Allrightsreserved.Noportionofthisbookmaybereproduced,storedinaretrievalsystem,ortransmittedinanyformorbyanymeans—electronic,mechanical,photocopy,recording,oranyother—exceptforbriefquotationsinprintedreviews,withoutthepriorwrittenpermissionofthepublisher.

Copyright©2014ShawnStevensonISBN:978-0-9845745-2-0(print)Thisbookisintendedtosupplement,not replace, the advice of a trained health professional. If you know of respect that you have a healthproblem, you should consult a health professional. The author and publisher specifically disclaim andliability,loss,orrisk,personalorotherwise,thatisincurredasaconsequence,directlyorindirectly,oftheuseandapplicationofanycontentsofthisbook.

Istillrememberthefeelingwhenmygrandmotherputmetosleepatnight.Ifelthappy,Ifeltloved,andIfeltexcitedaboutwhatthenextdaywouldbring.Thisbookisdedicatedtoher.Iwillneverstoprepresentingherandsharingalloftheincrediblegiftsthatshesawinme.

It’smysincerestwishthatyounotonlygetthebestsleeppossible,butthatyourlifeishappier,healthier,andfullofsuccessbecauseofit.

S.S.

Introduction

Chapter1.KnowTheValueOfSleep

Chapter2.GetMoreSunlightDuringTheDay

Chapter3.AvoidTheScreensBeforeBedtime

Chapter4.HaveACaffeineCurfew

Chapter5.BeCool

Chapter6.GetToBedAtTheRightTime

Chapter7.RubThe"Anti-Stress"MineralIntoYourSkinEachDay

Chapter8.CreateASleepSanctuary

Chapter9.HaveABig"O"

Chapter10.GetItBlackedOut

Chapter11.TrainHard(ButSmart)

Chapter12.GetYour"Friends"OutOfYourRoom

Chapter13.LoseWeightAndDon’tFindItAgain

Chapter14.GoEasyOnTheBottle

Chapter15.PlayYourPosition

Chapter16.CalmYourInnerChatter

Chapter17.UseSmartSupplementation

Chapter18.BeEarlyToRise

Chapter19.DressForTheOccasion

Chapter20.GetGrounded

Chapter21.RitualizeYourNight

References

AbouttheAuthor

DoYouWantaSpeakerThatWillMakeaRealImpact?

TuneIntoOneofthe#1HealthShowsoniTunes!

Sleepisthesecretsauce.

There isn’tone facetofyourmental,emotional,orphysicalperformance that’snotaffectedbythequalityofyoursleep.

Thebig challenge is that in our fast-pacedworld today,millions of people arechronically sleep deprived and suffering the deleterious effects of getting lowqualitysleep.

Theconsequencesofsleepdeprivationaren’tprettyeither.Tryimmunesystemfailure,diabetes,cancer,obesity,depression,andmemorylossjusttonameafew.

Mostpeopledon’trealizethattheircontinuoussleepproblemsarealsoacatalystforthediseasesandappearanceissuesthey’restrugglingwith.

Studies have shown that just one night of sleep deprivation canmake you asinsulin resistant as a type-2 diabetic. This translates directly to aging faster,decreasedlibido,andstoringmorebodyfatthanyouwantto(sayitain’tso!).

Nowstretch thatoutoverweeks,months, evenyears, andyoucan start to seewhylackofsleepcanbesuchahugeproblem.

A study published in the Canadian Medical Association Journal showed thatsleepdeprivation isdirectly related to an inability to loseweight.Test subjectswereputonthesameexerciseanddietprogram,butthosewhowereinthesleepdeprivationgroup(lessthansixhourspernight)consistentlylostlessweightandbodyfatthanthecontrolgroupwhosleptforover8hourspernight.Couldhigh-qualitysleepbethemissingcomponenttonutritionandsmartexercisetohelpyoushedfatforgood?

In Chapters 11 and 13, we’ll be exploring the sleep-body fat connection andspecific strategies to help you get in the best shape of your life. Pour on thatsecretsauceplease!

Other studies show sleep deprivation encouraging cancer, Alzheimer’s,depression, and even heart disease. In a society that’s overworked and under-rested, it’smore important thanever topayattention to issuesassociatedwithnot getting the sleep that we require. Although we’ll be covering the negativeimpact of sleep problems in this book,we’re going to put ourmajor focus onwhatyoucandotoimproveyoursleepstartingtonight,andavoidthesechronicissuesinthefirstplace.

What about performance in your work? And what about productivity andgettingthingsdone?

Atfirstglancewemightthinkthatworkingmoreandskimpingonthesleepwillgetustherefaster.Theresearchisinandit’s100percentconclusive:whenyoudon’tsleepwell,yougetslower,lesscreative,morestressed,andunderperform.Basicallyyou’reonlyutilizingafractionofwhatyou’recapableof.We’regoingtotalkaboutthismoreinChapter1,sosittightandI’llgiveyouthelowdownonwhatsleep(orlackthereof)isdoingtoyourbrain.

There’sanoldIrishproverbthatsays,“Agoodlaughandalongsleeparethetwobestcuresforanything.”Mypromisetoyouisthatthisbookwillgiveyoureal,practical strategies to help you get the best sleep possible. You’ll laugh, you’llthink, you’ll plan, you’ll put things into action, and you’ll see your lifetransformedasaresultofit.

Youdeservetobehealthy,happy,andfulfilledinyourlife.Gettinggreatsleepisahugecomponentofthis,andthisbookisthekeytohelpingyougetthere.

A pioneer, and leading authority on sleep research,Dr.WilliamDement said,“You’renothealthy,unlessyoursleepishealthy.”

Nothing couldbemore true, and these21 tips are going tohelp youget greatsleepformanyyearstocome.

Thetopicofthischapterisalittleunusual,butit’sprobablythemostimportant.Manypeoplearenegligentaboutgettingenoughsleepbecause theydon’t trulyunderstandthebenefitsthey’regettingfromit.

Sowhatissleep?Andwhyisitimportant?

Well, defining sleep is a lot like trying to define life. No one completelyunderstands it, and if you try to explain it you’re more likely to sound likeForrestGump than aworld-renown scholar (Life is like a box of chocolates…sleepislikepretendingtobedead).

Sleepisactuallydefinedasanaturalperiodicstateofrestforthemindandbody,inwhichtheeyesusuallycloseandconsciousnessiscompletelyorpartiallylost,sothatthereisadecreaseinbodilymovementandresponsivenesstoexternalstimuli.

That sounds a little weird, but the most important takeaway is that it’sanaturalperiodicstateofrestforthemindandbody.Ifyou’renotdoingit,then

you’rebeingcompletelyunnatural.And,nobodylikesunnaturalpeople.

What’smoreimportantisknowingthebigprizesthatsleepgivesyou.Generally,beingawakeiscatabolic(breaksyoudown)andsleepisanabolic(buildsyouup).Sleep is known to be an elevated anabolic state, heightening the growth andrejuvenation of the immune, skeletal, and muscular systems. Basically, sleeprebuildsyouandkeepsyouyouthful.

High quality sleep fortifies your immune system, balances your hormones,boostsyourmetabolism,increasesphysicalenergy,andimprovesthefunctionofyourbrain.Withoutalloftheessentialbenefitsthatsleepisproviding,youwillnever,Irepeatnever,havethebodyandlifeyouwantwithoutgivingyourbodytherightamountofsleep.

Inourculture,sleepisnotrespectedverymuchatall.Asamatteroffact,weareoftenprogrammedwith the idea that tobe successfulweneed toworkharder,sleepless,andwecancatchuponallthesleepwewantwhenwe’redead.Tosaysleepisnotrespectedisreallyanunderstatement.

Working hard is unarguably a big part of being successful, but so is workingsmart. So many people in our world today go on plugging away with work,burning the candle at both ends, not realizing that thequality ofwork they’redoingisbeingradicallycompromised.Researchshowsthatafterjust24hoursofsleepdeprivation,thereisanoverallreductionofsixpercentinglucosereachingthebrain.Simpletranslation:Yougetdumber.

Thisisalsowhyyoucravecandy,chips,donuts,andotherstarchy,sugarythingswhen you’re sleep deprived. You’re body is trying to compel you to get thatglucosebacktoyourbrainassoonaspossible.It’sabuilt-insurvivalmechanism.Thisisinherentinourgenesbecause,inourdaysashunter-gatherers,thatlackof brainpower could mean a swift death from a predator or a substantiallyreducedabilitytohuntandprocureyourownfoodforsurvival.Todayasimpletriptotherefrigeratorcanbypassyourbody’scryformoresleep,butthosestressmechanismsarestillaliveandwellwithinyourbodyrightnow.

ICan’tBelieveIDidThatLastNight

Themostvaluabletakeawayfromthissleepdeprivation“braindrain”discoveryis that thereduction inglucose isn’t sharedequally.Yourparietal lobeand theprefrontalcortexactually lose12to14percentoftheirglucosewhenyoudon’tsleep. These are the areas of the brain we most need for thinking, fordistinguishing between ideas, for social control, and to be able to tell thedifferencebetweenrightandwrong.Haveyouevermadeapoordecisionwhenyouwereuplateatnightthatyouwouldn’thavemadeifyourheadwasonright?Chancesareyouhave.

Itwasn’tentirelyyourfault.Yourbrainwashijackedbyadumber(andslightlylessattractive)versionofyourself.

Alwaysrememberthevalueofyoursleep.Youwillperformbetter,makebetterdecisions,andhaveabetterbodywhenyougetthesleepyourequire.Sleepisnotanobstacleweneedtogoaround,it’sanaturalstateyourbodyrequirestoboostyourhormone function,healyourmuscles, tissuesandorgans, andmakeyourmindworkatit’soptimallevel.Theshortcuttosuccessisnotmadebybypassingdreamland.Youwillfactuallyworkbetter,bemoreefficient,andgetmorestuffdonewhenyou’reproperlyrested.

There’s a big difference between “working” and actually being effective. Bysacrificing your sleep, you can definitely do more work, but the quality andeffectivenessofyourworkwillbesacrificed.AphysicianstudypublishedinTheLancetprovedthatsleep-deprivedindividualstook14percentlongertocompleteatask,andmade20percentmoreerrorsthanindividualswhowerewellrested.Structureyour time togetmore sleep first andyou’ll be able to get yourworkdonefasterandmoreeffectivelythanifyouzombiewalkedyourwaythroughit.

SleepPowerTipWhenyouknowyou’vegot abig task,project, or event comingup,pull out a calendar and plan ahead how you can get your idealnumber of sleep hours in. Often times it’s as simple as setting up aschedule.But,peopleoverlookitbecause,well,it’sjusttooeasy.

Ifit’simportanttoyou,you’llscheduleit.Sticktothatscheduleaswellasyoucan,andknowthatyouwillgettheworkdonebetterandfasterifyou’remore rested.Weusually sacrificeour sleep tocram inmorework because we didn’t plan efficiently. And as the wise BenjaminFranklinsaid,“Byfailingtoprepare,youarepreparingtofail.”

Itmaysoundcounterintuitivethatgettingmoresunlightduringthedaycanhelpyousleepbetteratnight,butsciencehasproventhatthisispreciselythecase.

Yourbody’ssleepcycle,or“circadiantimingsystem,”isnotjustsomeairy-fairything.Thisisareal,built-in,24-hourclockthat’snotthatmuchdifferentfromtheclockonyourcellphoneorwristwatch.

Yourcircadiantimingsystemisregulatedbythesuprachiasmaticnucleus,asmallgroupofnervecellsfoundinthehypothalamusinyourbrain.Thehypothalamusisconsideredtobethemasterglandofyourbody’shormonalsystem.Itcontrolsyour body’s hunger, thirst, fatigue, body temperature, and sleep cycles byactingasamasterclock.So,nowyouknow,whenitcomestosleep,you’vegottoliterallyhaveyourheadinthegame.

Now, how does morning light improve sleep? Light actually signals yourhypothalamus and all corresponding organs and glands to be alert and “wake

up.” That light exposure, specifically sunlight exposure, triggers your body toproduceoptimallevelsofdaytimehormonesandregulatesyourbiologicalclock.Too little light exposure during the day, and too much light exposure in theeveningwillnegativelyimpactyourabilitytosleepwellatnight.Oneofthemostvitalhormonesaffectedby lightexposure is thepowerfulantioxidanthormonemelatonin.

MelloMelatoninMelatoninisproducedbythepinealglandinyourbrainanditsendssignalstocreate thebest environment inyourbody for sleep. It’s secretednaturally as itgetsdarkeroutside,butwecanreallyscrewitup ifwedon’tget theright lightexposure at the right time. Melatonin isn’t the “sleep hormone,” but it candefinitelybeconsideredthe“getgoodsleephormone.”

Someresearchersbelievethatmelatoninisrelatedtoaging.Forinstance,youngchildren have the highest levels of nighttime melatonin production, but itgraduallydeclinesasweage.Melatoninisassociatedwithbeingyoungandvital,but it diminishes as the years pass by. Is this simply how it has to be, or is itsomethingwecausebynothonoringoursleepcycles?

Remember,theproductionandsecretionofmelatoninisheavilyaffectedbylightexposure. Sunlightprovides thenatural spectrumof light thatweneed tohelpcoordinate the cycle ofmelatoninproduction. Simplyput,when you getmoresunlightexposureduringtheday,andlesslightexposureatnight,you’reonyourwaytoamagicsleepformulathatreallyworks.

Nowhowdowe apply thiswhenmillions of us are certified desk jockeys andcoopedupinourofficesalldaylong?And,howmuchdoesitmatteranyway?

