Feel Unstoppable, Grow Bigger Muscles, and Learn to Relax

It was small stuff at first.

I'd put on mismatched socks in the morning, start to pour orange juice into my oatmeal instead of milk, or fall asleep for two-tenths of a second before snapping my head up, the mini-whiplash move we all used to do when our moms woke us up way too early for school.

A few bad nights of sleep, I thought. Nothing to worry about.

But after a few weeks it became obvious I wasn't sleeping well at all, as my energy levels plummeted. My girlfriend would walk into the office and I'd be sitting at my desk with a just-smoked-a-huge-joint expression, staring into space.

"What are you looking at?" she'd ask. "And why are you wearing my socks?"

My writing was suffering, my workouts were lackluster, and my libido – my girlfriend told me – resembled that of a "sad old man." 
 
That did it.

So for the past few months, I've taken control of my sleep habits. I've meditated, made lists, disconnected myself from technology, tried late meals, cut off water, limited my caffeine intake, and a half-dozen other things.

Some of it worked incredibly well. Some of it backfired and kept me up longer than a male porn star who pops Viagra for fun.

But I've recently learned how to sleep well without using bourbon, barbiturates, or Internet porn (aka the Dinner of Champions).

Now that I sleep deeper, feel rested in the morning, and have more energy throughout the day, I figured it was time for me to share what I've learned.

Who knows? Maybe you resemble a sad old man more than you think.

7 Tips for Better Sleep

Plan your next day before dinner

The hardest thing for me is to shut off my brain in the evening, but doing this instantly improved my sleep.

Before you sit down to make dinner, grab a note card and write down every thing you have to do tomorrow. Every class, interview, project, paper, business phone call, workout, or meeting is going to weigh your thoughts down at night since you'll worry about 1) not forgetting about them, and 2) performing well.

This "brain-dump" is a great way to empty your mind onto paper, thus saving all of your thoughts for the next day while allowing some space to think about other stuff. (Namely, what you're going to cook for dinner and how you're going to relax afterward.)

I prefer doing this before dinner instead of directly before bed simply because all the tasks won't be fresh on my mind while I try to get to sleep.

Stop consuming caffeine in the afternoon

I love my Americano's and green tea but I knew I had a problem when I was downing double-shots of coffee at 5 P.M.  

Now, a typical day looks like this:

8 A.M.  2 cups of drip coffee or a double-Americano
1:00 P.M 1 cup of green tea  

No more jitters or staring at the ceiling.

Eat a small protein and fat-rich meal before bed

Most guys eat a big dinner but neglect to have a before-bed snack, waking up in the middle of the night with a grumbling stomach. Not too conducive for high-quality sleep.

I've been eating a couple hard-boiled eggs or a cup of cottage cheese with a handful of pecans, walnuts, and Brazilian nuts before bed for a few months now, and I've noticed the feeling of satiety lets me fall asleep faster.

(I generally stay away from carbs before bed due to the resultant insulin surge.)

Limit water intake in the evening

What, no protein-shake before bed?  

I used to down a scoop or two of Metabolic Drive protein right before I hit the sack, but have recently realized my bladder is comparable to the size of a small rodent's.

Getting up in the middle of the night to pee disrupts sleep and generally makes it harder to fall back asleep. I'd rather avoid that.  

Get some white noise

Whether it's cars on the highway or your girlfriend's snoring, any type of noise can make it difficult to fall or stay asleep. Plus, there's just something soothing about having a little consistent noise to focus on and doze off to. I haven't used a white noise CD but I regularly use a small fan.

It has the added bonus of keeping the room cool, which also helps me sleep better.

Buy an eye mask

Light may very well be the worst enemy for a good night's sleep. It throws off your circadian rhythm and triggers the release of different hormones and chemicals that will wake you up.

Get some dark curtains or a mask and make sure to unplug your clock, phone, or anything that's illuminated when you turn the lights off (glow-in-the-dark condoms excluded).

Read fiction before bed

I've found no better way of turning my mind off and relaxing than reading some light fiction before bed. This is something I do every night no matter what.

What about sleep aids?

A few things I've found to be effective (although I don't take them every night) are:

- 3 mg of melatonin, a naturally occurring hormone that regulates sleepiness.

- Four caps of Z-12. This supplement includes 5-hydroxytryptophan, a naturally occurring amino acid that's a precursor to the neurotransmitter serotonin (5-hydroxytryptamine), which is implicated in sleep and general feelings of well-being.