Countless pro athletes… successful CEOs… and elite entrepreneurs ALL utilize the same proven performance-boosting technique.
From Tom Brady, LeBron James, and Stephen Curry… to Jeff Bezos, Warren Buffet, Tim Ferriss, and more…
These winners got where they are because they do what it takes to get ahead.
So what’s their performance boosting secret?
They all make sure to get plenty of high quality, restorative SLEEP.
Now before you write this foundational strategy off as “unsexy”...
Or run out looking for some smart drug to offset bad sleep habits and help kick your brain into overdrive…
Please understand that using coffee or nootropics to make up for poor quality sleep is like putting a band-aid on a bullet wound.
It doesn’t address the issue and only works for a very brief time (if at all).
Getting serious about sleep however, can radically enhance your performance and accelerate your success.
This may seem obvious for athletes… but it’s not just physical recovery that makes sleep so important.
While you sleep your body is literally cleaning and recharging your brain.
It flushes out harmful plaques and other waste products, and builds new connections between stored information.
As Jeff Bezos says:
“Eight hours of sleep makes a big difference for me, and I try hard to make that a priority. For me, that’s the needed amount to feel energized and excited.”
And it goes deeper…
Studies have shown getting sufficient sleep dramatically improves your ability to learn and improve on-the-fly.
That’s crucial for entrepreneurs, who need to adapt and thrive in changing circumstances.
So what can you do to improve your sleep starting today?
Allow me to help…
These are my most effective methods to sleep like a baby from the minute your head hits the pillow:
1. Get Light in Your Eyes
First, get outside early in the day, ideally within 30-90 minutes of waking up.
No sunglasses.
Get 10-15 minutes of morning sunlight on your skin and filtering into your eyes from above (obviously don’t stare at the sun).
I won’t go deep into the science, but the reason this is important is that there are special cells in your eyes that regulate your circadian rhythm…
When these cells detect morning sunlight, they signal your body to wake up and be alert.
When the same cells detect evening sunlight, they signal your body to start winding down and preparing to sleep.
That’s why getting outside for a second time, in the evening, is a good idea too.
2. Create an Environment for ZZZZ’s
There are two factors you can easily control that have a HUGE impact on your sleep quality…
The first one is temperature…
If you’re too hot, you can’t sleep. It’s as simple as that.
You should do everything you can to create a cool sleeping environment in your bedroom.
Science says about 68 degrees is ideal.
This may cause disagreement with your partner — but remember…
It’s much easier to grab an extra blanket or two to stay warm in a cold room, than it is to cool down in a hot room.
The second factor is light (again)…
Only this time you want to AVOID it.
When it’s time for sleep you want absolutely zero light in your eyes or it can shut off your natural melatonin production instantly.
This means NO screens…
Do whatever you can to shut out streetlight from the windows…
And consider wearing a sleep mask for max effect.
3. Use my “10-3-2-1-0” Sleep Formula
To make sure I always have enough energy, brain power, and focus to perform my best each day…
I devised the 10-3-2-1-0 formula for perfect sleep, and it goes like this:
10 hours before bed cut all caffeine intake or any other stimulants
3 hours before bed stop eating food and consuming alcohol
2 hours before bed stop working and shut off all work related electronics
1 hour before bed turn off ALL electronics (including smartphone and TV, you need to avoid the blue light from screens)
0… you will hit the snooze button exactly zero times in the morning
For the best results, pair this with what I call a “reverse alarm” that goes off 1 hour before bed.
The alarm is your reminder to actually shut off electronics, start winding down, and prepare for bed.
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When you follow these strategies...
I can virtually guarantee you’ll be getting deep restorative sleep and dominating your days in no time.
This one key will increase your energy and focus, decrease stress, optimize performance, and allow you to get ahead on the things most important to your success.
Start today!
Success Loves Speed,
Craig