A recent study focused on sleep quality of day shift workers revealed someshocking results.When compared to officeworkerswho have direct access towindows atwork, those officeworkerswhodidn’t have access towindowsgot173percentlessexposuretonaturalwhitelightandasaresultsleptanaverageof46minuteslesseachnight.Thissleepdeficitresultedinmorereportedphysicalailments,lowervitality,andpoorersleepquality.

Theofficeworkerswithmorelightexposuretendedtobemorephysicallyactive,happier, and had an overall higher quality of life. With your new foundunderstandingofsunlight’saffectonsleepandhormonefunction,thedatafromthesetypesofstudiesbecomeobvious.Sonowlet’sdiveintohowtoleveragethisunderstandingtogetthebestresultspossible.

SunlightPowerTip#1Whenitcomestosleepbenefits,allsunlightisnotcreatedequal.Thebody clock is most responsive to sunlight in the early morning,between 6 a.m. and 8:30 a.m. Exposure to sunlight later does notprovidethesamebenefit.Makeitahabittogetsomesunexposureinthatprimetimelightperiod.Directsunlightoutdoorsforatleastone-halfhourhasbeenshowntoproducethemostbenefit.

SunlightPowerTip#2Ifyouareincubicaldungeonawayfromnaturallightatwork,useyourbreaktimetostrategicallygoandgetsomesunonyourskin.Evenonan overcast day, the sun’s rays will make their way through andpositively influenceyourhormone function.Youcan takeyour10or15 minute breaks outdoors or near a window, or if you’re reallyplaying at a high level, you canmake a habit of eating your lunchoutside.

SunlightPowerTip#3Inemergencysituations,whereyouarechainedlikeaprisonerinthecubicaldungeon, thereare speciallydesigned lightboxesandvisorsthat simulate sunlight. These are often prescribed to treat seasonalaffectivedisorder(SAD),aformofdepressionthattendstotakeplaceduring the darker winter months. But, truly you are more powerfulthan you know to affect change in your life and get yourself thenatural sunlight you require. This is only anoptionbecause I felt anobligationtotellyouaboutit.Althoughthiscanbehelpful,eventhebest light box won’t give you as much phototherapy benefit as 30minutesoutsideonevenanovercastday.

This is likely the number one thing you can do to improve your sleepqualityimmediately.Theartificialbluelightemittedbyelectronicscreenstriggersyourbody to produce more daytime hormones (like cortisol) and disorient yourbody’snaturalpreparationforsleep.

Computers,iPads,televisions,smartphones,etc.,arekickingoutasleep-suckingbluespectrumoflightthatcangiveyoumajorsleepproblems.

Have you ever driven down your neighborhood street at night and seen thatmajesticblue lightbeamingoutofpeople’swindows?You’reprobably likea) Iwonder what they’re watching? or b) I wonder if they’re getting abducted byaliens?

MarianaFigueiro,oftheLightingResearchCenteratRensselaerPolytechnic,andherteamshowedthattwohoursofiPaduseatmaximumbrightnesswasenoughto suppress people’s normal nighttime release of melatonin. When your

melatoninsecretionisthrownoff,itwillintrinsicallythrowoffyournormalsleepcycle.

Figueiroalsonotedthatifthisnighttimedeviceusagehappenedonalong-termbasis,itcouldleadtoachronicdisruptionofcircadianrhythms.Asaresult,thelikelihoodofserioushealthissuescanskyrocket.

It’s importanttorememberthatourculturaluseoftheseelectronicdeviceshasonlybeenpossibleforthelastfewdecades;firstwiththeadventoftelevision,andthenreallyexplodingwiththeadventoflaptops,tablets,andsmartphonesinjustthe last 10 years. Millions of years of evolution versus 10 years of late-nightmeanderingdoesn’tfavorourabilitytoadapttothisanytimesoon.

As human beings, we are literally not designed to stare into the type oflightemanatingfromthesedevices.Whenitcomestonighttimeusage,wewanttobe like the littlegirl inPoltergeistand“stayaway fromthe light.”Sidenote:thatmoviestillcreepsmeout.

Of course, we’ve got work to do, and the technology we have available to ustodayisamazing.Wejustneedtohavemoreawarenessandmorerespectforourbody’snaturalprocesses.

ScreenProtectionPowerTip#1If you want to give your body the deep sleep it needs, make it amandatetoturnoffallscreensatleast90minutesbeforebedtime.Ifyou ignore this and continue to have problems sleeping, I promiseyouJimmyKimmelisnotgoingtopayyourhospitalbills.

ScreenProtectionPowerTip#2Use an alternative medium for nighttime activity. Remember thosepapery things called books? You can actually open one of thoseancient relics and enjoy consuming a great story, inspiration, oreducation thatway. And, rememberwhenpeople actually talked toeachotherface-to-face?Youcantalktothepeopleinyourlife,listentohowtheirdaywent,findoutwhatthey’reexcitedabout,andwhattheymaybestrugglingwith.Theycanobviouslydothesameforyoutoo. In ourworld,wherewe’remore connected than ever before insomeways,wearedesperately lackingconnection inothers.Gettingoff our electronic devices, having a conversation, and showingaffectionisvitaltoourlong-termhealthandwell-being.

ScreenProtectionPowerTip#3Useabluelightblocker.Extenuatingcircumstancescomeup,andyoumayneed tobeon thecomputer later thanyouwant.This iswherecooladvancementsintechnologycancomeintohelpsmooththingsout. On my Mac, I have a free application called f.lux thatautomatically eliminates the problematic blue light from mycomputerscreenatacertaintimeeachday(youcangetsimilarthingsfor your smartphone and other devices too). But, again, the bestsolution is to shut down the technology at least 90minutes beforebed, ifyou’reseriousaboutgettinggreatsleep. If that’snot feasible,thisisatoolyoucanusethatcandefinitelyhelpyoualongtheway.

Caffeineisapowerfulnervoussystemstimulant.IfyournervoussystemislituplikeaChristmastree,youcanforgetaboutgettinghighqualitysleep.

The reality is, people like coffee. It iswhat it is.We just have to learnhow tonavigateourconsumptionofcoffeeandothercaffeinatedgoodiestomakesurethatwe’restillgettingthebestsleeppossible.

AstudypublishedintheJournalofClinicalSleepMedicinesharedsomecriticalinsightsabout theeffectofcaffeineonsleepthatyouneedtoknowabout.Thelead author of the study, Christopher Drake, associate professor of psychiatryand behavioral neurosciences atWayne StateUniversity says, “Drinking a bigcupofcoffeeonthewayhomefromworkcanleadtonegativeeffectsonsleep,justasifsomeoneweretoconsumecaffeineclosertobedtime.”

Whatthestudydiscoveredwasthatparticipantsgivencaffeineatdifferenttimes(immediatelybeforebed, threehoursbeforebed, and sixhoursbeforebed) all

showedsignificantmeasurabledisruptionsintheirsleep.Whatthismeansisthatnotonlyisitnotagoodideatohavecaffeinerightbeforebedtime,buthavingacupofcoffeeorcaffeinatedteaevenasmuchassixhoursbeforebedcancausesleeptroubles.

What’sfascinatingaboutthisstudyisthatsleepdisturbancewasmeasuredintwoways:objectively,bymeansof a sleepmonitorusedathome, and subjectively,fromdiarieskeptbytheparticipants.Whentheparticipantsconsumedcaffeinesix hours before bedtime, they had ameasurable objective loss of one hour ofsleepshownviasleepmonitor.Thecrazypartisthattheparticipantsdidn’tnoteanysubjectivedifferencewiththeirsleepintheirsleepjournal.Eventhoughtheyphysiologicallylostsleepbecauseofthecaffeine,theydidn’tconsciouslyknowitatfirst!

This is how the viscous cycle of sleep deprivation gets started. Not gettingenoughdeepsleepduetocaffeineconsumptioninevitablymakesusmoretired.Being tiredmakes us wantmore caffeine. And, extra consumption of caffeinewill, in-turn,make our sleep problemsworse.We’ve got to have a strategy tobreakthisviscouscycletoensurethatwe’regettingthesleepourbodiesdeserve.

LivingtheHalf-LifeSohere’s the realdeal about caffeine.Firstof all, theplaces that caffeine comefromaretypicallydelicious:coffee,chocolate,tea,etc.Notonlyaretheytasty,butcaffeine also has a natural affinity with the human body. It can really get ourbodyandmindinapositiveplace.Thisiswhycaffeinecanbesoaddictive.

Caffeinedoesn’t“giveyouenergy”inthewaythatmostpeoplebelieve.Alldayeverydaywhileyou’reawake,neurons inyourbrainare firingandproducinganeurotransmitterbyproductknownasadenosine.Pleaseunderstand, adenosineis more than a simple waste product. Your nervous system is constantlymonitoring for adenosine in your body, because once those levels raise to acertainpointinyourbrainandspinalcord,yourbodystartstonudgeyoutogotosleep(oratleasttorelax).

Then,incomesthecaffeine...

Caffeine has the unique ability to fit into receptor sites in your bodyfor adenosine, because it’s so structurally similar to the real thing. Normally,whenyourreceptorsitesarefilledwithrealadenosine,yourbodyshiftsintorestmode. The issue with caffeine going into those receptors is that it simply sitsthere like adistant relativeover-extending their stayonyour couch. It doesn’tactuallyturnonfunctions,likeadenosinewould,tomakeyoutired.Asaresult,your brain and body are still trucking along and you don’t realize that you’reactually sleepy.Prettycool in someways,buthopefullyyoucanseewhere thiscouldbecomeabigproblem.

Yourbodyisstillproducingmoreandmoreadenosinebecauseofallthe“awake”activitiesyou’redoing,butitnevergetsproperlymetabolized.Duetothis,you’rebodyliterallyhastochangethewayitnormallyfunctions,stresshormonelevelsincreaseinyoursystem,andyourbrainandorgansgetoverworkedbecausetheyaren’tgettingtheaccuratecuestorestandrecover.

Becauseofcaffeine’slong-termeffects,itcantakeseveraldaysforitsaftermathtowearoff.Caffeinehasahalf-lifeofaroundfivetoeighthours(dependinguponyour unique biochemical makeup). Half-life essentially means that afteraspecificamountoftime(sayeighthours)halfofthesubstanceisstillactiveinyour system.So,using theeighthourhalf-lifeasanexample, if youconsumed200mg of caffeine, after eight hours you’d have half of it in your system (or100mg),afteranothereighthoursyou’dhave50mg,anothereighthoursitwouldbe25mg,andsoon.Thisiswhyhavingcaffeineevensixhoursoutfrombedtimestillcausedsleepdisturbancesinthestudy.

Therealtroubleis,millionsofpeoplearen’tjusthavingoneservingofcaffeine,they’rehavingmany.Wealsodon’trealizewhenwepickupthehabit thatourbodiesbecomejadedtotheenergizingbenefitsofcaffeine.Thiscanhappeninaslittleas12days.So,whatdowedowhenwedon’tnoticeastrongorconsistentenoughbuzz?Wedrinkmore,ofcourse!

The reality is, caffeine is a powerful stimulant, and it can be a wonderfullypleasantpartofourlife,ifwerespectitassuch.Weneedtorewireourbodytouseitonaregular,yetcyclicalbasissothatwecanreallygetthemostbang-for-the-buck.

Weknownowhowcaffeineworks,andthedeleteriouseffectsitcanhaveonoursleep.Nowherearesometipstohelpensurethatcaffeineworksforyouandnotagainstyou.

SmartCaffeinePowerTip#1Setanunbreakablecaffeinecurfewtomakesureyourbodyhastimeto remove themajority of it fromyour system. Formostpeople, it’sgenerally going to be before 2 p.m. But, if you’re really sensitive tocaffeine, then youmightwant tomake your curfew even earlier, orpossiblyavoidcaffeinealtogether.

SmartCaffeinePowerTip#2Caffeine canbeused strategically to enhance fat loss, if used in therightway(you’llgetmoreinformationonthiscomingupsoon).Thatsaid, don’t throw the baby outwith the bathwater and negate thepotential benefits of caffeine. To maximize your body’s use andbenefit from caffeine, it has to be cycled. There are several ways ofgoingaboutthis.I’mjustgoingtosharewithyouthree.

1. Go on two days and three days off - If a healthy, non-addictedpersonisusingcaffeine,itcanbeclearedfromyoursystemnicelyafter threedays.Whenyouhave itagain,you’llnoticethesamebenefitsasyoudidtheinitialdaysyouusedit.

2. Go twomonthson,onemonthoff - This is reasonable if you’reusing a small to moderate amount of caffeine daily (less than200mgaday)as inacuportwoofblackcoffeeortea,orapre-workout supplement.Usingmore caffeine than this can lead towithdrawal symptoms for the first few days after discontinueduse.

3. Gofullonasneeded-This iswherethemagical, “whenwefirstmet,”experiencecanhappenwithcoffeeandcaffeine.Onmostdays,ignoreit;liveyourlifenormally,withoutcaffeine,butwhenyouneedit,gofullonintoyour loveaffair.NowwhenIsayyou“needit,”I’mtalkingaboutyouhaveaperformance,abigproject,or something that is really important (but short in duration, soyour indulgence won’t be more than a couple of days). Usecaffeineasaboost,notacrutch,andyou’llbeabletotrulyenjoyitsbenefitswhilestillsleepinglikeachampion.

Irememberduringridiculouslyhotsummers,myparentswouldn’tturntheairconditionerupso that theycould“save”on theutilitybill.Well, I can tellyouthatIsweatedoffalotofpoundsthosesummers,tossingandturninginmybedupstairs(oh,andheatrisesbytheway),tryingtosleepthroughtheheat.Ididn’tsleep well then because the temperature of our bodies have a very stronginfluenceonourabilitytosleep.

