner bath. This will replenish your hydration levels that went down while you were sleeping, help your body to clear out metabolic waste products, and give you a sensory stimulation to wake up your body.

You can break the old pattern of being up and night "tired and wired" by being early to rise and having a natural release of cortisol, then going to bed earlier and taking advantage of the natural release of melatonin.

EARLY TO RISE POWER TIP #1

Go to bed within 30 minutes of the same time each night and try to wake up within 30 minutes of dawn each day.

To stay within your body's desired sleep pattern, you don't have to go to bed at exactly 10.02pm each night, but do your best to make it within 30 minutes of what your ideal sleep time is.

I PROMISE YOU NETFLIX DOES STILL WORK IN THE DAYTIME!

EARLY TO RISE POWER TIP #2

Get your "money time" sleep. You will get massive hormonal benefits, enzymatic repair, and mental rejuvenation by getting to bed early enough to capitalize on the magic hours of 10pm to 2am.

(19) USE BODYWORK THAT WORKS

Test subjects receiving massage therapy experienced improved sleep and an increase in serotonin levels.

Massage is like a secret key to unlocking your sympathetic (fight-or-flight) nervous system and activating your parasympathetic (rest-and-digest) nervous system. When you add in the clinically proven benefits on serotonin production, oxytocin, and reduction of cortisol, it's no wonder that massage can be so helpful for gliding off to dreamland.

Here are some other notable benefits : (1) Normalization of blood pressure.

(2) Reduction of inflammatory cytokines.

(3) Reduced pain.

(4) Improved mobility.

(5) Improved symptoms of anxiety and depression.

(6) Reduction in migraines and headaches.

(7) Improved digestion and elimination.

(8) Reduction of stress hormones.

(9) Improved immune system function.

In the 1970's massage in the medical profession began to fall quickly out of favour with the advent of much more powerful pain medication and tranquilizers.

Bodywork shouldn't be a rare treat in your life; it should be a necessity.

TYPES

Many of the latest studies utilized Swedish massage, which is a technique where pressure is varied from light to vigorous and the muscles are rubbed with long, gliding strokes in the direction of blood returning to the heart. Swedish massage is awesome, though it's just one type of massage than can deliver a whole new world of value to your body and sleep.

Acupressure (a blend of the words acupuncture and pressure) massage can be done with an professional or on your own. It's been a form of therapy for more than 2,000 years.

It involved manipulation of the HT 7 (Heart 7) point which increases urinary melatonin metabolites to a normal level.

The HT 7 pressure point can be found on the inside crease of your wrist towards the underside of your arm. There’s a bone directly in line with this pressure point. Reflexologists claim that applying gentle pressure to this spot may protect against anxiety, insomnia, heart palpitations, and depression.

At night, right before bed, is a great time to employ some bodywork and self-massage to deactivate your sympathetic nervous system. One way to calm down before bed is doing this very sophisticated thing called gut smashing. Here's how it's done :

Get yourself a ball that has a little give to it. You want a ball that's about the size of a football, but make sure it's not too full of air before you use it.

Now get down on the floor and lay belly-down on the ball.

Spend 5 to 10 minutes "ungluing" your abdominal musculature - just rolling back and forth, stopping where it's uncomfortable, contracting and relaxing, just breathing into that ball. It's safe and effective, and it triggers your parasympathetic system to turn on.

So, whether it's Swedish massage, Thai massage, acupressure, gut smashing, myofascial release, or anything else, make it a mandate to get some bodywork done on a regular basis. We hold so much tension, stress and inflammation in our bodies, and this is one time-tested way to get your body, mind, and sleep back in balance.

BODYWORK POWER TIP #1

Book yourself a massage this week. Try and get a monthly membership to a massage parlour that specializes in giving professional massages.

BODYWORK POWER TIP #2

Give progressive muscle relaxation a shot. You might think that your muscles are relaxed but they are probably not.

Here's a sample of how it's done:

Lie down in a comfortable position and take a few deep breaths to begin the practice. Starting with your face, tense all the muscles either all at once or one at a time (better). Hold each contraction for 5 to 10 seconds. Lift your eyebrows as high as possible, bring them down as low as possible, squeeze your eyes shut, tense your lips, cheeks, and jaw. Then totally let go and relax.

Next move to your shoulders and arms. Hold each contraction for 10 seconds from here on. Tense your shoulders, clench your fists tightly, and contract the muscles in your arms. After the 10 seconds, let them totally relax, feel the deeper relaxation, and wait a few seconds before moving on. Next, go to your chest and abdomen, then to your back, then to your hips and butt, and finish with your legs and feet, devoting a 10 second tense-and-relax session to each one. You will likely notice a significant decrease in your stress level and greater relaxation in your body overall.

