Shut Eye
In their book Built to Move, Kelly and Juliet Starrett outline these 10 tips to get the best rest and recovery every night. You may know some of these, but hopefully you can learn a thing or two to help you get a higher quality night of sleep.
Go to sleep and wake up at the same time, even weekends.
We keep out babies on toddlers on strict sleep schedules, why don’t we do that as adults?
Move more throughout the day.
More movement throughout the day is going to help you hit the hay later. TL;DR: walk more to wear yourself out.
Careful with caffeine
Caffeine takes time for our system to process it. Even if you’re a fast caffeine metabolizer (like me, I got my DNA tested), it can still affect your sleep, wait for it…. Even if you fall asleep without issue - it’s likely disrupting the restfulness and quality of your sleep. I’ve found that if I have caffeine too late, I’ll fall asleep without issue, but often wake up ‘too’ early the next morning unable to fall back asleep. Try out a couple different cut off times and see what works best for you.
No phones in the bed.
Right after GAIN opened I bought an analog alarm clock. I was waking up and immediately grabbing my phone to refresh my email. Not exactly a chill morning wake up. These days I still leave my phone downstairs.
Cut the alcohol
Anyone who has worn a Garmin or a WHOOP strap for a consistent period of time will tell you that alcohol negatively impacts their sleep. Audit your consumption and see how your sleep score changes after indulging.
Cool down
A cool room is the best place to sleep. Try turning the thermostat down a bit before bed and see if it helps you unwind.
Night time wind down
The Starrett’s recommend setting an alarm 60 minutes before bed to remind you to start your routine. They recommend doing your mobility work and foam rolling at night to help promote a parasympathetic response, or helping your nervous system wind down.
Dark and quiet
Blackout shades are amazing. Especially if you’re early to bed people like us.
Overestimate the time you need in bed.
This one is hard to wrap your head around. They’re saying if you want 8 hours, you better plan to be in bed for 9 hours. It’ll take you a while to fall asleep, and if you wake up at all for the bathroom, or toss and turn, all those minutes don’t count toward you sleep total. I’ve been thinking about and using this one for the past year and it can motivate me get into bed sooner.
Mimic your bedtime when you travel.
Stay consistent when you can.
Justin Miner
@justinminergain