Something called thermoregulation heavily influences your body’s sleep cycles.When it’s time for your body to rest, there is an automatic drop in your corebodytemperaturetohelpinitiatesleep.Ifthetemperatureinyourenvironmentstaystoohigh,thenitcanbeabitofaphysiologicalchallengeforyourbodytoget into the ideal state forrestful sleep.Studieshave foundthat the ideal roomtemperatureforsleepisreallyquitecoolataround60to68degreesFahrenheit.Anything too far above or below this range will likely cause some difficultysleeping.

To take this discovery even further, studies have shown that insomniacs(individualswithchronicsleepissues)tendtohaveasignificantlywarmercorebody temperature than normal right before bed. Thiswill inherently lead to aheightened state of arousal and struggle to fall asleepwhile their body tries toresetitsinternalthermostat.

Sowhereisthisinternalthermostatanyway?Canitbeactuallychanged?

To find your body’s internal thermostat, you have to go back to ourunderstanding of the master gland, the hypothalamus. The hypothalamusactuallyintegratesthefunctionofyournervoussystem(whatsensestheinternaland external temperature) and your endocrine system (what secretes specifichormonestoeitherinducesleeporkeepyouawake).Yourhypothalamusislikethecoachofyourcellularbasketballteam.

Ifthecoachistreatedwell,givenanicesalaryofnutrition,andnotover-stressed,chancesare itcankeepeveryonein line,achievingthegreatestresultspossible.Thinkthe“ZenMaster,”PhilJackson.Hemanagedstresslikeapro,andbroughtthebestoutofhis“body”ofplayers.

Ontheotherhand, if thecoachisunder-paid,over-worked, lackssupport,andmiscommunicatestherolesoftheteam,thenthewholethingcanfallapartfast.Thisiswhythehealthandsupportofyourhypothalamusissoimportant.

Yourhypothalamus ispartofaverysignificant system inyourbodyknownastheHypothalamic-Pituitary-AdrenalAxis,orHPA-Axisforshort.TheHPA-axisiscritical innormalhormonefunction,sexual function,managingbodyweightandmore.ThemostimportanttakeawayhereisthattheHPA-axisisyourbody’snumberonesystemformanagingstress.

Thepreviouslymentionedstudyoninsomniacsalsofoundthatthetestsubjectsexperiencedgreaterlevelsofanticipatoryanxietythannormaltestsubjects.Theworryandstressoversleepingwashigher,andlikelycontributingtotheincreaseincorebodytemperature.It’snotjusttheenvironmentthatneedstobecool,youneed tobecool too(as inyourmentalandemotional state).YourHPA-axis isdealingwiththeoverallstress loadinyour life.Fromwork, torelationships, tonutrition,toyourexercise,yourHPA-axisismanagingitall.

Youabsolutelymusthaveastrategytomanagestressinourhigh-stressedworldtoday,oryoucansleepinaniglooandstillnotbecoolenough.We’lltalkaboutsomelife-changingstress-managementtoolscomingupinChapter16.Fornow,let’s get the environment around you optimized for the best sleep possible, sothatyouhaveasmart,well-roundedapproachtothefree-throwline.Swish!

KeepItCoolPowerTip#1Make sure that the temperature in your bedroom stays close to therecommended68degreesFahrenheitatnight.Forsomepeople,thisisjustright,butothersmayhaveimagesofJackFrostandFrostytheSnowman.Trustme(andthescience),youwillsleepbetterifyou’realittle cooler, justdon’toverdo it. Youcan still haveyour covers andPJ’s,butdon’toverdothateither(chancesareyourloverorwould-belover doesn’t want to sleep next to a flannel-clad, multiple-layeredlumberjackatnight).Getanice,coolenvironment inyourroomandsnuggleuptosleepmoresoundly.

KeepItCoolPowerTip#2Ifyouhavetroublefallingasleep,trytakingawarmbathanhouranda half to two hours before hitting the sack. The increase in coretemperature from thebathwill fall accordingly and level out a littlecooler rightaroundthetimeyouturn in for thenight.Manyparentsknowthatthisisthesecretsauceforhavingyoungkidsfallasleepandstayasleepatnight.

KeepItCoolPowerTip#3Rock socks. Even though the room temperature would ideally becooler to induce great sleep, some people can trigger sleeplessnessbecause their extremities are too cold. This is becauseblood flow istheprimarymethodofdistributingheatthroughoutthebody.Ifyourhandsandfeetaretoocold,itcouldbeasignofpoorcirculation.Thesolution: wear a pair of warm socks to bed if you need to. Somepeoplearenaturallymorewarm-bodiedandprefertobebarefoot,sotestitout,andseewhatworksbestforyou.

You can literally get amplified benefits of sleep by sleeping at the right hours.Dr.KulreetChaudharysays,“Timingyoursleepisliketiminganinvestmentinthestockmarket—itdoesn’tmatterhowmuchyou invest, itmatterswhenyouinvest.”

It’sbeenshownthathumanbeingsgetthemostbeneficialhormonalsecretionsandrecoverybysleepingduringthehoursof10p.m.and2a.m.This iswhatIcall“MoneyTime.”

Yougetthemostrejuvenatingeffectsduringthisperiod,andanysleepthatyougetinadditionisabonus.Thisisbasedontheseeminglylostrealizationthatwehumansareapartofnature,andwhenthe lightsgooutontheplanet, that’sacuefromtheuniversethatit’stimeforustoturndowntoo.

Today,however,wecan trumpnatureand lightupourhouse likeaLasVegasstrippersign.Wecanbeupuntil3a.m.doingthelaptoplapdance,andnoteven

thinktwiceaboutit.

NewsFlash:Thatisabnormal.

We are literally designed to go to sleepwhen it gets dark, so if you’vemade ahabitofignoringthisinnatelaw,it’stimetotakeactiontoreadjust.

In our discussion on sunlight exposure in Chapter 2, we found that ourbody’s natural production of hormones is critical to getting the best sleeppossible. By lining your sleep up with your natural hormonal secretions, thebenefitsyougetfromsleepwillbeexponentiallybetter.

Forexample,youmaybesleepingfrom1a.m.to9a.m.andgettingeighthoursofsleep,butyouaremissingonthat“moneytime”whenthebeneficialhormonalsecretionsareattheirhighest.Melatonin,humangrowthhormone,andmorearesecreted intheirstrongestdoseswhenyoursleep is linedupproperly.Wanttostayyoungandvibrantlonger?ThenyouneedtoknowthatyougetthebestdoseofHGH,the“youthhormone,”ifyou’resleepingduringthoseprimetimehours.

Somepeoplegeteightormorehoursofsleep,butstilldon’tfeelwellrestedwhenthey wake up. Dr. Chaudhary also states that, “If your body is chronicallydeprivedoftheregenerativesleepbetween10p.m.and2a.m.,thenyoumaystillfeel fatigued when you wake up in the morning.” Again, this affirms theunderstanding that it’s all about thehormoneproduction, andmissingout onthat“moneytime”isnotaverysmartinvestment.

TheSecondWindAround10p.m.,yourbodygoesthroughatransformationfollowingthenaturalriseinmelatonin.Thistransformationistoincreaseinternalmetabolicenergytorepair, strengthen, and rejuvenate your body. Heightened production ofantioxidant hormones happens at this time to help protect your DNA fromdamage, improve your brain function, and more. If you’re asleep as normalduring thisphase, all iswell.However, if you’reupwhen10p.m. rolls aroundthatincreaseinmetabolicenergycanbeexperiencedasa“secondwind.”

Haveyoueverhad thishappenbefore?Afterwork,around6or7p.m.,you’retired.Youcan’twaittohitthesackandgetagreatnightssleep.Then10o’clockrollsaroundandyoufeelwide-awakeandreadytodostuff!It’sverylikelythatyou have just experienced the energy “secondwind.” It’s really not thatmuchdifferent from exercise. People who’ve done any type of endurance trainingknowthatifyoukeepatitforacertainamountoftimeeventhoughyou’retired,yourbodywillkickintoasecondwindandyou’llfeelenergizedagainandreadytokeepgoing.

Insteadoftheincreasedenergybeingusedfornormalinternalhousekeeping,itwasusedforyoutoupdateyourFacebookprofileandwatchthreemoreepisodesofyourfavoriteshowonNetflix.

It’simportanttounderstandthatyourbody’sabilitytorepairitself,removefreeradicals, andmaximize hormonal output, is greatly inhibited when you allowyourselftostayupandmoveintothatsecondwind.Peoplewhostayuppast10or 11 p.m. and dig into that second wind energy, often find that they have aharder time falling asleep when they want to. The result is that you’re morefatigued andgroggywhenyouwakeup in themorning. So let’s get into somespecifictipstogetthat“moneytime”sleepyourbodyreallydeserves.

MoneyTimePowerTip#1The 10 p.m. recommended bed time isn’t exact with all of thevariation in timezones,day lightsavings time,howfaryouare fromtheequator, timeofyear,etc. Ifweget tooneuroticabout theexacttimetogotosleep,itcangetalittleridiculous.Whatyouwanttoaimfortogetthehighestqualitysleeppossibleisgettingtobedwithinafewhoursofitgettingdarkoutside.

Formost people, this is going tomean somewhere between 9 p.m.and11p.m.mostoftheyear.Bydoingthis,youaregivingyourselfahugehormonaladvantage.Duringthewinterseason,humanswouldnaturallybesleepingmoreandgoingtobedabitearlier.Conversely,duringthesummermonthswhenthedaysarelonger,youhaveabitof a permission slip to stay up later and enjoy the weather a littlemore.Natureisgivingusdirectcuesonwhentosleep,wejustneedtolearntopayattentiontothem.

MoneyTimePowerTip#2Tohelp resetyour sleepcycle so thatyou’reactually tiredwhen theoptimalbedtimerollsaround,makeahabitofgettingsomesunlightas soon as possiblewhen youwake up. This is going to help boostnaturalcortisollevelsandfullywakeyoursystemup.Yourbodyknowswhat to do, andwill find it’s natural sleep cyclewith youpracticinggoodsleephygieneandfollowingthetipsinthisbook.

MoneyTimePowerTip#3Duringnormalsleepatnight,yourbodyfollowsapredictablepattern,movingbackand forthbetweendeep, restorativesleep (deepsleep)and more alert stages (non-REM) and dreaming (REM sleep). ThesestagesofREMandnon-REMsleepcometogethertoformacompletesleepcycle.

Sleepcycles typically last for90minuteseachand repeat four to sixtimesatnight.So,sixnormal90-minutesleepcycleswouldequalninetotalhoursofsleep.

Evenifyougetafullnight’ssleep,youcanstillwakeupfeelinggroggyifyouralarmgoesoffduringthemiddleofoneofyoursleepcycles.Tomake your mornings better and more energetic, start setting youralarmsothatitgoesoffinaccordancewiththesesleepcyclesinsteadofthestandard“eighthoursofsleep.”Forexample,ifyougotosleepat10p.m.setyouralarmfor5:30a.m.(foratotalofsevenandahalfhoursofsleep)andyou’lllikelyfindthatyoufeelmorerefreshedwhenyou wake up than if you set the alarm for 6 a.m.andinterruptedanothersleepcycle.

Alternatively, you can go for an additional sleep cycle if that’swhatyou feelbestabout.Again,going tobedat10p.m. forexample, setyouralarmfor7a.m.togetthatsixthfullsleepcycleunderyourbelt.And,here’sagreattipifyoueverdofindyourselfinapinchandneedto sleep less than normal. Shoot for getting that minimum of foursleepcyclesinforatotalofsixhours.Ifyouhavetostayupuntil1a.m.(again,notsmart,butithappens)setyouralarmfor7a.m.,not7:30or8a.m.andyou’lllikelyfindthatyoufeelbetterwhenyouwakeuptostartyourday.Usethesesleephacksfortheforcesofgood,andyourbodywillpayyoubigdividendsinreturn.

Magnesium is a bonafide anti-stress mineral. It helps to balance blood sugar,optimize circulation andbloodpressure, relax tensemuscles, reducepain, andcalmthenervoussystem.Yet,because ithassomany functions, it tends togetdepletedfromourbodiesratherfast.

Magnesiumdeficiencyislikelythenumberonemineraldeficiencyinourworldtoday. Estimates show that upwards of 80 percent of the population in theUnited States is deficient in magnesium. And, some experts say that thesenumbers are actually conservative. Chances are, you’re not getting enoughmagnesiumintoyoursystem,andgettingyourmagnesiumlevelsupcanalmostinstantlyreduceyourbody’sstressloadandimprovethequalityofyoursleep.

Notonlyismagnesiumimportantforoptimizingyoursleep,it’scriticaltoyourhealthandlongevityoverall.AstudypublishedinTheJournalofIntensiveCareMedicineshowedthatpeopledeficientinmagnesiumweretwiceaslikelytodie

prematurely. Idon’tknowaboutyou,but Idon’twant to clockoutbeforemytime.Optimizingyourmagnesiumlevelscanbekeytolivingalong,healthylife.

Whendiscussingmagnesium,Dr.MarkHymanstatesthat,“Thiscriticalmineralisactuallyresponsibleforover300enzymereactionsandisfoundinallofyourtissues—butmainlyinyourbones,muscles,andbrain.Youmusthaveitforyourcells tomake energy, formany different chemical pumps towork, to stabilizemembranes,andtohelpmusclesrelax.”

Magnesiumlevelscanbeaseriousproblemoraseriousbenefitdependingwhereyouareinthespectrum.Thisisdefinitelynotsomethingtotakelightly.