BODYWORK POWER TIP #3

There are many other tools that you can use for self-massage at home, including foam rollers, tennis balls, lacrosse balls, and trigger point massage tools, just to name a few. And, of course, you have your own hands for self-massage, or a partner's hands if you ask nicely. Make it a consistent part of your nightly ritual to get just a couple minutes of bodywork in to de-stress from the day.

(20) DRESS FOR THE OCCASION

Putting on your pj's can be like a mental trigger to relax and wind down for the day.

It's important to realise that your body is better at keeping itself warm than keeping itself cool, so you'll make it easier on yourself by wearing fewer and looser clothes to bed.

If you think that what you're wearing to bed doesn't matter, think again - you might want to consider pulling off a layer or two.

Wearing tight, restrictive clothing to bed is a huge mistake you need to avoid. Clothing that is too tight can literally cut off the flow of your lymphatic system.

The most common culprit here is tight socks. You'll know they're too tight if, when you pull them off, you can still see the imprint of the socks perfectly on your skin.

Simply opt for a pair of loose, fuzzy socks as your go-to choice. Many times of hiking socks have a looser fit, so that might be a good place to start.

FOR WOMEN : When you take off your bra and see those indentations around your back, sides, shoulders, and breasts, that's a clear indication that you're cutting off lymphatic flow and circulation

Anatomically, the breasts do not benefit from being deprived of gravity. Overall it was found that women who do not use bras developed more muscle tissue to naturally support their breasts and had a greater nipple life (in relation to their shoulders). Conversely, women who wore bras had actually accelerated breast sagging.

FOR MEN : Semen parameters gradually decreased when men wore tighter underwear and gradually increased when men wore looser underwear. The habitual wearing of tight underwear changes the natural loads that would occur for the male reproductive bits.

The best clothing for bed will be non-restricting and hypoallergenic (both the fabric itself and how it's washed). Here are a few options on what to wear to bed :

Men: Boxers, loose-fitting pyjama bottoms, basketball shorts, basic T-shirt or go naked.

Women: Boy shorts, your own or your partners T-shirt or boxers, flowing lingerie, yoga pants or "tights" that don't strangle your legs and hips, loose-fitting pyjama bottoms, or go naked.

BIRTHDAY SUIT

If you are your partner both sleep in the nude, you can reap the benefits of the feel-good hormone oxytocin. You can get these benefits from intimacy (like sleeping in the same bed), massage, sex, or simply cuddling the skin-to-skin contact is all that's required. Oxytocin is a potent anti-stress hormone. It reduces the signs and symptoms of depression, combats the negative effects of cortisol, and helps regulate blood pressure. It's also been shown to decrease intestinal inflammation and improve gut motility as well. All the more reason to get as close as possible.

On top of this is the obvious : More sex. An orgasm might just be nature's number one sleep aid.

DRESS FOR THE OCCASION POWER TIP #1

Take bedtime as an optimal time to go bra free. Bedtime is a perfect time to wear something looser or not wear anything at all.

DRESS FOR THE OCCASION POWER TIP #2

When shopping for clothes, keep in mind the cellular loads (or lack thereof) that get created from the items you choose to wear. You can find several of these companies in the Sleep Smarter bonus resource guide.

(21) GET GROUNDED

We rarely touch the ground, rarely touch a tree, and rarely touch the source that creates every cell in our bodies. We are very much like a walking, talking, conductive battery.

Research shows the impressive benefits the earth's electromagnetic crust has on the human body.

Currently , more than 90% of physician visits are for stress and inflammatory-related issues. It may sound a little strange, but touching the earth maybe be the biggest key to eliminating our issues with chronic inflammation.

All the rage in health and nutrition today has been centred on antioxidants. Antioxidants carry free electrons that neutralize free radicals and stop overly aggressive oxidation right in its tracks. Inflammation is reduced, and health is improved.

However, the reality is you can eat foods that are high in antioxidants, but it won't swing the battle of oxidation in your favour as much as you think.

The ability of your liver to support production of the antioxidant superoxide dismutase, for example, is more potent than any antioxidant you can consume. The body has it's own antioxidant properties!

Scientist have discovered that the earth's surface is brimming with free electrons that are readily absorbed by the human body when they come in contact with each other. This is known as an electron transfer. The effects of this electron transfer are being researched rigorously, and the impact on sports performance, healing and overall health is shocking.

Researchers are calling this connection with the human body and the earth grounding or earthing.

Grounding appears to be one of the simplest and yet most profound interventions for helping reduce cardiovascular risk and cardiovascular events.

