And for good reason. There are so many physical and mental health problems caused by skimping on sleep.
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But what if you DO get 7 to 8 hours of sleep and still often feel tired the next day?
That’s when you need to learn how to improve sleep quality, not just sleep quantity.
When I started researching secrets to improving sleep quality, I was amazed that almost nobody I knew was familiar with the science behind a totally overlooked health category.
Sleep nutrition. If you’re unaware what this whole concept is, you’re in for a pretty serious awakening (or I guess the opposite, ha).
A couple things that you need to consider:
Don’t Eat inside of 3 Hours Before Bed:
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This was the single most powerful thing that I implemented to help my sleep. It is simple, effective, and my Oura ring (tracks sleep and HRV) shows the data to prove that my sleep scores went up about 10% within a week of doing this.
It’s a cumulative thing too. It’s not just one night of eating earlier (or stopping eating), it’s how it affects your circadian clock genes over time.
Thinking of it as “re-programming” has made a big difference in how I go about it. Stop eating at about 6:30 and watch what happens. This is coming from a guy that has had a hard time rebounding from sleep issues ever since my son was born four years ago.
Tart Cherry Juice with Dinner
Now this one sounds like a total gimmick. It also sounds super sugary (it’s not).
Tart cherry is well, tart, so the sugar content is low and you can get a concentrate so that the overall volume of carbs is very low.
Several studies have demonstrated the effectiveness of tart cherries in improving sleep – primarily because they contain melatonin. A randomized control trial in the European Journal of Nutrition (Effect of tart cherry juice (Prunus cerasus) on melatonin levels and enhanced sleep quality) showed some amazing effects of tart cherry juice.
2x servings of 30ml concentrate significantly increased circulating melatonin and improved both sleep time and sleep quality!
Specifically, total sleep time was increased by 34mins, sleep efficiency total was 82.3% and daytime napping reduced by 22%. It is accepted that supplying exogenous melatonin in the form of tart cherry juice further enhances the role of melatonin in promoting sleep.
Take Your Fish Oil (or eat your fish) at NIGHT
I have always been a fan of allocating my fish oil supplements or my fatty-fish meals to night time.
But, what is the underlying mechanism here? The likely answer lies with melatonin and circadian rhythms.
From the Journal of Nutrition, a study (An (n-3) Polyunsaturated Fatty Acid–Deficient Diet Disturbs Daily Locomotor Activity, Melatonin Rhythm, and Striatal Dopamine in Syrian Hamsters) found that deficiency in omega-3 fatty acids acts on the pineal gland to lessen melatonin rhythms and weaken the circadian clock.
This means that we are stabilizing the body’s natural abilities, which is super, super cool!
Various Supplements to Throw into the Mix (heavily researched too)
Did you know:
- The ayurvedic herb gotu kola supports normal GABA production to induce mental relaxation*?
- Magnesium supports the signaling process of “the darkness hormone” melatonin*?
- Holy basil leaf extract supports stress regulation to quiet an overactive mind*?
- White peony root extract supports a less erratic sleep cycle*?
All of these, plus 21 additional specialized sleep nutrients with extensively researched roles in supporting sleep quality are in a really cool formula that I use a few nights per week, it’s called Qualia Night.*
Qualia Night can be thought of as a “nighttime nootropic”. It nourishes brain health in the ways that most positively impact sleep quality, and the difference it has made for my sleep is unmistakable.†*
It is less about knocking yourself out and more about encouraging the brain to do the most efficient things possible to get the best recovery.
It’s not a sleep aid, it’s something that helps you get BETTER sleep. That’s why you still have to do the hard work too. You can’t just totally rely on it.
But here is an awesome 50% off discount and if you don’t like it, Qualia has an amazing return policy, so try this link right here which is offering Qualia Night up to 50% off, and add code AFL at checkout for an additional 15% off.
I really think that it is time we separate sleep quality from sleep quantity. Huge differences.
Oh, another thing that I have been doing lately is turning off my phone at 7pm. It’s NOT because of blue light, either. It’s because I realize that I am triggering a dopamine response consistently and it seems to carry over in my sleep. It’s like I wake up and want to subconsciously scroll my phone or check email.
Very weird! So at 7-7:30pm, the phone turns off, and then I don’t turn it on again until AFTER my workout in the morning. My workouts are much better too as a result (at least they feel that way).
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See you tomorrow!