Inadditiontotheprovenimpactmagnesiumhasonyourbody,researchshowsthatoneofthecentralsymptomsofmagnesiumdeficiencyischronicinsomnia.This is valuable information to know because simply getting yourmagnesiumlevelsupcanhaveahugeimpactonyoursleepqualityveryquickly.

GetItUptheSmartWaySupplementationmaynotbethebestmethodtogetyourmagnesiumlevelsup.Researchhasshownthatalargepercentageofmagnesiumislostinthedigestiveprocess.So,whatdowetypicallydotocompensate?Takemore,ofcourse!

The problems is that taking too much of a low-budget internal magnesiumsupplement can have you sprinting to the bathroom faster than Usain Bolt.Magnesiumactuallypullsmorewatertoyourbowels,whichcanleadtooneormanyunexpectedbathroombreaks.

Quality is everythingwhen it comes to yourmagnesium sources.Highqualitysupplementation can be helpful in small amounts, as well as a diet high inmagnesium-rich foods.But, themost effectivemethodof safely and effectivelyboostingyourmagnesiumlevelsisthroughtopicalapplicationontoyourskin.

The understanding that your body can absorb magnesium transdermally(throughtheskin)hasbeenknownforhundredsofyears.Haveyoueverheardthattakingabathinepsomsaltswasgreatforeliminatingpain,reducingstress,andhelpfulforagoodnightssleep?Epsomsaltisactuallyaformofmagnesiumcalledmagnesiumsulfate.

Today,radicallybetterformsoftopicalmagnesiumhavebeendeveloped.Thingslikemagnesiumbathflakesandstandardmagnesiumoilsareusually20percentabsorbableatbest.ThetopicalmagnesiumthatIuseandthatIrecommendformyclientsis100percentbioavailable,is100percentpure,andthestuffjustflat-outworks.AnighthardlyevergoesbythatIdon’trubthismagnesiumintomyskin,becauseI’veconsistentlyfoundthatmysleepqualityisevenbetterwhenIuseit.

Again,becausealargepercentageofmagnesiumislostinthedigestiveprocess,theidealformofmagnesiumistransdermalfromsupercriticalextracts.Youcanfind more information on this topical magnesium atwww.TheShawnStevensonModel.com/magnesium.

Anti-StressMineralPowerTip#1KeeptheMagnesiumInfusionrightbyyourbedsideandapplyitrightbeforeyouhopintothecovers.Thebestplacestoapplyitare:

Anywhere that you are sore (hopefully you’re following myexerciseadvice,coveredinChapter11!).

Inthecenterofyourchest(amajor“chakra”positionalignedwithyour heart - one of themostmagnesium dependent organs inyourbody).

Aroundyourneckandshoulders(wheremanypeoplecarryalotoftheirstress).

Sprayitonliberallyandmassageitin.Fourtosixspraysperareaisagreatbaselinetogowith.

Anti-StressMineralPowerTip#2Incorporate magnesium-rich foods in your diet too. A study doneby James Penland at the Human Nutrition Research Center in NorthDakota found that a diet high inmagnesium and low in aluminumwasassociatedwithdeeper,uninterruptedsleep.Greenleafyveggies,seeds like pumpkin and sesame, and superfoods like spirulina andBrazilnuts canprovidevery concentrated sourcesofmagnesium foryou.

If getting rejuvenating sleep is a high priority for you, then you need to takesomeessentialactionstotreatitassuch.Thebedroomshouldbefortwothingsprimarily…1)sleepand2)we’llgettoinjustamoment;)

Stopmaking your bedroom the entertainment hub of your house. And,neverbringworktobedwithyou.

Humans are creatures of habit and habitat. My two-year-old son knows thatwhen we go into his bedroom at night, good sleep is about to go down. Heactuallygetsupset ifhecan’tget intohisbed togo to sleep rightaway.Crazy,right?

If you create an environment wheremiscellaneous activities can take place inyour sleep area, then you arenot creating aneuro-association that it’s time tosleepwhenyougointhere.Youmaythinkthatyouareabig“grown-up”adult,butwearealljustsuper-sizedbabieswiththesamebasicprogramming.

Bringingyourofficework intobedwithyou isoneof themostoffensive sleepcrimesyoucancommit.Notonlyisitcreatinganegativeassociationwithsleep,butitcanalsospellserioustroubleforyourlovelifeifyou’renotcareful.Cutthecordanddon’tallowworktoenteryoursacredrelaxationspace.

Now,when you picture a sanctuary, what do you think of? Fresh air, flowingwater,beautifulplants,andasereneenvironmentmaycometomind.Thegoodnewsisthattheseareallthingsthatyoucanrecreateinyourownprivatesleepsanctuary.

Freshairisveryimportant.Didyouknowthattheionsintheairyoubreathecanbecome“stale” and less energizing?Theairyoubreathecarriesmore than justoxygenintoyourcells,italsocarriesotherionicelementsthatarevitalforyourhealthandwell-being.Astheairinsideyourhomebecomesstagnant,theionsintheairstarttolosetheir(negative)charge.Tofixthis,yousimplyneedtogettheairmovingagain.Somethingassimpleasopeningawindoworturningonafancanre-energizetheairinyourbedroom.

UpgradeYourBreathingSpaceIfyouareinacrazysituationwhereyoudon’thaveawindow,or it’s20belowzerooutside,youcanuseahighqualityair ionizer to revitalize theair inyourhome.Negativeionsarepresentinabundancenearwaterfalls,oceansurf,rivers,andmountains.Manyofushaveexperiencedbreathingthe“freshair”inthoseenvironments and experientially know the healing benefits. You can actuallysimulatesomeofthosepositiveeffectsbyutilizingtherightairionizer.

Negativeionsimpactourhealthinthreesignificantways:

1. Theymaketheairmoreenergizingbyprovidingfreeelectrons.

2. Theyoxidizeodors,fungi,mold,parasites,andtoxicchemicalgases.

3. Theybind todust,pollen, cigarette smoke, andpetdander to form largerparticles(whichmakethemmucheasiertoremovefromyourhome).

Air ionizers are not just good for your sleeping space, they are good for yourhomeingeneral.Thereareseveralairionizersoutthereonthemarket,sodoabitofhomeworktomakesurethattheoneyouchooseistherightfitforyou.

Atminimum, if you’re in a situation where fresh air can’t flow through yourroom via a window or fan during the winter months, try using a basichumidifier.Notonlycanthis improvetheairqualityandhelpyousleep,butitcanalsohelppreventyourmucousmembranesfromdryingoutandmakingyoumoresusceptibletoaninfection.

Humidifiersbringabitofmoisturebacktotheair,providingthatwaterelementwe’d find in a sanctuary environment. In addition, some people find thattabletopfountainsor“mini-waterfalls”aregreatforrelaxingandsleepingbetteratnight. Studies show thatbothyourheartbeat andbreathing slowdownafterlistening to running water. Obviously, I’m not talking about the drip from aleaky faucet, but the soundof runningwater canhave an impressive effect onpeoplewhohaveahistoryofsleepproblems.

GardenofEdenOne of the things synonymous with paradise is plant life. There are somanygreatbenefitsthatyoucangetfromhavingplantsinyourhomethatit’sjusttoomuchto ignore.Now,youdon’thave tohaveplantsdominatingyourcrib likeLittleShopofHorrors,buthavinganintelligentlychosenhouseplantortwocanreallydowonders.

TaketheEnglishIvyforexample.NASAlisteditasthenumberoneair-filteringhouseplant. It has an unmatched ability to absorb formaldehyde (a knownneurotoxin),whichmostofusareexposedtoinourhighlyindustrializedworldtoday.It’sincrediblyeasytogrowandit’sadaptable.Youcanhaveitasahangingorafloorplant,anditrequiresmoderatetemperaturesandmediumsunlight.

Another great plant for your sleep sanctuary is the perennial Snake Plant. Itdoesn’trequiremuchlightorwatertothrive.What’smostimpressiveaboutitisthatitabsorbscarbondioxideandreleasesoxygenduringthenight(whilemostplantsdothisduringtheday),soit’stheperfectplanttokeepinyourbedroomforanairqualityboost.

Not to be negated, the sight and smell of certain plants also having calmingeffects on the human body. Take the viney plant, Jasmine, for example.According toastudyby theWheelingJesuitUniversity, Jasminehasapositiveeffect on the quality of sleep one gets, decreasing anxiety and improving theattitude one has after waking up. The smell of Jasminewasn’t found tomakepeople sleep more, but instead, improve the quality of sleep byreducing interruptions innormalsleeppatterns.ThoughJasminehasn’tbeenatraditionalhouseplant,it’snowstartingtogrowinpopularity.Additionally,theessentialoilsofJasmineandotherplantshavebeenshowntohavemanyofthesamepositiveeffects;justsomethingtoconsider.

Whetherit’splants,thesoothingsoundofwater,orimprovingtheairquality,dowhateverittakesforyoutofeelrelaxedandcomfortableinyoursleepsanctuary.Make your bedroom a sacred place where peace, calm, and relaxation areoverflowing.Whenyouwalkintoasleepsanctuary,it’llbeeasytopeacefullydriftofftoyourdreams.

SleepSanctuaryPowerTip#1Getat leastonehouseplant to improve theairquality inyourhomeandgo from there. If youdon’thaveagreen thumband canbarelytakecareofyourownpersonalgrooming(letaloneaplant),thengeta really low-maintenance plant, please. The pros of having ahouseplant are simply too good to pass up; justmake sure that it’ssomething that suitsyouandnotanadditional stressor. If youdon’thaveagoodresourceforhouseplants,simplycheckoutAmazon.comformanyofthemostpopularvarieties.

SleepSanctuaryPowerTip#2Ifyoushareasleepingspacewithsomeoneelse,makeanagreementwith them to keep officework out of the bedroom. This is a sacredspace for the both of you, and usually it just takes a heart-to-heartconversation tomake sure that everyone is on the same page. Thebiggest person to hold to the agreement is yourself, so have thedisciplinetokeepyourbedreservedforsleepandwhat’scomingupinChapter9.

This is theotherprimary thing that thebedroomshouldbeused for (as ifyoudidn’t know). Having an orgasm can be like a full-on sedative for mostpeople. Research shows that during orgasm, both women and men release acocktail of chemicals, including norepinephrine, serotonin, oxytocin,vasopressin,andthepituitaryhormoneprolactin.

Oxytocin,forexample,triggersacascadeofbodilyeventsincludingthereleaseofother feel-good hormones called endorphins. This rush of endorphins andrelaxing hormoneswhen you release can be just the thing to set you up for agreatnight’ssleep.

But, the proof is in the pudding, right? Even though most of us know thatorgasmcaninducesleep,arepeopleactuallyusingthistotheiradvantage?

Firstoffall,keep inmindthatyoudon’tneedanyoneelse todothis(sosinglepeople,don’tbeworried.)But,ifyoudohavealoverinyourlife,thendon’thold

backbecausetheeffectscanreallybenefitthebothofyou.

It’swell established thatabigcomponentof insomnia is stress. Ifyou’re reallystressedout,itcanmakeitmoredifficulttofallasleep.Well,intheyear2000,astudywasconductedwith2,632womenandfoundthat39percentofthosewhomasturbate reported that they do it in order to relax. Serotonin and oxytocinreleasedduringorgasmaretwobuilt-in,naturalstressreducers.

Withasexualpartner,itwasfoundthatmenproducedfourtimesmoreprolactinwhenhaving anorgasm through intercoursewhen compared tomasturbation.Prolactin is a hormone that’s linked to sexual satisfaction, and it’s alsoheavilyrelated to sleep. Studies show that prolactin levels are naturally higher duringsleep,andanimalsinjectedwiththechemicalbecometiredimmediately.

Studies clearly demonstrate that plasma prolactin concentrations aresubstantially increased for over an hour following orgasm for both men andwomen.Withthatsaid,wecanfinallyunderstandwhysexissometimesreferredtoas“sleeping”withsomeone.

Sexandorgasmhavemanybenefitsthatgofarbeyondtherealmofsleep.Fromboosting the immunesystem, to fightingdepression, toactuallyhelpingyoutolive a longer life.Our ability to have and give orgasms is tightly linked to ourhealthandwell-being.

And just to be clear again onwhy this is so effective, the brain is actually thelargestsexorganbecauseofthevitalroleitplaysinsexualarousal(whoeversaidsize doesn’t matter?). Cultivating your brain-body connection is critical to afulfillingsexlifeandgettingthebestsleepever.

Beresponsible,havefun,andenjoythebenefitsthatthebig“O”canhaveinyourlife.

TheBig“O”PowerTip#1

Inallhonesty,communicationiskeyinthisarea.Everyoneisdifferent,andwhatsatisfiesonepersonmightnotdoathingforanother.Findoutwhat your lover likes and findoutwhat you like. Share this infowiththembecausebeingaclairvoyantisnotonmostofourrésumés.

Sharewithyourpartnerwhatturnsyouon,andwhattakesyouoverthetop.Ipromiseyouthatthisdatawillbevaluabletoyouboth.

TheBig“O”PowerTip#2

Get physical. An obvious aspect of sex’s impact on sleep is thephysicalexertioninvolved.Whenyouputinsomeworkbumpin’andgrindin’, you’ll naturally feelmore fatigued after the session is over.Youdon’thavetojustlaytheremostofthetimeallvanilla-ice-creamstyle.Movearound,getinvolved,andputyourbackintoit.Lyingbackandreceivingissuperfineaswell,butifyouwanttoearnyoursleepblackbeltthenyou’vegottoputsomeworkintoo.

It’s a well-established fact that we sleep better in a dark environment; yet, somanypeoplearen’ttakingfulladvantageofthis.