The logical explanation for the anti-inflammatory effects is that grounding the body allows negatively charged antioxidant electrons from the earth to enter the body and neutralise positively charged free radicals at the sites of inflammation.

As for stress, it's been confirmed that earthing has a measurable impact on stress reduction by shifting the autonomic nervous system from sympathetic to parasympathetic dominance, improving heart rate variability, and normalizing muscle tension. Researchers have found that when test subjects were grounded, there was a "rapid activation of the parasympathetic nervous system and corresponding deactivation of the sympathetic nervous system." As you know, the importance of being able to shift out of the constant barrage of light-or-flight of the sympathetic nervous system and into the parasympathetic, rest-and-digest system is one of the utmost importance for your sleep and overall health.

WHAT ABOUT SLEEP? A study in 2004 found that patients who were grounded during sleep had reduced night-time levels of cortisol and an overall normalisation of cortisol secretion during the day. Remember, cortisol is the arch nemesis of sleep.

I've been using an earthing mat under my desk and sleeping on earthing sheets for about 7 years.

Whether or not you decide to utilize these advancements in grounding technology, it's absolutely critical to get your body in contact with the earth on a regular basis to displace the positive charge you're carrying; to absorb free electrons to improve your recovery, heart health, and hormones; and, most important, to get a great night's sleep.

GET GROUNDED POWER TIP #1

Make it a regular practice to get some quality time with your bare feet on the ground. This means conductive surfaces like soil, grass, sand (at the beach), and even living bodies of water like the ocean.

By the way, have you ever noticed that when you take a vacation, and go to a beach, you tend to get amazing sleep?

I'd say target a minimum of 10 minutes a day.

You will also improve your proprioception (how your brain can sense your body, as well as its position and movement through space).

Being barefoot more often is a great overall health practice for so many reasons.

GET GROUNDED POWER TIP #2

If you live in a climate where grounding isn't always feasible, that's when access to earthing technology can be so helpful.

You can have one earthing product or earthing products everywhere - there are mats, sheets, mattresses, mouse pads, and even bands you can put on specific pain points on your body that are used clinically to reduce pain and inflammation.

However, nothing replaces getting direct contact with the earth.

GET GROUNDED POWER TIP #3

Getting grounded after a flight is a smart thing to do. I've found that this practice eliminates jet lag and helps me to adjust to a new time zone a lot faster.

THE 13-DAY SLEEP MAKEOVER

There are ultimately four stages to learning any new skill or habit.

(1) Unconscious incompetence - when you're doing something wrong and you don't know you're doing it wrong.

(2) Conscious incompetence - when you're doing something wrong and you know you're doing it wrong.

(3) Conscious competence - when you're doing something right but you have to consciously focus on doing it the right way.

(4) Unconscious competence - when you're doing something right and you don't even have to think about it.

To get great sleep every night on cruise control, you simply need to ritualize things just like when you first learned to drive.

Parents throughout time are well aware of the power of bedtime rituals for thier kids.

By creating a pre-sleep ritual, you're establishing a clear association between specific activities and your sleep.

THE GAME PLAN

Getting a great nights sleep starts the moment you wake up in the morning. You can begin the 14-Day Makeover anytime, but I recommend starting it when you have a minimal amount of big distractions in your life.

The number one thing to do right now is to schedule your start date and completion date.

Each day has exercises that you can complete in your journal. Print out the PDF version found at sleepsmarterbook.com/bonus. These exercises are incredibly important because they will track your results.

DAY 1

Morning

Now it's time to do a little exercise to get your heart rate up. If you're not already a morning exerciser, then just start with 5/10 minutes of any of the following : bodyweight exercises (featured in the guide at sleepsmarterbook.com/bonus, a brisk walk, Tabata, or a yoga session.

Go ahead and get ready for the day now (your normal morning routine). Breakfast will always follow the guidelines laid out in Section 13, alternatively follow the sample plan in the bonus resource guide.

Evening

Relaxation before bed is essential. Get off your devices at least 1 hour before bedtime and do one of the following things:

(1) Read a book - preferably fiction. Don't read anything work related! There are few things more capable of disconnecting you from your stress, worries and tension than escaping to another world inside a novel. Biographies are OK too. Just don't choose analytical, methodical, teaching type books.

(2) Listen to a relaxing podcast or guided meditation.

(3) Talk to a loved one.

(4) Journal. Complete your Sleep Smarter Journal 15 minutes before going to sleep.

(5) Take a bath.

(6) Any combination of the above!

DAY 2

Morning

Basically the same as yesterday. After your morning routine, make sure to do 10 minutes of exercise. After shower and breakfast head out and start your day getting your difficult tasks done early.

Purchase some topical magnesium.

