Does the perfect sleep routine exist?
Well with a little planning and due diligence I believe you can get as close to a “perfect” routine as possible to have you sleeping soundly at night.
So, let’s look at setting up your “best” sleep routine.
Wind down time.
It is absolutely vital that you give your mind a chance to calm down in the evening after an eventful day at work. Today’s society is driven on Dopamine, which unfortunately for your brain isn’t the most “rewarding” when it comes to sleep; creating a “tired but wired” feeling.
Avoiding evening time distractions such as work emails, online arguments and screen time in general will ensure your mind gets the chance it deserves to relax. On top of this, adding in one scoop of PM Priming Stack will ensure the high dose Alpha GPC alongside Phosphatidylserine creates a calming, relaxed state of mind to help when it comes to bedtime. And if you must have screen time prior to sleep, then offset the effects of stimulating blue light with a pair of blue light blocking glasses.
Caffeine timing
Due to its half-life (the time it takes for half the dose to clear), caffeine beyond 2 p.m is a bad idea. On average caffeine has a half-life of 6 hours, meaning the 200mg energy drink or pre-workout you had at 4 p.m is still yielding 100mg by 10 p.m when you’re trying to get ready for sleep. Fortunately, that’s where the Broccoli Seed Extract and L-Theanine in PM Priming Stack comes into their forte; helping to speed up the metabolism of caffeine.
Environment
Your sleep environment is critical to how well you sleep. Temperature, bedding, tidiness of your room – are just 3 simple factors that can be addressed to ensure your bedroom is creating a calming, inviting environment for sleep – this also means no phones or work laptops – the bedroom is to be viewed as your sanctuary for sleep (and adult fun….).
Blackout curtains or a sleep mask like a Manta Sleep mask; appropriate quilt tog depending on season, room temperature of 18-19 degrees, comfortable mattress and pillow appropriate to your body type, silicon ear plugs, nasal strip – all small little over looked strategies which can have a positive impact to your sleep quality.
Nutrition and Hydration
During sleep your body secretes Anti-Diuretic Hormone (ADH) which stops you excreting fluid. If night time bathroom trips are disturbing your sleep, try to avoid/limit fluid ingestion 2-3 hours before bed; preferably using a serving of Supplement Needs Electrolyte+ with your final fluid ingestion to ensure you remain hydrated throughout the night.
Similarly, we don’t want the body having to shunt blood to the stomach for digestion during sleep so try to time your final meal to at least 2 hours before sleep. If you are finding it difficult to stay asleep at night, a small serving of carbohydrate with your final meal can make a big difference towards increasing Serotonin whilst adding 2 capsules of Supplement Needs Sleep Stack with the meal.
Daylight exposure
As our bodies operate on a circadian rhythm, its vital during winter/dark months that we are exposing ourselves to sunlight to help regulate our sleep/wake cycle. Using an artificial daylight lamp like a Lumie for sunrise/waking up, can help to offset the effect of sleep inertia (that groggy feeling when you wake up). Make sure you are also getting outside during lunchtime and get some sunlight (if possible).
Taking the time to perfect your sleep routine will pay off hugely towards your daily energy, motivation and productivity.
Sleep is a “free” health optimisation tool that can easily be bio-hacked with the right attitude and approach.
Dr Dean St. Mart PhD; Product Manager and Formulator for Supplement Needs