Having light sources of any type in your bedroom can disrupt your sleeppatterns.And,evenusinganeyemaskisnotgoingtobe100percenteffectiveformostpeople.

Didyouknowthatyourskinactuallyhasreceptorsthatcanpickuplight?Thesephotoreceptors are similar to those found in your retina, so your skin canliterallysee.ResearchersatBrownUniversitydiscoveredthatskincellsalsomakerhodopsin,a light-sensitivechemical foundintheretina.If there’s light inyourbedroom, your body is picking it up and sendingmessages to your brain andorgansthatcaninterferewithyoursleep.

Sleepingintotaldarknessissosignificantthatnighttimelighthasbeendubbed“lightpollution.”Lightpollutionreferstoanyadverseeffectsfromartificiallight.

Humans (and most other organisms for that matter) evolved to adjust topredictable light and dark phases to set their circadian clocks. Once artificiallight became the societal norm, it effectively changed the length of our days.Today,theaverageperson’ssleephasdecreasedfromaroundninehourstoaboutseven,andithasn’tbeenaprettytransitioneither.

Oneofthemostdevastatingimpactsofthislightpollutionistheconfirmedeffectonmelatoninproduction.Studiesshowthatexposuretoroomlightduringusualhoursofsleepsuppressesmelatonin levelsbymorethan50percent.That’snotgood!

Melatoninhasbeenprovento:

Improveimmunesystemfunction

Normalizebloodpressure

Reduce the proliferation of cancer cells and tumor growth (includingleukemia)

EnhanceDNAprotectionandfreeradicalscavenging

Decreaseriskofosteoporosis

Decrease risk of plaques in the brain (like those seen with Alzheimer’sdisease)

Alleviatemigrainesandotherpain

Improvethyroidfunction

Improveinsulinsensitivityandweightreduction

Melatonin is like the Bo Jackson of hormones. If it has something to dowithhealth,melatonin‘knows’howtohelp.

Notgettingenoughsleep,andnotsleeping indarkness,willageyoufasterandsuckawayyourvitality.So,withall thenew-founddata toback itup, thebestsolutionforimprovingyoursleepistogetyourroomblackedout.

NightLightFightPurchase someof the nowpopular “blackout” curtains that are available frommostretailers.And,getanyothersourcesofnon-stoplightoutofyourroomtoo.Do these two things tonight, and I promise you that you’ll thank me for ittomorrow. Sleep experts suggest that your roombe so dark that you can’t seeyourhandinfrontofyourface.Igrewupwithnightlights,sothiswasareallybigstepformeaswell.

Speakingofnightlights,researchersfromtheScheieEyeInstituteatPennsylvaniaUniversity discovered that even a simple nightlight could cause myopia inchildren and lead to significant vision problems later in life. In the study, 479childrenundertheageoftwowereputintooneofthreecategories:Sleepsina)totaldarknessb)withanightlightonorc)witharoomlighton.Theresultswereshocking.

Theresearchersfoundthat10percentofchildrenwhosleptinthedarkendedupbeingshort-sighted,while34percentofthechildrenwhosleptwithanightlightand55percentof thechildrenwhoslept ina lightenedroomdevelopedshort-sightedness. Though the study didn’t account for every variable possible, it’sdefinitely something toconsider.This isn’t just important forus, asadults, it’salsoimportantifyouhavechildrenandgrandchildrenaswell.

Sleepingintotaldarknessissomethingthatourgenesexpectustodo.Todayit’snotuncommontohavelightsofsometypebeaminginyourroomallnightlong.Becauseyoucan’tcontroltheworldoutside,youneedtotakefullcontroloftheworldinyourhome.NewheadlightsandstreetlampsthatuseLEDsemitsomeofthemostsleepzappinglightspectrumsofall.Thisiswhygettingsomeblackoutshadesissosignificant.

Takeactiontoturnyourbedroomintoanice,cozysleepcave.Personally,thisistheonethingthatinstantlyhadabeneficialimpactonmysleep.Iblackedoutmybedroomandhavebeengettingthebestsleepofmylifeeversince.

GetItBlackedOutPowerTip#1Youdon’t justwanttoblockoutthe light fromoutside,youwanttoeliminatethetroublesomelightinsideyourbedroomtoo.Oneofthebiggest culprits is that angry alarm clock staring at you. The alarmclockswiththewhiteorbluedigitsaremoredisruptivethanoneswithreddigits.Youcanstartbysimplycoveringthealarmclockupasonetactic.Butpersonally, IhaveadigitalalarmclockmadebySonythathasadimmeradjustmentthatallowsmetoturntheclocklightallthewayoff.Covertheclockuporgetabetterclock,eitherwayyou’llbedoingyourselfafavor.

GetItBlackedOutPowerTip#2Onceyouhaveyourblackoutcurtains,youmayfindthatthereisstillsome light that sneaks in over the top. You can simply roll up ablanketortoweltocoverupthatarea.Dr.EricMercolarecommendsthat,evenduringthemiddaysun,yourroomwillbepitchblackwhenyougointhere.Thereshouldn’tbeanylightsneakinginthereunlessyouwantitto.Gettingridofthelightpollutioninyourbedroomisahuge key to getting the most peaceful and rejuvenating sleeppossible.

Exerciseisoftenconsideredavirtualfountainofyouthifusedintherightway.Muscle,forexample,isareservoirforanti-aginghormonesthathelptoprotectyourDNAfromoxidation.Theresearchshowsthatyoucanstayyounger,longerifyouhavemoreleanmuscleonyourbody.

Howdoesexerciserelate tosleep?Well, the twogo together likepeanutbutterand jelly. You actually don’t get in shape at the gym while you’re exercising.You’re literally tearing down your body while working out, increasinginflammatorybiomarkersandcreatingthousandsofmicro-tearsinyourmusclefibers.Whenyou leave thegym,you’reactually inworseshape thanwhenyoucamein.

Thesecretisthatyourbodytransformsfromyourworkoutwhileyou’reasleep.Thisiswhenyourbodyreleasesallofthebeneficialhormonesandelicitsrepairprograms to build you up better than before. You just exposed yourself to a

significanthealthy stressorwithaworkout,butyouonlyget the reward if youproperlyrestandrecover.

Thebigissueformanypeopleisthattheyareturningthishealthystressorintoanunhealthystressor.Addexercisetothealreadybiglistofworkissues,familyissues, unpaid bills, poor diet, mental and emotional struggles, etc., and thiscreateswhat’sknownasyouroverallstressload.

Yourstressloadisthecompilationofstressinyourlife.Stressdoesn’thavetobebad,butwhenyouputyourselfundertoomuchyoucanbreakdown.

Exercisecanbeamazing foryou.Asamatterof fact, it’s essential tobeing thehealthiestversionofyourself.Yougetsomanypositivebenefitsfromimprovinginsulin sensitivity, to boosting healthy hormone function, to enhancing yourmetabolism.But,whenit’splacedontopofanalreadyoverwhelmingstressload,itcanleadtosomesignificantproblems.

It’snotsomuchtheexerciseitself,butthewhenandhowtheexerciseisdone.Tooptimizeyoursleep(andthus,optimizeyourresultsfromexercise)you’vegottoutilizeafewprincipleswhenitcomestoworkingout.

NightTimeisNottheRightTimeArecentstudyatAppalachianStateUniversityfoundthatmorningworkoutsareideal if you want to get the best sleep at night. Researchers tracked the sleeppatternsofparticipantswhoworkedoutatthreedifferenttimes:7a.m.,1p.m.,or7p.m.

Whattheydiscoveredwasthatpeoplewhoexercisedat7a.m.slept longerandhad a deeper sleep cycle than the other two groups. In fact, the morningexercisershadupto75percentmoretimeinthereparative“deepsleep”stageatnight.This is so impressive,andahuge leveragepoint ifyou’re interested inalongerlifeandabetterbody.

This may be counterintuitive for people who believe that you can fall asleepfasteraftergoingthroughatoughworkout.Oneofthebigissueswithworkingoutlateintheeveningisthatitsignificantlyraisesyourcorebodytemperature,and it can takeupwardsof five to sixhours for it to comedownagain.Aswe

discussed in Chapter 5, your body goes through a process calledthermoregulation to lower your core temperature to create the optimalenvironment for sleep. By artificially raising your core temperature with aworkout too close to bedtime, you can prevent yourself from getting the bestsleeppossible.

But,noneed tobeworried ifyouchoose toworkout later in theday. It’sbeenfound thatwhen your core temperature comes down after exercise, it actuallygoes a little bit lower than it normally would. So, if you time things upintelligently,thiscanbemoneywhenitcomestogettingthebestsleep.

Exercising in the late afternoon/early evening is a great idea from athermoregulationperspective.Ifyouworkoutat4:30p.m.,forexample,itcansetyou up nicely to hit the hay at 10:00 p.m.The stress hormones secreted fromyour workout have subsided, your parasympathetic nervous system (the “restanddigest” system)hashad time to take over, and your core temperaturehasdroppeddowntosettheoptimalinternalenvironmentforsleepytime.

If you had to pick a time, morning is the best when it comes to sleep, earlyeveningcanprovide somebenefit (if you time things right), andsmack-dab inthe afternoon showed little to no benefit at all. Exercise and movement isimportantnomatterwhenyoudoit,butwehavenaturalhormonalcyclesthatweneedtohonorifwe’regoingtogetthemostfromit.

As you can see from theprevious chart,wehave a big spike of cortisol in theearlymorningthatisforthesolepurposeofusdoingactivity.Itgraduallydropsduring the day and bottoms out when it’s our natural time to get to sleep.Workingoutat1o’clock in themorning iscute foraFacebookstatus toshowyourdedication,butit’splumdumbwhenitcomestoprotectingyourmindandbodyfromthedeleteriouseffectsofstress.

And,it’snotjustaboutstayinguplateandworkingoutintheevening,it’salsofoolish to interrupt your sleep to get up at 3 a.m. to go trudge along on thetreadmill.Yournaturalhormonecyclesarenotdesignedtobeupatthosehoursgoinghardinthegym.Takefulladvantageofthisknowledgeandstructureyourlife inawaythatyouexerciseatthebesttimetohavethebodyandhealthyoudeserve.Youhavemorepowerinthisthanyouthink.Remember,wearenotjustproductsofourenvironment;wearecreatorsofourenvironment!

InsaneintheMembraneIhadaclientafewyearsbackthatmovedherefromFrancetogotocollege.Hecametoworkwithmeinthegymandhadsomeveryspecificphysicalgoalsthathewantedtoaccomplish.Afterdoingananalysis,Ifoundoutthathehadbeensufferingfromasleepingdisorderforabouteightyears.Hetypicallydidn’tsleepmorethanfourhoursanight,andhewasdiagnosedwithclinicalinsomnia.

Icantellyou,itwaswrittenalloverhisfaceandbody.Isaidtohim,“Icankickyourbuttalldayinthegym,butyou’llnevergetthebodyyouwantuntilyougetthis sleepcomponent inorder.”Hewas reluctant to focuson itbecause ithadbeensodifficultforhiminthepast,butheagreedtotryafewofmysuggestions,andtherest,astheFrenchsay,was“historie.”

Instead of the long-duration cardio he used to do, I banned him from cardiotemporarily.Wefocusedonheavy,superset-stylestrengthtraining.Hisworkoutswereshort,butintense,andwithindayseverythingchanged.

Hecameintoseemeaboutaweekafterhestartedtrainingwithmeandsaid,“Idon’tknowwhatyoudid,butIsleptlikeabay-be.”(remember,itwasaFrenchaccent).Thiswasquitetransformativeforhim,andhislifewaschangedforever.

Numberone,Imadesurethathedidn’ttrainafter5p.m.(we’llcallthatCaptainObvious). Number two, I made sure that he avoided long-duration catabolicexercisethatcouldpotentiallyoverloadhisendocrineandnervoussystems.

Conventionalmoderatepacejoggingisthemotherofalllong-durationcatabolicexercise. You’re keeping your sympathetic nervous system firing continuouslyforthe30minutesorsothatyou’rejogging,plusallofthestresshormonesyousecretedon’tgetachancetobebrokendownandeliminated—theybuildupinyourbodylikeaballoonbeingfilledwithtoomuchwater.

Can running be good for you?Absolutely. But, it comeswith some importantcaveats.We’vebeenmislead tobelieve that “cardio” in the formof jogging forlongtimeperiodsistheidealwaytolosefat.Therealityisthatnothingcouldbefurtherfromthetruth.Runningforlongdistancescanradicallyincreasemusclelossthroughaprocesscalledgluconeogenesis.Muscleisyourbody’sfat-burning

machinery, and if you lose it by running too much, you will depress yourmetabolismandfindthat ifyoudon’tkeeprunningyou’llstartgettingfatveryquickly.YouandForrestGumpcankeeponrunning,butI’mgoingtogoaheadandsitthisoneout.Bottomline,youdon’tneedtorunforlongtimeperiodstolosefat.Thinkingthatislikethinkingunicornsexist.

Thebiggestcaveatisthatyoushoulddolongdistancerunningonlyifyoutrulylove it. If the purpose of your running is not for fat loss, but instead, it’smeditativeandsomethingthatyoujustenjoy,thengoforit!Justbeawareandbesmartaboutit,andmakesurethatyoudosomeoftheotherstuffyou’reabouttolearn.

QualityoverQuantityTo get the best hormonal response, you need to lift heavy weights. This willtriggeryourbodytosecretemoreanabolichormonesthatwillenableyoutofeelbetter,lookbetter,andsleepbetter.

Mostmen have no issues with this, butmany women still have the idea thatliftingheavyweightswillmakethem“bulky.”Therealityisthatmostmenwholiftweights likecrazy struggle toputonsize (and theyhavebettergenetics forit!).So,unlessyou’retakingasteroidcocktailandeatinglikeit’syourfull-timejob,youdon’thavetoworryatallaboutgettingbulky.