Evening

Tonight, take greater advantage of journaling. Emphasis on gratitude. Get any random ideas out of your head and onto paper to free up mental space.

Part of the reason people have anxiety and trouble sleeping is a fixation on the things they haven't done and what they don't have. If you're reading this right now, chances are you are more fortunate than you realise, and you may have gotten out of touch with just how much you have to be grateful for.

DAY 3

Morning

After your standard morning rituals and exercise, focus on getting 10 minutes direct sunlight as soon as you can, and if available. The best thing would be to do your exercise outside. Or do your daily reading or have breakfast outside!

From today onwards, do not drink coffee after noon. Today is also about detoxing your bedroom, getting rid of all unnecessary electronics.

Evening

Get ready for your sleep date as usual. That's a good way to think of it. As a date to look forward to! Right before bed, rub on the topical magnesium. Use it liberally. Also make sure that the temperature in your room is not higher than 20C.

DAY 4

Morning

Complete your usual routines, making sure to exercise and get 10 minutes of sunlight.

Create your sleep sanctuary. Use blackout curtains and bring plants into your bedroom.

Evening

Get ready for your sleep date. Shut off screens one hour before bed. Make sure your plant is by your bedside. Right before bed, rub on the topical magnesium .

DAY 5

Morning

Add in a new valuable component to your morning ritual. That is 5-10 minutes of meditation. Then get your 10 minutes exercise and 10 minutes sunlight.

Book a massage for yourself or do a mutual massage with your partner.

Evening

Shut off screens 90 minutes before your desired bedtime and do a healthier activity. Don't forget the topical magnesium and to have a nice,cool temperature in your bedroom.

DAY 6

Morning

As per yesterday.

Focus on optimizing the times you go to sleep and wake up. Enzymatic repair is achieved between 1am and 2am. If you haven't started moving your bedtime earlier in 15 minute increments then now is the time to do so.

Evening

Shut off screens 90 minutes before your desired bedtime and do a healthier activity. Don't forget the topical magnesium and to have a nice,cool temperature in your bedroom.

DAY 7

Morning

Increase your morning exercises time to 15 minutes, and do the rest as normal.

Evening

Shut off screens 90 minutes before your desired bedtime and do a healthier activity. Don't forget the topical magnesium and to have a nice,cool temperature in your bedroom.

DAY 8

Morning

Today we should shift our focus towards food! Be sure to get in at least five servings of the foods that contain the good-sleep nutrients discussed in part 7. Try the sample meal plans from the bonus resoruce guide. Not only will you sleep better, but you will increase your energy levels.

Evening

Shut off screens 90 minutes before your desired bedtime and do a healthier activity. Don't forget the topical magnesium and to have a nice,cool temperature in your bedroom.

DAY 9

Morning

Meditate, exercise and get your sunlight as normal.

Get yourself a salt lamp for your bedroom, and some candles or low lighting for the living room. Try glasses that block blue light, and make sure all your devices have blue light blocking apps installed on them. You can find tips in the resource guide.

Evening

Follow the previous days' routine.

DAY 10

Morning

Meditate, exercise and get your sunlight as normal.

Todays assigned is to get yourself grounded. Add in 10 minutes of earthing. You can combine earthing with meditation, reading, sunbathing, eating. Just keep your bare feet on the ground. You could also order an earthing mat for your desk. You can get information on earthing products in the bonus resource guide.

Evening

Get ready for your sleep date. Shut off screens 90 minutes before bedtime and do something else. Utilize blue light blocking glasses as well as low-blue lightbulbs or simply dim the lights. Don't forget the magnesium!

DAY 11

Morning

Meditate, exercise and get your sunlight as normal.

We have talked before about how much clothes affect our health. Lose the restrictive, tight-fitting clothes at least while you sleep. This is a very simple fix, so do it!

Evening

Get ready for your sleep date. Shut off screens 90 minutes before bedtime and do something else. Utilize blue slight blocking glasses as well as low-blue lightbulbs or simply dim the lights. Don't forget the magnesium!

DAY 12

Morning

Meditate, exercise and get your sunlight as normal.

Evening

Before bed this evening add a little self-massage or some bodywork we mentioned in section 19. You can do this for just 5 minutes at bedtime. Follow your other evening routines as normal.

DAY 13

Morning

Meditate, exercise and get your sunlight as normal.

If you still feel today that you could use a little bit more assistance in optimizing your sleep, then its time to add in some smart supplementation. Check over section 17 and the bonus resource guide.

Evening

Get ready for your sleep date. Shut off screens 90 minutes before bedtime and do something else. Utilize blue slight blocking glasses as well as low-blue lightbulbs or simply dim the lights. Don't for get the magnesium!

Now watch the author on The Model Health Show.