Ep. 25 – Enter Sandman: How to Get a Good Night’s Sleep (& Why It’s So Important) – with Julian Hayes II

Julian Hayes II is a health & fitness consultant, a nutrition coach, a sleep science coach, and the author of Body Architect: A Real-World Guide to Ignite Your Fitness, Look Awesome Naked, Quiet the Inner Voices of Self-Doubt, & Design a Lifestyle on Your Own Terms.

In this episode, we discuss the science (and importance) of sleep.

When Julian or I work with our clients, we both focus on sleep first and foremost. High-quality sleep is vital for both healing and sustaining wellness, so it has to be addressed before anything else.

While the body appears, from the outside, to be still and inactive, the body is quite busy when you are asleep. It is restocking hormones, processing toxins, repairing damaged tissues, generating white blood cells, eliminating the effects of stress, and processing heavy emotions, among other things.

“There’s no aspect of your life that goes untouched when you skimp on sleep.” –Julian Hayes II

If you don’t get enough high-quality sleep, the results can be quite drastic:

• You age faster, at a cellular level.
• The immune system is weakened, and you’re more likely to develop a metabolic syndrome.
• Hunger is affected and the metabolism slows, so you’re more likely to gain weight.
• Mood is worsened, and our capacity for empathy is diminished.
• Cognitive performance declines.
• Leadership skills are negatively affected.

This all adds up to a significant and measurable impact on our nation’s productivity. Rand performed a study that found that insufficient sleep in the U.S. workforce costs up to $411 billion, and causes the country to lose the equivalent of about 1.23 million working days.

How do you get a good night’s sleep? Julian likes to break it down into a checklist:

1. Reframe your attitude and mindset around sleep. There’s a difference between ‘getting by’ on not enough sleep and thriving with adequate sleep.
   1. Visualize how achieving your goals will be affected by lack of sleep.
   2. Set sleep goals and milestones.
2. Learn to handle stress better and build more resiliency.
   1. Develop a simple meditation practice.
   2. Practice gratitude. Julian writes down three things he’s grateful for every morning, and then does a nightly review of three good things that happened during the day.
3. Create a sleep sanctuary, or sleep cave.
   1. Make the room as dark as possible.
   2. Sleep in cooler temperatures.
4. Nutrition
   1. Eating leafy green vegetables will give you more vitamin C, potassium, and vitamin B6.
   2. Eat tryptophan.
   3. Eat carbs a couple hours before bed so your blood sugar can get back to its baseline level.
5. Exercise
   1. Preferably in the morning because that’s when cortisol peaks
6. Lifestyle habits
   1. Reserve your bed for sleep or sex, and nothing else.
   2. Give yourself an electronic curfew, at least an hour before bed.
   3. Programs like f.lux or built-in sleep modes on newer cellphones will dim your screen and change the tint.
   4. Get blue blocking glasses, or install low-wattage yellow, orange, or red light bulbs.
   5. Get sunlight in the morning.
7. If you travel often…
   1. Don’t get dehydrated.
   2. Practice light therapy.
8. Develop a morning and night routine
   1. Your first and last hour of the day are critical.

Don’t try to change everything at once, or make a massive changes in your lifestyle. Start with incremental changes, and the progress will give you the momentum you need to make more positive changes.

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Download this Episode MP3.

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Resources:

• Connect with Julian: The Art of Fitness and Life | Facebook | Instagram | LinkedIn | Twitter | YouTube
• Read: Body Architect: A Real-World Guide to Ignite Your Fitness, Look Awesome Naked, Quiet the Inner Voices of Self-Doubt, & Design a Lifestyle on Your Own Terms
• Download: Simple Habit Meditation App
• Check out the Litebook & learn about light therapy

Do you want more to empower yourself through healthy living? Is your busy lifestyle an obstacle to your health? Join The Rebel Health Coach community for the support and knowledge you need for better performance, better business and a better you!

Click here to join The Rebel Health Coach community now.

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Disclaimer: The activities and research discussed in these podcasts are suggestions only and are only advised to be undertaken following prior consultation with a health or medical professional. Fitness training, nutrition, and other physical pursuits should be tailored to the individual based upon an assessment of their personal needs.

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Production & Development for Rebel Health Coach by Podcast Masters