Asamatteroffact,ifyouloseweightthroughthetraditionalwayofdietingandcardio,you’llsimplybeabletogofromanappleshapetoasmallerappleshape.By lifting weights you can actually change your body’s composition, andpotentiallygofromanappleshapetoanhourglassshape.Liftingweightsenablesyou to express your truegeneticpotential.Yourgenes expect you to liftheavythings,andwhenyoudothatyourbodychangesaccordingly.

Bottomline,liftingweightsdoesn’tmakeyoubig,eatingalargeamountoffoodmakes you big. Lifting weights won’t make you big and bulky, chocolatecroissantswillmakeyoubigandbulky(I’mstillinmyFrenchstateofmindrightnow).

Tooptimizemy former insomniacclient’s sleep, Ihadhim liftweights for justthree 30-minute sessions perweek.He dropped body fat, improved his healthbiomarkers,andmostimportantlygotthesleephereallyrequired.

TrainSmartPowerTip#1Takeoutascheduleandblockoffspecificappointmenttimesforyoutoworkoutusingtheinfoabove.Youcansetatimeforthemorningorevening,justensurethatyou’regivingyourselfthebestadvantageforgettinggreatsleep.Ifyou’rereallyseriousaboutbeingthehealthiestpersonyoucanbe,you’llsetyourpersonalexerciseappointmenttimefirst,andthenscheduleeverythingelsearoundit.

TrainSmartPowerTip#2Makesurethatyou’reliftingweightsatleasttwodaysperweek.Focuson compound lifts like back squats, deadlifts, dumbbell presses,overheadpresses,rows,andpull-downs.Therearenumerousstep-by-stepprotocolsindifferentprogramsIcreate,includingthefreeWaistReduction Quick Start Plan (visit www.QuickStartPlan.com). You willgetaccesstosomeexercisebasics,andI’llbeabletosendyoumoreadvanced strategies as you progress. You’ll also receive training onhow to lineupyournutritionand supplementation (like caffeine) toacceleratefatlossfromyourworkouts.

Even though theprogram isamazing,a littleplanningandcommonsenseherewilldo just fine. Ifyouhaveahistoryofsleepproblems, Irecommendshort“Superset”trainingsessionsthatlastnolongerthan30minutes.Youcandothisbypairingtwoexercisestogetherfornon-competingmuscle groups.We’ll use legs and chest in this example.Dosixtotenrepsofweightedsquatsfollowedimmediatelybysixtotenrepsof inclinepress.Restuntil fully recovered (upwardsof threeminutes) then repeat the Superset again. You can switch up theexercisesandresttime,butthebasicformatremainsthesame.Thisisgreat for fat lossand optimizing your hormones for a better night’ssleep.

Cell phones, televisions, desktops, laptops, iPads, Kindles, tablets, and more.ManypeoplehaveturnedtheirbedroomsintominiatureBestBuylocations.Butwhatarethehealthrisksassociatedwiththis?And,whatintheworldisitdoingtooursleep?

Astudysponsoredbymobilecompaniesthemselvesfoundthatusingcellphonesbefore bed caused people to take longer to reach critical deep stages of sleepandtheyspentlesstimeindeepsleep.Thistranslatestoadiminishedabilityforthebodytoheal,depressedimmunefunction,depressedhormonefunction,andpoorerperformancethefollowingday.

Themostalarmingpartisthatatleast50percentofAmericanssleepwiththeircellphonesrightbytheirside.Manypeoplewilladmittocheckingmessagealertsinthemiddleofthenight(andneedlesslydisruptingtheirsleeppatterns).Plus,manymorewilladmitthatthefirstthingtheydoisreachfortheircellphoneas

soonastheywakeupeachday.

Ourattentionisenormouslyvaluable,andhowyoubeginandendyourdayhasahuge impact on the results in your life. Starting the day checking emails andmessagesonyourphoneimmediatelyputsothersprioritiesaheadofyours.Youstart thedayaddressingotherpeople’sneeds insteadof taking time tocare foryourselfphysicallyandgettingfocusedonyourowngoalsfortheday.Youare,inessence, saying, “I know I have things that Iwant to accomplish, but IwouldmuchrathertrytotakecareofthemlastwhenI’mstressedout,outoftime,andoutofenergy.”

Endingyourdaybykissingyourcellphonegoodnightandlayingitbyyoursideisanothersurefirewaytosetyourselfupforfailure.Yourthoughtsarelingeringonyourlastinteractiononyourphoneandnotyourgoals.AndaswediscussedinChapter3,thespectrumoflightemittedfromyourcellphonescreentriggersyour brain to secretemore “daytimehormones”whichdelays and reduces thesecretionofthesleepytimehormonemelatonin.

CookingUpCancerWealreadycoveredsomepowerfulreasonstokeepyourcellphoneoutofyourbedroom,but the issuesgo fardeeper than that.OurappliancesandelectronicdevicesemitbothelectricandmagneticfieldsknownasEMFs.Electricfieldsareeasilyblockedbywallsandotherobjects,butmagnetic fieldscanpass throughwalls,buildings,andthehumanbodywithease.EMFshavebeenfoundtocausedisruptionincommunicationbetweenthecellsinourbodies.

Takealookatthesetwowordsandtellmewhatthedifferenceis:

EAT

FAT

Ifyou’vegotakeeneye,you’llnoticethattheonlydifferenceistheonelineatthebottomofthe“E.”Oneline,onepieceofdata,causedanentirelydifferentendresult. Cellular communication within the body is just like this. If the wrong

information is communicated amongst the upwards of 100 trillion cells youhave, autoimmune diseases can manifest, hormones can be thrown out-of-whack,andevencancercellscanshowtheiruglyfaces.

EMFsfromourcommonelectronicfriendshavebeenlinkedtoleukemia,braintumors,andbreastcancer,alongwithseveralotherseriousissues.So,whataboutcellphoneEMFs?

The World Health Organization has now classified cell phone radiation as aClassBcarcinogen.

Dr. Siegal Sadetzki testified at a U.S. Senate hearing that cell phones wereidentifiedasacontributortosalivaryglandtumors.Thereportstatesthatyourriskofgettingaparotid tumoron the samesideofyourhead thatyouuse forlisteningtothecellphoneincreasesby:

34 percent if you are a regular cell phone user and have used a mobilephoneforfiveyears.

58percentifyouhadmorethanabout5,500callsinyourlifetime.

49 percent if you have spoken on the phone for more than 266.3 hoursduringyourlifetime.

Stillnotconvincedyet?

The resultson childrenare farworse.Unfortunately, childrenand teens are atgreatest risk, both for parotid gland tumors and brain tumors, because theirthinnerskullbonesallowforgreaterpenetrationofcellphoneradiation.

The radiation can deeply impact tissues all the way to their midbrain, wheretumorsaremorefatal.Additionally,children’scellsreproducefaster, so they’remore susceptible to aggressive cell growth.Thebiggest issue today is that kidsface longer lifetimeexposure. Iremembera timeveryclearlywhencellphonesdidn’texist,whereascountlesspeoplealivetodaywerebornintothewidespreaduse of cell phones.According to Professor LennartHardell of Sweden, peoplewho begin using cell phones heavily as teenagers have four to five timesmorebraincancerasyoungadults.

Moralofthestoryhere:Don’tkeepcellphonesaroundyourbodyneedlessly,andcommunicatethistotheyoungpeople inyour lifeaswell.And,knowingtheseeffects,whyintheworldwouldyousleepwithyourcellphonenearyouallnightlong?

People hang on to their phones and electronic devices like they are their bestfriends in theworld.Theyact like they’regoingto falloutanddie if theydon’thavetheircellphonewithintextingdistance.

Trustme,you’lllive…andifyoudon’tpayattentiontothis,alltherestofyouryearsarenotgoing tobevery fun.Get theelectronicsoutofyourbedroom!Ifsleepis importanttoyou,thenyou’lldothis.Ifbeinghealthyandnothavingachronicdiseaseis importanttoyou,thenyou’lldothis.Television, laptops,cellphones,allofthesethingsarekickingoutradiationthatisdisruptingyoursleep.Have your entertainment in the entertainment area of your home. Keep yourbedroomreservedforsleepandsex.

Numerous studieshaveconfirmed thatwatching televisionbeforebeddisruptsyoursleepcycle.ItmightseemlikeamundaneactivitytositbackandwatchTVin your bed, but parts of your brain are being set off like fireworks. You’reactually putting a stressor on your brain and body, especially if it’s time to bewindingdownforbed.

Data shows that children with televisions in their bedrooms score lower onschool tests and aremore likely to have sleep problems.And, to top it all off,havingaTVinthebedroomisassociatedwithagreaterriskofobesity.

Whataboutformamaandpapa?CoupleswhokeepaTVintheirbedroomhavesex half as often as thosewhodon’t (This is the part of the bookwhere somepeoplesmackthemselvesthengoandgetthetelevisionoutoftheirbedroom).

Moreandbettersexshouldbereasonenoughformostpeople.I’llbetthatafterthe world discovers this data, you’ll be shocked if you see a television in abedroomfromthenon.You’llwalkintosomeone’sbedroom,seeaTV,thenputyourhandoveryourchestasyougaspandsay,“Really?PeoplestillwatchTVinbed...?Really?”

Having these electronics inyourbedroom is likea first-degreeassaultonyour

sleep. Take action on this now, out of respect for your body, and get thosegadgetsoutofyourbedroom.Stacktheconditionsinyourfavortoensurethatyou’recreatinganenvironmenttogetthesleepyoudeserve.

FriendsOutPowerTip#1ManypeopleusetheirphoneasaSwissArmyKnifetoreplacealotofotherusefuldevices.Oneofthoseusefuldevicesisanalarmclock.Toavoid this seduction of keeping it near your bedside, simply takeactiontouseanalternativealarmclock.YoucanusethealarmclockIrecommended inChapter10,with the full shut-offdimmer, youcanuseatraditionalbuzzeralarmclock,oryoucanevenusearoosterforallIcare.Juststopusingyourcellphoneifyoudon’thaveto.

FriendsOutPowerTip#2The importance of communication in a relationship has becomecliché. Yet, the reality of the situation is that communication is thebasis forany successfulunion. If youwant toget theTVoutof yourbedroom and you are worried that your partner won’t want to goalongwithit,simplyhaveacompassionateheart-to-heartwiththem.Explainwhythisisimportanttoyou,andaskthemifthey’dbewillingtoworkwithyouonthisbecauseyourespectthemandwantthemtobehappyaswell.You’llprobablybesurprisedwhatalittleextraloveandcommunicationcando (plusgive themacopyof thisbookasabackup).

FriendsOutPowerTip#3Iknow itmightsoundcrazy,buteverythingwillbeokay ifyoukeepyourphoneinanotherroomwhileyousleep.It’s99.999percentlikelythat you won’t miss anything important. But, you will radicallyimprove your sleep quality if you’re not allowing your cell phone’snotificationsandradiationtodisruptyourvaluablesleep.Goonacellphonefreetestdrive.Justgiveitashotforoneweek,andiftheworldendswhileyou’resleepingpeacefullyduringthatperiod,I’lltrytocallyouthenextdayandletyouknow.

One of the most overlooked problems with getting great sleep is having toomuch body fat on your frame. Being overweight causes severe stress to yourinternal organs, yournervous system, anddisrupts your endocrine system likefewthingscan.

Your endocrine system (aka your body’s hormonal system) is responsible forproducing hormones like melatonin, serotonin, and cortisol that we’ve talkedaboutinrelationtosleep.

Let’stakealookattheimpactthatbeingoverweighthasoncortisolforexample.Research presented by Deakin University in Australia showed that afterconsumingameal,overweightindividualssecretedradicallyhigherlevelsofthestress hormone cortisol. People with a healthy weight showed a five percentincrease in cortisol levels after consuming a meal, while cortisol levels ofoverweight and obese individuals increased by a whopping 51 percent! These

highcortisollevelstranslatetohigherbloodsugar,lowerinsulinsensitivity,andincreasedlevelsofinflammation.

Thebiggestissueisthatcortisolisasclosetoananti-sleephormoneasyoucanget.Havinghigher levelsof thesestresshormones inyourbodywill inherentlydamagenormalfunction,nomatterwhattimeofdaythemealiseaten.Toknowthateachtimeyoueatamealthatyourstresshormonesareshootingthroughtheroof is scary. This is one of themost important reasons to get theweight off,becauseit’skillingyousoftlylikethatoldFugeessong.

Oneofthemoreobviousissuesthatbeingoverweightcanhaveonsleepqualityis sleep apnea. The term sleep apnea refers to a sleepdisorder characterized by pauses in breathing or infrequent breathingduringsleep.Eachpauseinbreathing,calledanapnea,canlastfromatleasttensecondstoseveralminutes,andcanoccurfromfivetothirtytimesormoreanhour.Basically,youstopbreathing,andthatresultsinabnormalbloodpressure,depressedbrainfunction,anddozensofotherproblems.

MargaretMoline,PhDstatesthat,“Asthepersongainsweight,especiallyinthetrunk and neck area, the risk of sleep-disordered breathing increases due tocompromisedrespiratoryfunction.”Currently,18millionAmericanshavesleepapneaandseveralmillionmorehavesevereorganstressandbreathingproblemsduetotheexcessweightthey’recarryingaround.

OneofthecommontreatmentsforsleepapneaistohookyourselftoanassistedbreathingmachineknownasaCPAPwhenyougetintobed.ItbasicallymakesyoulooklikeBanefromTheDarkNightRises.Coolifyou’reintothatlook,butitwilllikelyhaveanegativeimpactonyourlovelife.

