About three years ago, I wrote a series of articles called Sleep Better Now that described how to get the best night's sleep possible. I just re-read these articles and almost every detail and habit I've explained is still being practiced by me to this day. Over three years, I have made some minor tweaks and improvements from trying new recommendations and based on what I've learned from my data. Those upgrades (new tools, tactics, and habits) are divulged here...
Read moreHacking Your Hangover: A How-To Guide for Prevention and Recovery that Works
Brace yourselves... The holidays are coming. All those upcoming celebrations and gatherings - Halloween (the entire weekend for many people), Thanksgiving, Christmas, Hanukkah, New Years, and more - bring with them many opportunities to consume copious amounts of alcohol with friends and family. It's true that drinking alcohol, especially on a regular basis, can sabotage your health, performance, and longevity goals. However, enjoying yourself on the infrequent special occasion won't completely derail your ambitions, especially when done right. Inevitably, after an evening of enjoying alcohol, hangovers ensue sapping us of our energy, health, cognitive performance, and holiday spirits. Follow my advice, and you will minimize your headache, hangover, and regrets while still having fun.
Read more15 Minutes to Less Stress, More Focus, and Better Health (There's an App for That)
What if there was an app that could help you reduce stress, increase your attention span, boost your immunity, sleep better, forgive more easily, appreciate life and those around you more, be more creative, be more happy, and get more done? Sounds too good to be true, right? But there is an app for that - it’s called Headspace. This isn’t an exaggeration or woo-woo pseudoscience stuff either; this is the real deal backed by many years of research and confirmed by recent advancements in neuroimaging. And despite how relatively new Headspace is, it is simply a tool to guide the user in a practice that has actually been around for thousands of years - mindfulness meditation.
Read moreSleep Better Now (Part 4) - The Bedtime Ritual
Evenings and nights should be a time to relax, hang out with family or friends, indulge in a hobby or form of entertainment… Generally, just some time for yourself to unwind from the day. Just like my mornings, my nightly ritual takes up a set amount of time. This organized set of habits has enabled me to end my day strong, wind down completely, and fall asleep the moment my head hits the pillow...
Read moreSleep Better Now (Part 3) - Your Sleep Sanctuary
In the first part of this series of articles on sleep, I discussed the “team no sleep” culture, my own former bad sleep habits, the wonderful benefits of getting great sleep, and the dangers of not getting enough. I also went into detail explaining my morning ritual and how it sets me up for not only a great day, but for an excellent night’s sleep. In the second part of this series, I explained how significant of a role diet plays in sleep, what foods I consume for a great night’s sleep, the importance of a “caffeine curfew”, and the sleep aids I use to get the deepest, most restorative sleep of my life. In this part of Sleep Better Now, I will introduce you to my “sleep sanctuary” and share with you what you need (and don't need) in your bedroom to get the best sleep ever.
Read moreSleep Better Now (Part 2) - Nutrition and Sleep
Over time, I implemented good daily habits that contribute to getting a great night’s sleep and waking up feeling fully recharged. These habits start from the moment I wake up and continue throughout every part of the day. In Part 1, I discuss in detail my morning routine, how it sets me up to have an amazing day, and why it is the foundation to sleeping well that night. To very quickly recap: I am gently woken up by a Sleep Cycle alarm, then I stretch, drink water, journal, meditate, drink more water, drink coffee, read my daily affirmations, exercise, get some sunlight, and shower. In this article, I focus on diet, supplements, and more to help you get an amazing night of sleep...
Read moreSleep Better Now (Part 1) - Starting Your Day for Better Sleep
Lack of quality sleep is worse than Kryptonite
Sleep, especially of the high-quality variety, is so important to overall health and well-being that it cannot be emphasized enough. In fact, I will go as far as to say that if you had to choose one thing in your life to improve - between diet, exercise, continual learning, etc. - I would say choose sleep. Getting a good night’s sleep is paramount to improving brain function, performance, looking good, longevity, and happiness.
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