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Writer's pictureudbhav verma

Lifestyle: Sleep Perfection



Key pointers:

  • If you cannot get more than 6 hours before your morning workout, then prefer sleeping and postpone the workout to afternoon.

  • Quality of sleep is equally as important to Quantity

  • Only the hours slept at night count, daytime sleep does not count.


 

Sleep via routine practice



In Mornings:

  1. Right after waking up, go outside, and view the sunlight, go outside and look at the bright sky. If you wake up before the sun is out and you want to be awake, turn on artificial lights and then go outside once the sun rises.

  2. Do coordination exercises or mobility or balance or reaction training after you are awake

  3. A cold shower helps if not, a cold fash wash helps

  4. Get to your regular routine, don’t be lazy in the bed using phone. A good start defines your day.

  5. Wake up at the same time each day, minor variations are okay

  6. Avoid caffeine after noon

  7. Do NOT sleep for more than 30 minutes during the day, next page “Nap practice”





In evenings:

  1. Stop using your phone, or use it minimally after sunset. Only when necessary

  2. Finish your dinner at least 3 hours before you sleep, milk can be had up to 2 hours before sleep.

  3. Gradually make your environment cool during the evenings, cool environment (drop in ambient or room temperature promotes sleep) you can do this by using an

  • Electronic device such as AC/Cooler during summers, and/or

  • Opening the windows and/or increasing ventilation

  • Wearing less clothes


Additional Key pointers

  1. Avoid bright lights post sunset, use a yellow lamp post sunset, set the lamp on the table, overhead lights have a negative impact on sleep.

  2. Sleep at approximately the same time everyday, minor exceptions are okay

  3. If possible, view the sunset happen for a couple of minutes, go outside and view this happen, you can also work or be seated outdoors and witness the process of sunset happening if you are busy and/or have pending work

  4. Do calming meditation before sleep, even 5 minutes is enough.

  5. If possible, do slow breathing while you lay in bed before sleep

 

Nutritional support:


  1. Your last meal can be of warm milk, (if you are not lactose intolerant), you may supplement this with ashwagandha

  2. Magnesium Biglycinate - 1 hour to 30 minutes before sleep

  3. You may add certain fruits such as Pineapple, Banana and/or Orange in your dinner. They have been shown to improve sleep

  4. AVOID: Alcohol, Caffeine, Spicy foods

  5. Optional: Tulsi green tea/camomile tea along with magnesium

  6. Optional: L-Theanine (100-400mg & Apigenin (50mg)


Side Note: Tulsi / camomile tea (water based) are natural sources of L-Theanine and Apigenin which improve sleep


Additional references:


 

Power Nap Practice


"daytime napping in the afternoon improved cognitive performance with beneficial effects of early nap." [1]


We recommend a keeping power naps limited to 30 minutes, in-order to get the maximum benefit of the 'short rest' while ensuring the night sleep quality isn't effected.


PerformEvo Power Nap practice

  • Relax on a sofa/couch or the bed, keep the lights on preferably or dim them slightly.

  • Hold a metal object such as a spoon, steel glass, keys, anything that would make sound when dropped on the floor.

  • Focus on slow exhalation, exhale slowly, inhale normally.





Gradually you would lose consciousness and enter sleep just as that happens, the spoon (or any metal object you were holding) would fall down and make a noise. This should wake you.


Voila, your Power Nap is complete.





 


References:

[1] Dutheil F, Danini B, Bagheri R, Fantini ML, Pereira B, Moustafa F, Trousselard M, Navel V. Effects of a Short Daytime Nap on the Cognitive Performance: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis. Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2021 Sep 28;18(19):10212. doi: 10.3390/ijerph181910212. PMID: 34639511; PMCID: PMC8507757.

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