How our busiest clients are feeling more energized, focused and seeing amazing results by focusing on this one thing
It’s the one thing everyone knows they need more of but aren’t getting enough of.
Can you guess what it is??
Although money and sex might be on you’re list, we’re taking about sleep.
Sleep is the one thing that will make you better at literally anything you do.
Getting more sleep helps you focus, perform better in the gym and increases the speed with which you lose weight.
But….
Almost no one is getting the recommended 7-9 hour’s they need and it’s robbing them of the goals they’re working so hard for.
Take for example my client Ashley who is a busy mom and top real estate agent here in West Hollywood.
Ashley is the definition of a superwoman.
She manages to be a mom, run marathons, serve on the board of several local charities, and routinely is the top agent in her office.
But something was off.
Ashley kept getting injured on her runs and started to get a cold every other month.
She started coming into sessions looking run down and was struggling to get through warmups.
Finally, after a session nearly ended in tears I sat down with Ashley in our office to see what was going on.
She started rattling off how she was eating so clean, and doing everything we asked with her workouts but just felt completely worn out.
Sensing what was going on I asked her to tell me her schedule for the rest of the day.
(Mind you she had already been up since 4:30)
After our session, she would head home get her kids ready for school and then head into her office for meetings.
Then she had a lunch meeting followed by visits to several properties throughout the afternoon.
After picking her kids up from school she would make dinner and help them with their homework before logging onto two zoom meetings for her charity work.
Finally, she would finish with several hours of work on her part for an upcoming PTA project.
She would finally get to bed around 11 and fall asleep by 12 if lucky.
I was exhausted just listening to this.
We did the math and she was averaging about 5 hours of sleep a night.
I let the news sink in.
Ashley looked dejected and said, “so what do I do?”
I told her she wasn’t going to like it but she needed to take a couple of weeks off from the gym to get her sleep back in order.
She started to protest but I reminded her that sleep comes before nutrition and exercise in the health pyramid.
I told her that I didn’t want to see her for two weeks and in that time I wanted her to replace the time she would be at the gym with more sleep.
And once she started to feel better that she should focus on what she could cut out of her schedule to make room for workouts again.
Two weeks later Ashley texted me and told me she was ready to come back.
When she came in for her session she looked like a new woman.
The exhausted early morning look had been replaced by the energetic clients I knew.
Ashley shared that she had in the past two weeks hired and assistant to cover all her admin work, reduced her role in one of the charities she worked with and cut her coffee consumption off by noon each day.
She was now sleeping 7 hours on a “bad” night and felt like a completely new person.
All it took was putting sleep first.
I’m happy to report that two months later Ashley has maintained her sleep schedule and is on track to run her fastest marathon ever in just a month.
Sleep is the basis of the fitness pyramid is ironically the thing we neglect the most.
But it shouldn’t be that way.
So if you want to get better at literally everything you do with just one habit then follow my list below to optimize you sleep and win at the things that matter to you.
How to optimize you sleep:
Keep a regular sleep schedule
One of the best ways to improve your sleep is to keep a regular sleep schedule. Going to bed and waking up at the same time each day will help to regulate your body’s natural sleep rhythm and make it easier to fall asleep and stay asleep.
Create a bedtime routine
Creating a bedtime routine can also help you sleep better. A bedtime routine may include activities such as taking a bath, reading a book, or writing in a journal. Doing these activities every night will signal to your body that it is time to wind down and go to sleep.
Avoid caffeine before bed
Caffeine is a stimulant that can make it difficult to fall asleep. If you are sensitive to caffeine, you should avoid drinking coffee, tea, or soda in the evening. If you do drink caffeine, try to limit yourself to one cup of coffee per day and avoid drinking it within six hours of your bedtime.
Avoid alcohol before bed
While alcohol may make you feel drowsy, it actually disrupts your sleep cycle and can make it difficult to get a good night’s rest. If you do drink alcohol, try to limit yourself to one drink per day and avoid drinking it within three hours of your bedtime.
Get enough exercise
Exercise is another important factor in getting good sleep. Exercise helps to promote deep, restful sleep by increasing your body temperature and then allowing it to drop back down again when you finish exercising. It is best to exercise in the morning or early afternoon so that your body has time to wind down before bedtime.
Limit screen time before bed
The blue light emitted by screens can disrupt your body’s natural sleep rhythm and make it harder to fall asleep. To avoid this, limit your screen time in the evening and try not to use any screens for at least an hour before bedtime. If you must use a screen before bed, consider using blue light-blocking glasses or installing an app that filters out blue light on your device.
Make sure your bedroom is dark and quiet
Another way to improve your sleep is by creating an environment that is conducive to sleeping. Make sure that your bedroom is dark and quiet so that you can focus on sleeping and not be distracted by outside noise or light sources. If you live in a noisy area, consider using earplugs or investing in a white noise machine
This advice alone is enough to get you started but if you want help getting set up, then one of our coaches would be happy to do so during a free consultation.
Book your free consultation here
Remember, fitness begins with basic health.
– Brandon
