The Rugged Guide to Hacking Sleep

Sleep is one of those things that’s often overlooked. Not literally, of course. We all sleep, but many of us don’t understand how to sleep optimally, i.e. what steps to take to ensure a healthy night in the sack. Below are a few of the more important considerations.

Only Use Your Bed for Sleep…and Sex

Yankee legend Yogi Berra once said, “Baseball is 90% mental, the other half is physical.” Sleep works the same way. Treat your bedroom as a sacred chamber. Avoid activities like eating, finishing paperwork, watching TV, exercising and surfing the Internet. Personally, I subscribe to a no-shoes policy in the bedroom – how Eastern of me, I know.

Yet, while you want a calm and tranquil environment in the bedroom, foreplay – and the world beyond – is more than acceptable. After all, most of us sleep much better after sex anyway. I know I do. Like a frickin’ baby.

Just remember: every time you walk into your bedroom, think sleep. Or sex.

Prepare Your Mind and Body

No one can sleep well if their mind is racing. Sleep near a pad of paper so you don’t have to worry about remembering things as you go to sleep.

Stop working, chatting or watching TV thirty minutes before bed to give yourself time to calm down. Take deep breaths.

A well-known adage is to, “eat breakfast like a king, lunch like a prince and dinner like a pauper.” Winding down for sleep is tough if your stomach is growling…or if you’re too full. If you’re feeling hungry late at night, try to snack on foods high in tryptophan – like oats, milk and turkey. If you go to sleep too early after eating a big meal, your body will still be digesting the food. A working body is not a sleeping body. Be cognizant of what and when you’re eating before bed.

Also, try drinking a few cups of water right before you go to bed and right when you wake up. The water at night will help rejuvenate the cells and create a sense of well-being throughout the body, and in the morning, it will help jump-start your body and mind.

Take Cold Showers…Yes, Seriously

Whoa there. Cold showers?

Yep - cold showers, or even ice baths, can provoke sleep. At first, the body will feel energized, alert and it might even be difficult to get to sleep if you shower/bathe right before bed. Try them in the morning for awhile. Over time, the cold water will increase blood circulation, which can alleviate anxiety, improve your immune system, raise your sperm count and even help you lose fat. Your body will become used to the cold water, you’ll feel calmer, and getting to sleep will be easier. After 5-10 minutes of cold water, snuggling into bed will never feel so good.

Stay Fit and Tan

Exercise is good for a number of things, sleep being one of them. It’s best to exercise within 3-6 hours of bedtime, as the body temperature rises during physical activity and, as it declines, helps us ease into a deep sleep. I’m not going to explain the science behind it because frankly, I don’t understand it myself. Just avoid pre-bed pushups and shadow-boxing in your nighttime shower.

Also, try to get as much natural sun light as you can. Our biochemistry recognizes light as a cue for day and the absence of light a cue for night. Before electricity, this wasn’t an issue. During the day, we worked outside and when the sun went down, most of us went to sleep. Candles only last so long.

Now that many of us are exposed only to artificial light in the office or at home, our bodies don’t recognize it as sunlight. The secretion of melatonin, which affects our circadian rhythms and, subsequently, our sleep patterns, changes. Artificial light makes it harder to go to sleep. Be sure to get outside as much as possible. Open the drapes, take a walk during lunch time, watch the sun set, etc.

Follow these tips and you’re guaranteed to have sweet and pleasant dreams. Yes…those kinds of dreams. Have anything else to add? Please let us know in the comments!