5 Questions for Better Sleep

For 10+ years, the biggest health mistake I made was trying to cheat sleep.

During busy weeks (which was every week), sleep was the first thing to go.

This worked for a few months.

But I always paid for it later:

• Waking up at 5a feeling like a zombie

• Zero motivation for morning workouts

• Energy crashing at 3pm faster than my iPhone’s battery

• Irritable with the kids after work

• Grouchy with my wife in the evenings

Here are 5 questions that have helped me prioritize sleep.

1) What time is my last sip of caffeine?

Powering through the afternoons with coffee set me up for either jittery evenings or massive 7pm crashes.

What helped: cutting out caffeine by 12pm each day

2) What time is dinner?

Irregular dinner times created hangry kids, inconsistent bedtimes, and the later food intake made it harder for me to fall asleep.

This created hangry kids, inconsistent bedtimes, and the later dinner times made it harder for me to fall asleep.

What helped: targeting a 5:30pm dinner meal (for most nights)

3) What time are the kids going to bed?

Irregular kid bedtimes created cranky kids and pushed everyone’s bedtime later.

What helped: targeting a 7:30pm – 8:00pm bedtime for my kids (for most nights)

(My kids are 7, almost 4, and almost 2)

4) What time is my phone going to bed?

Around 9pm I’d scroll through YouTube or social media for “one last check”.

2 hours later I’d look up and wonder where the time went.

What helped: putting my phone to bed in my home office at 8pm each night

For years, I had jobs at manufacturing plants where I was on call during all hours of the night.

What helped then was putting my phone on a chair right outside the bedroom door on high volume, with the door cracked.

5) What time am I going to bed?

A mistake I made was not scheduling my own bedtime.

I’m an adult after all!

Bedtimes are for toddlers (and for cranky Dons who need it).

What helped: targeting a “get in bed” time between 9:00pm – 9:30pm (for most nights).

P.S. Pro-tip.

Let’s say you want to exercise early in the mornings, 3x/week.

You don’t have to solve for sleep consistency 7 days a week.

Just the night before the workout.

That means 3x/week there’s structure… and 4x/week there’s not.

Enjoy.

P.P.S. Are you a busy parent who wants to lose 10-15 pounds in 40 days, all at home?

Check out Kickstart40.

The information provided in this article is for informational and educational purposes only, and does not constitute medical advice. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition or treatment.