Therealsolutionistonottreatthesymptom,butaddresstheunderlyingcauseofmostsleepapneainthefirstplace.Getthatexcessweightoffyourframe!Whenwe talkaboutweight loss,we’re talkingaboutan issue thatplaguesmillionsofpeople worldwide each year. Good people, smart people, truly determinedpeople, itdoesn’tmatter.Ifyougiveadeterminedpersonthewrongmap,theywillinherentlyendupatthewrongdestination.

That’swhatI’vefoundtobethebiggestproblemwhenitcomestoweightloss.A

serious lackofhonest, safe, andeffective information.Youhave tounderstandthat the weight-loss industry is a multi-billion dollar industry, and it doesn’tworkwelliftherearen’tlotsofpeoplestrugglingandpumpingoutcash.

Byusingthosebackwardsmethodstaughtbymosthealthgurus,themajorityofpeoplelosetheweightandthentheyproceedtofinditagain.Theyworksohardtoget the results theywant, theneventuallyput theweightbackon, andoftentimesalittlebitmorethantheystartedwith.Ifthisisyourstory,thenit’stimenowtostepupandstoplettingthishappentoyou.

I’m about tomake this so easy that chances are you’ll take it for granted. I’vehelpedpeople lose thousandsofpounds collectivelyand keep it off long-term.WhatI’mgoingtosharewithyouworks.But,you’vegottomakethedecisiontoimplementit.

TheLowDownIfyou’re focusingoncuttingcalories to loseweight, thenyoumightaswellgoandbuyyourselfsomelarger-sizeclothesrightnow.Researchshowsthatupto70percentoftheweightyoulosethroughtraditionalcalorierestrictioniscomingfromalossofyourleanmuscletissue.AsmentionedinChapter11,yourmuscleisyourbody’s fatburningmachinery, and if you lose it throughdieting, you’lldepressyourmetabolism,andsetyourselfupforlong-termweightgain.

Theproblemisthatpeoplearethinkingintermsofweightlossinsteadofbody-fatloss.Youdon’twantto loseweight.Youwantto lose fat.Whenitcomestothis, it’s all about the hormones. You’ve got to incite your body to secretehormonesthatusestoredbodyfatforfuel,andit’sreallyassimpleasthat.

Sohowdowemakethishappen?

The first thing tounderstand is that youare eitherburning fator storing fat...there is no in between (Sounds very Zen doesn’t it?). If you’re activatinghormonesthatstorefatallthetime,thenyou’reautomaticallythrowingyourselfoutofthegame,evenifyou’recarefullycountingyourcalories.

Yourbody’smajor fat-storinghormone is insulin.Youmay thinkof itonly inregardstodiabetes,butit’soneofthemostimportanthormonestoyoursurvival(anditcanmakeyouveryfatifyoudon’tknowhowtoturnitoff).

Now comes the easy part. The number one thing that insulin reacts to iscarbohydrates.Thisincludesallstarcheslikebread,pasta,andpotatoes,refinedsugarproductslikecakes,candy,andsoda,andevenhealthiercarbohydrateslikefreshfruit.Toyourbody, itdoesn’tmatter.Thesecarbscomeinand insulin isturningon.

Toshiftyourbodyintomoreofafat-burningstate,youneedtoputmoreofyourfocus on the other two macronutrient groups: protein and fat. A studypublishedintheJournalofNutritionshowedthatincreasingproteinintakeledtoenhanced weight loss and improved blood fat levels. And a study in theNewEngland Journal of Medicine split 132 people (many of which had metabolicsyndromeor type2diabetes) into either a low-carbgroupor a low-dietary fat

groupforsixmonths.The low-carbgroup lostanaverageof12.8 lbswhile thelow-fatgrouplostonly4.2lbs.Thelower-carb,higherdietaryfatgroupliterallylostthreetimesasmuchweight!

It’snotabouthavingalow-carbdietnecessarily;it’sabouthavingabetterratioofallthreemacronutrientgroupsforyouandyouruniquemetabolism.Thisseemsprettysimple,right?Sowhyaren’tpeopledoingthis?

Iwasthereonthefrontlines.Iwassittinginthenutritionclassesincollegeandbeing told repeatedly by my professors that we need to eat less fat andmorecarbohydratestobehealthyandmaintainahealthyweight.Youheardthatright.They toldme to havemy clients do the exact opposite thing of what actuallyworks. Side note: my professors were overweight, as are many dietitians whofollowthatadvice. If they’renotoverweight, they’reusuallystrugglingmightilywith it, and keeping their own health and weight issues to themselves. Thepolitical reasonsofwhy theypromote this arenot as important as yougettingthisinformationandusingittoyouradvantagerightnow.

Byeatingahigherratioofproteinandhealthyfatsyou’llenableyourpancreastoproducemoreglucagoninsteadof insulin.Glucagontriggers thebreakdownofstoredfattyacidsforfuel,andisessentialtoutilizeiffatlossisyourgoal.

Iwanttokeepthisonthetopicofsleepasmuchaspossible,soI’mnotgoingtogetintotoomuchmoredetailhere.Ifyou’vehadahistoryofweightproblems,oryousimplywanttobetheleanest,healthiestversionofyourselfpossible,thenIhighly recommendyouheadover and checkout theWaistReductionQuickStart Plan at www.QuickStartPlan.com. From there I'll be able to send youadditional training, completewithnutrition and exercise strategies that canbecateredtoyourindividualneedsasyouprogress.

Weareallunique,andunderstandingthisisoneofthemostcriticalcomponentswhenitcomestowhatworksandwhatdoesn’tforweightloss.Atthesametime,therearestillsomeconsistentthingstopayattentiontoacrosstheboard,becauseifyouarehuman,thentheyareessentialtoyou.

TheMicronutrientSecret

There is somuch talk today about themacronutrients we need to be in greatshapethattheamazingmicronutrientsareoftenoverlooked.Micronutrientsarethings like thevitamins,minerals, traceminerals,phytonutrients,andenzymesthat all enable our body to function at its highest level. Simple mineraldeficiencies like low magnesium can lead to over-eating regardless of yourmacronutrientfocus.

Also,micronutrients are essential to achieving healthy hormone function, andremember, fat loss is all about the hormones! Eatingmicronutrient-rich foodscantriggeryourbodytosecretemoreleptin(thesatietyhormone)tokeepyoubalanced, healthy, and in control.This is the exact opposite ofmost diets thatrestrict calories and advocate the use ofmicronutrient-deficient diet productslikeinstantshakes,bars,andreducedcaloriepre-packagedsnacks.

It doesn’t matter that your pack of “healthy” processed cookies are only 200calories.What is thequalityof thosecalories,andwhatare theydoing toyourhormones?I’lltellyou.They’rebasicallykickingyourhormonesinthegroin.

Wheredoyougetallofthesemicronutrientrichfoods?

Easy:Justeatrealfood!

I told you I was going to make this easy, right? But, how can you know ifsomethingisarealfoodornot?Well,I’veputtogetheraspeciallittlelistforyou.

Here’sasimplelistofthingstohelpyouknowifit’sarealfoodornot:

If you can’t tellwhere it comes from, chances are it’s not real food (i.e. abageldoesn’thaveanyresemblancetoastrandofwheat).

Ifitcomesthroughadrivethoughwindow,chancesareit’snotrealfood.

Iftherearemorethanfourorfiveingredients,chancesareit’snotrealfood.

Ifitevenhastolisttheingredientsonit,chancesareit’snotrealfood.

Ifithasamascotoraspecialtoyforbuyingit,chancesareit’snotrealfood.

Bottomline...togetthebodyyouwanttohave,youhavetogetreconnectedtonatureagain.Yourgenesliterallyexpectyoutoeatcertainthings.Onceyouget

yourselfreprogrammedthroughrealfoodandsmartexercise,there’sliterallynolimittohowgoodthingscanget.

For more on real food recipes and resources, be sure to visit my websitewww.TheShawnStevensonModel.com.

IKnowYouAre,ButWhatAmI?Being overweight or obese is a double-edged sword. Not only does obesitycontributetosleepproblems,butsleepproblemscanalsocontributetoobesity.

A study out of Stanford University showed that when individuals were sleepdeprived they ended up with significantly decreased levels of leptin in theirsystem.Again,leptinisknownasthe“satietyhormone”becauseitplayssuchanimportant role in regulating appetite. Chances are, when you’re tired or sleepdeprived, this is the hardest time to resist the junk food that you know youshouldbeavoiding.

When you’re physically and mentally tired, your brain is looking for extracaloriestokeepeverythingfunctioningatabaselinelevel.Yourbrainknowsthatitcanfindthosecaloriesquicklyandeasilyinchips,cookies,icecream,andotherkiddie foods that yourgrown-upbutt suddenly can’t resist. It’snot an issueofwillpoweranymore, it’s an issueof survivalbecause the storygoesdeeper thanthis...

Researchers discovered that sleep deprivation reduced the “higher order”functionsof thebrain, andcreatedexcessive response in theprimitivepartsofthebrain.BrainimagingscansdoneatUCBerkleyshowedthatsleepdeprivationcausedmorebrainactivity intheamygdala,anareaassociatedwithmotivationto eat. The amygdala is verymuch amore emotional, reactive, survival-basedpartofthebrain.Studyparticipantsthatthesescansweretakenfromdid,infact,makepoorerchoicesinfood.

Tie this togetherwith reducedactivity in the frontal cortex and insular cortex,the parts of the brain associated with evaluation, self-control, and rationaldecision-making.Withthesetwochangesinyourbrainduetosleepdeprivation,you’vegotasurefirerecipeforstruggleandfailure.

Yousee,itisn’talwaysaboutourwillpower.Somanyreallyamazingandstrongpeoplefailatweightlossbecausethey’veunknowinglystackedconditionsagainstthemselves.Bybeing sleepdeprived,your inner incrediblehulkhighjacksyourbrainandyoucan’tresistdoingtheveryactivitythatyoupromisedyourselfnottodo.

Arethepastdietfailuresyourfault?Well,itreallyisn’tafailureuntilyoumakeanexcuse.And,itdoesn’treallymatterifitwasyourfaultifyouwereunaware.But,nowthatyouknowthesecriticalinsightstochangingyourbody,you’vegotto consciously stack the conditions in your favor to make future failuresimpossible.

EveVanCauter,PhD,calledsleepdeprivation“Theroyalroutetoobesity.”Nowunderstanding the fact that sleepdeprivationdecreasesyour insulin sensitivity,disruptsyourhormonalcycles,anddepressedyourbrainfunction,weknowthatherstatementis100percenttrue.It’stimetoputalltheexcusestothesideandgiveyourbody the sleep it requires to finally lose theweight andget thebodyandhealthyoutrulydeserve.

LoseWeightWhileSleepingPowerTip#1Ifyoureallyhavetohavesomethingcloser tobedtime,haveahigh-fat,low-carbsnack.Thiswillensurethatyourbloodsugarstaysstable.Whereas ifyoueatahighercarbsnackbeforebed,yourbloodsugarwill spike, and the impending blood sugar crash can be enough towake you up out of sleep. This is why, in our culture, we have theconceptofwakinguptogeta “midnightsnack.”Buthey, that’swhytheyputalightintherefrigeratorinthefirstplace,right?

Ifyouwanttogettrulyrestfulsleep,oneoftheworstthingsyoucando is eat right before bed (especially if you’re overweight, becausecortisol levels go much higher). Give your body a solid 90 minutes(more isbetter)beforeheadingoff tobedaftereating.Again, this isespecially true if you’re eating carbs, because if you’re asleepwhenhypoglycemiahits, itwill likelywakeyouupandgiveyoudifficultiesfallingbackasleep.

LoseWeightWhileSleepingPowerTip#2Have your firstmeal be an epic one. Start your day off smart.Mostpeopleinourmodernworldhavebeenprogrammedtostarttheirdayby having dessert for breakfast. Oatmeal, toast, pancakes, bagels,cereals, fruit smoothies, and more. You’re starting your day with ahuge insulin spike and setting yourself up for a day of fat-storagebecauseofthis.

Herewe have one of the biggest secrets to long-term fat loss: keepinsulindownthroughthefirstpartofyourday.Themorningistheidealtimetogetinyourrealfood,superfoods,andhealthyfatsupplementsbecauseyou’re rightnext toyourcabinetsathome.Abreakfastofavegetable omelet, sliced avocado topped with kelp granules (a seaveggie that’s great for thyroid function), and some omega-3supplementsisahormonehealthywaytostartyourday.

I’mnotvillainizingallsmoothies,bytheway,butiffatlossisyourgoalyouwanttokeepthefruittoaminimum(eventhoughit’sbetterthanglazeddonuts,it’sstillgoingtospikeinsulinifyou’renotcarefulaboutit). Instead, if you’re going tomake a smoothie, thenmake a greensmoothie with a focus on the green. Load that blender up with aridiculous amount of green leafy vegetables like spinach, someberries,proteinpowder,somecacaopowder(realchocolatepowder),cinnamon,unsweetenedalmondmilk,andmaybehalfasmallbananaorsteviatomakeittastenice.Thegreensandmicronutrientswillhelptokeepthatinsulinresponsetoaminimum.

Even though green smoothies are okay, the best option for mostpeopleistogowithsomeprotein(likeeggs,steak,orsalmon),veggies

(cookedorraw),andsomehealthyfats(likeavocado,coconut,olives,ornutsandseeds).Stophavingbreakfast look likeameal servedbyWilly Wonka. If you want to lose fat, redefine your definition of ahealthy breakfast, and start your body off in a fat-burning state,insteadofafat-storingstate.

