I always like to say, "Better sleep makes better humans."

We're all just better people the more well rested we are- Imagine going through life fully rested and how nice it would feel especially if others were fully rested too!!

- We would be nicer.
- Things would be easier.

So, how do we level up our sleep??

We've got 2 things to look at...
1. Quality: How well you sleep.
2. Quantity: How much you sleep.

Sleep Quality:
Do you sleep well?

To improve sleep quality we need consistent...
- Darkness
- Sound
- Temperature

And most importantly we need a calm nervous system.

This is the thing that messes with people the most- We are all to wound-up!

- Coffee too late
- Light exposure
- Screen time
- Poor breathing

All contribute to a wound-up nervous system.

Sleep Quantity:
Do you spend enough time in bed? ACTUALLY SLEEPING??

If there's one thing I know it's that people spend a good amount of time in bed not being asleep.

Some of that time is trying to fall asleep- totally fair! That is a quality issue.

What I'm talking about is laying in bed...
- Watching tv
- Scrolling social media
- Snoozing their alarm

All of those habits contribute to less time spent sleeping and worse sleep quality.

What I want you to do is pick to improve quality or quantity. 
Then implement one of the following tactics to improve your pick!
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Quality Tactics:

Wind-down Routine: At least 30 minutes before bed- Start your wind-down routine.
- Set alarm for when this should start and then be done with your phone.
- Clean up kitchen / get ready for tomorrow.
- Brush teeth and shower.
- Get in bed and read.

Note: For the most part this is what I do- but it's just an example.
Add or subtract things as needed.

Breathing Drill: While in bed, once you hit the lights, try this breathing drill to calm your nervous system.
- Breathe normally through your nose.
- After a few breaths take a long exhale. (Like 5 seconds)
- Hold the exhale for as long as you can comfortably. (This is not a challenging breath hold)
- As soon as you feel a slight need for air, calmly breathe in.

Think of it like a triangle.
Inhale - Exhale - Pause. (Just take a few normal breaths between sets)

Ideally the pause will get longer and longer without being hard.
The goal is to get 20 seconds or more.

Fun Fact: This drill helped one of my clients go from waking up at 2 am every day to sleeping through the night.



Quantity Tactics:

Bed Time Alarm: Just like you set an alarm to wake up- set an alarm to get ready for bed.

Tell your local robot to set an alarm for when you should be getting ready for bed.
When the alarm goes off.
- Pause the tv.
- Get off your phone.
- Shut the laptop.

Whatever it is- You're now done.
It's time for bed.

No More Snoozing:If you snooze everyday- That means you have more time you can sleep...
So sleep more!

Set your alarm later and leave your phone out of arms reach.
This will force you to get out of bed to turn off the alarm.

By doing this you will get...
- A bit more sleep
- Out of bed sooner than you would with a bunch of snoozes
- More time in the morning

Hashtag Win Win Win!
___

Now get out there!
Get more sleep!
And become a better human!

Talk to you next time!

Best,
Ryan Sandmann

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