Note: Everyone is unique, and uncovering the ideal breakfast andothermealsforyouruniquebodytypeisacenterpieceofwhatIteachthrough my website. The info that I want to share with you aboutnutritionandfat lossinthischaptercantakeupanentirebook,plusweeksofadditionaltraining.That'swhyIcreatedtheWaistReductionQuickStartPlanasastartingpoint,andprovideadditionalsupportforyoualongthewayfromthere.Visitwww.QuickStartPlan.com.

Did youknow that you actually get smarterwhile you sleep?Oneof themostvaluable, and overlooked aspects of sleep, is an operation called memoryprocessing. This is where short-termmemories and experiences get convertedintolong-termmemories.

MemoryprocessingispredominantlyaffectedbydifferentstagesofREMsleep.Studieshaveproventhegoodnewsaboutdrinkingalcohollateintheeveningisthat you do, indeed, fall asleep faster. But, the bad news is that REM sleep issignificantlydisruptedbyalcoholbeinginyoursystem.Youwon’tbeabletofallinto deeper levels of sleep, and your brain and body won’t be able to fullyrejuvenate. This is why people generally don’t feel that great after waking upfromanalcohol-lacedsleep.

Youalreadyknowthistobetrue…that’swhytheword“hangover”hasbecomesopopular inourvocabularytoday.And,ofcourse,you’veseenthemovieThe

Hangover, right? That’s just an extreme case ofwaking up, not knowingwhathappenedthenightbefore(becauseyouscrewedupyourmemoryprocessing),andpossiblyhavinganewtattooonyourface.

Additionally, researchers at Washington University in St. Louis found thatparticipants who had disrupted sleep cycles were more likely to showAlzheimer’sdisease-relatedsignsthansoundsleepers.Thisisanotherblatantcrytonotmistakesleepquantityforsleepquality,andtoavoidthingsthathurtyoursleepandhurtyourbrain.

Ladies’NightThere’s strong evidence that drinking late in the evening is even moreproblematicforwomen.Astudypublishedin2011hadpeopledrinkalcoholinthenameofscience.Drinkswerepassedaroundtomenandwomen,basedontheir weight, and everyone was equally drunk (measured by breath alcoholcontent). The findings showed that female participants woke up more oftenduring thenight, stayed awake longer, and slept for less timeoverall, than themen.This could be significant news if you’re planning on doing shots for thenextladies’nightout.

It’spossiblethatalcoholaffectswomen’ssleepmorebecausewomenmetabolizealcoholfasterthanmen.Essentially,womencanspeedthroughalcohol’ssedativeeffects quicker. If the alcohol is consumed close to bedtime, women can fallasleepfaster,buttheproceedingstagesofsleepwillhaveamuchgreaterchanceof being interrupted. In some cases, this can cause sweating, anxiety, or evennightmares(iftheydohappentogetsomeREMsleep).

Now, this isn’t a get-out-of-jail-free pass for the fellas, nor is this an anti-funstampfortheladies.Drinkinglateatnightaffectseveryoneinsomeway,it’sjustaboutbeingabletonavigatethistogetthesleepwereallyneed.

IGottaGoOneofthemoreobvioussleepinterruptionsfromdrinkingalcoholbeforebedistheuncannyneedtourinate.Gettinguptorelieveyourbladderinterruptsyoursleeppatternbecause,well,you’repeeing.

Every time you wake up from an alcohol-influenced sleep, it can be moredifficulttofallbackintothedeepsleepstagesyouneedtorecover.Bottomline—ifyoudodrinkclosertobedtime,besuretogiveyourselfampletimetogotothebathroombeforeturningin.

Drinking close to bedtime can also exacerbate current health problems thatsomeone is dealing with. Obviously, prostate and bladder problems come tomind,butwhataboutdiagnosedsleepingproblems?

People with sleep apnea need to be careful here. Sleep-disorder specialist, Dr.Reena Mehra, says that alcohol decreases muscle tone in the upper airway,meaning that breathing-related sleep issues are exacerbated after you’ve had acouple of drinks. People dealing with sleep apnea will tend to stop breathingmore frequently and for longer periods of time after drinking. You have toconsider if it’sworth it because your chances of potential life-threatening sideeffectsradicallyincreaseifyoumixacocktailofboozeandsleepapnea.

AswetalkedaboutinChapter13,therealsolutionistogettheexcessweightoffof your frame to reverse the sleep apnea and improve your sleep quality.Drinkingalcoholissynonymouswithbellyfat,soobviouslythiswillnothelpinyourweight-losscampaign.AmI sayingnot togooutandhave funwithyourfriends?Ofcoursenot!But,you’vegot togetyourpriorities inorder,andtakecareofthethingsthataremostimportant,sothatyoucanenjoyyourtimewithyourfriendsandfamilyevenmore.

DrinkingSmartPowerTip#1Wrap itupat least fourhoursbeforehitting thesack. Ifyouwant toplayatahighlevelandstillhangoutwithyourfriendsfordrinks,thenhookupwiththemforhappyhourinsteadofanall-nightbender.

Ifyouwant tobeachampat this rejuvenatingsleep thing,considerhavingaboozecurfewsothatyourbodycanhaveacouplehourstoget it out of your system. The amount you drink, your weight, andyour body fat will play a role in exactly how long that is. There’s agreatalcoholmetabolismratechartandbloodalcohollevelcalculatoratwww.drinkfox.com.

DrinkingSmartPowerTip#2Drinkmore...water,thatis.

Alcoholisassimilatedintoyourbloodveryquickly,inpart,becauseit’sinliquidform.Tohelpnullifytheeffectsofthealcoholfaster,youneedtodrinkmorewater tohelp flushout themetabolicwasteproductsleftbehind.

Alcohol is also a diuretic, meaning it will cause your body to expelmore fluids and increase your likelihood of dehydration. Forevery alcoholic drink you have, your body can eliminate up to fourtimes as much liquid. Dehydration is one of the primary causes ofnauseaandothernon-appealingsymptomsofahangover.

Torecoverfasterandkeepyourbodyhydrated,wineexpertAnthonyGigliorecommendshavingoneeight-ounceglassofwaterwitheveryalcoholicdrinkthatyouhave.Keepingapitcherofwateratyourtabledoesn’t take Jeopardy-level intelligence, but I bet you’ll feel like ageniuswhenyouwakeupthenextdaywithoutahangover.

Itmight seemsurprising toneed to talk about sleepingpositions.Mostpeoplethinkthatit’sassimpleaslyingtheirbuttdownandthenthemagicwillhappenfromthere.Wetendtonotthinkabouttheimportanceofoursleepingpositionbecauseit’ssomethingthatwe’vedoneforsolongthatit’sbecomeautomatic.

Therealityisthatyoursleepingpositionmatters.Alot.

Herearejustsomeofthethingsthatareaffectedbyyoursleepingposition:

Bloodflowtoyourbrain

Stabilityofyourspine

Hormoneproduction

Jointandligamentintegrity

Oxygensupplyandefficientbreathing

Muscularfunctionandhealing

Heartfunctionandbloodpressure

Digestionandcellularmetabolism

Ifyou’resleepinginapositionthatcompromisesyourbody’sabilitytofunctionandrecover,itdoesn’tmatterhowmanyhoursyouget,you’restillgoingtofeellikeapiñatathedayafterthepartywhenyouwakeup.

One of themost important facets of your sleeping position ismaintaining theintegrityofyourspine.Anygoodchiropractorcaneducateyouonthefactthatthebrainstemrunningthroughyourspineisdirectlyconnectedtoeverymajororgan in your body. If your spine is compromised and there’s a break in theinformation between your brain and your body, chronic and catastrophicproblemscantakeplace.Someoftheseproblemscanberootedinthewayyou’resleeping.

Therearemanyflavorsofsleepingpositionsthatpeopleusetogettheirbeautysleep. From the Starfish position, to the Free-Faller, to the Soldier, there aremanywaystogetcozyinbed.

Eventhoughtherearemanysleepingstylesthatpeopleputthemselvesin,thereareonlyoneortwothatwetendtogravitatetopersonally.Havealookthechartandseewhichsleepingstyleyoutendtouse.

There aremany variations of these positions, but these are the basics. And to

makeitevensimpler,we’rejustgoingtofocusongettingyouinthebestpositiononyourback,yourstomach,oryourside.

HaveYourOwnBackManyexpertswilltellyouthatsleepingonyourbackistheidealpositiontobein.Thereareseveralreasonsthat thiscouldbeaccurate.Firstofall,yourspinecanbeinthebestpositionhere(aslongasyoudon’tmakesomeofthemistakeswe’ll talk about in a moment). You will also have less likelihood of digestivedistress,likeacidreflux,inthisposition.And,forallthosewhoarecosmeticallyconscious,sleepingonyourbackallowsyourfacialskintobreatheandyou’llbelesspronetohavingbreakoutsandearly-onsetwrinkling.

Thedownsideofsleepingonyourbackisthegreater likelihoodofsnoringandsleepapnea.Thisispartlybecausewhenwesleeponourbacks,gravitycanforcethebaseofthetonguetocollapseintotheairway,obstructingnormalbreathing.Otherreasonsforthisaregeneralthroatweaknessthat’sextenuatedbylyingonyour back, causing the throat to close during sleep. If someone has toomuchbody fat on their frame (as we discussed in Chapter 13) fat gathering in andaround the throat can cut off the normal air supply.This can be remedied bylosingexcessbodyfatandutilizingadifferentsleepposition.

Back-sleepingisthemostpoliticallycorrectchoicebut,admittedly,notthemostcomfy position to be in. It’s definitely safer for your spine, but not the bestpositionifyou’remakingthesebigmistakes:

Usingahugepillow:Somepeople’sbedslooklikeafull-onpillowconvention.It’sokaytohaveabunchofpillowsfordecoration,butthisdoesnotmeanthatyouhavetosleeponallofthem.Havingapillow(orpillows)thataretoobigunderyourheadwhilelyingonyourback,totallymisalignsthenaturalcurveofyourspine.Youcanendupwithneckpain,backpain,headaches,orevenworse.There’salsopoorcirculationtoyourbrainallnightbecausethebloodistryingtomoveuphillpastMountPillow.

During sleep, you’d naturally have your head lower, because this is the onetime that your body shouldn’t have towork harder to pump blood to yourbrain. Break the pillow addiction immediately, because it’s bad business foryourbackandyourbrain.

Usingawornoutmattress: Seriously, you’re better off sleepingon the floor.

Themattress is supposed to support you.Not toomuch (like the floor) andnottoolittle(likehavingyourbuttsinkintoafluffyabyss).Youdon’thavetogetthemostfancy-pantsmattressintheworld,justmakesurethatyou’renotsinkinginsomuchthatyourspine’snaturalcurveiscompromised.

SleepLikeaBabySleeping on our stomachs used to be synonymous with sleeping like a baby.Layingan infanton their stomachtosleephasgone inandoutof favorand isstillmuchdebatedinourworldtoday.ChilddevelopmentspecialistDr.VáclavVojta states that lying on our stomach as infants is actually critical to ourdevelopment.Over50yearsof research,Dr.Vojtahas identified that therearespecificpressurepointsonourbodies that“activate”nervoussystemprogramswhen we are infants. These pressure points are engaged when children areallowedtolieontheirbelliesanddosubtlemovementsthatwewouldnaturallydowhilesleeping.

Updatethat toouradulthoodandmanypeople just feelmorecomfortableandpeacefullyingontheirbellies.Therearemanyprosandconstothis,soifyou’regoingtodoit,doitright.

Lyingdownface-firstwithyourlegsstraightandyourarmsrightbyyoursideisprobablyabadidea.Thisiscompromisingyourbackbytakingawaythenaturalcurveofyour lumberspine.Addhavingyourheadtooneside,smashedintoapillowforhoursonend,andyou’vegotaseriousrecipefordisaster.

Onthebrighterside,someresearchshowsthatlyingonyourstomachcanhelpprevent snoring and some symptoms of sleep apnea. Sleeping facedown keepsyourupperairwaysmoreopen,sothiscouldbeokayforyouifyoufollowafewsimplerules.

Liftaknee:Liftonekneeuptoopenyourhipsandtakesomeofthepressureoffyourspinefromlayingwithyourlegsstraight.

Losethepillow: Ifyou’regoing to sleeponyourbelly, thenditch thepillow,becauseyoureallydon’tneedit.Usingapillowwillhyperextendyourneckallnight and that’s just silly. Think of walking around all day with your headtiltedbacklookingatthesky.Yes,you’lllookcrazy,butyou’llalsohaveneckproblems.

Use the pillow for something else: Placing a small, firm pillow underneathyourbellyandhipswillreducethestressonyourlowbackandneck.Simply

placeapillowinacomfortablespotonthesamesidethatyou’veliftedyourlegandyou’reinamuchhealthierpositiontosleeponyourstomach.

OntheWinningSideMostpeoplereportthattheyprefertosleepontheirside,andforgoodreason.Ourmostintensetimesofsleepanddevelopmenthappenedwhilewewereinthewomb,curledupinthefetalposition.Sleepingonoursideisthenaturalsleepingpositiontoemulatethisdevelopmentaltemplate.

Sidesleepingcanbeaquickfixforsnoringandhelptoimprovebreathing,moresothanlyingonyourback.Sleepingonyourside(theleftsideinparticular)hasbeen reported to ease troublesome digestive problems like acid reflux andheartburn.

Thedownside,asmostside-sleepersknow,isthedreaded“dead-arm”andfingernumbness from this position. Sleeping on your arm for too long can cut offbloodflowandnervefunction.Youcanwakeupfeelingthatsomeoneplayedaprankonyouandslatheredyourarmwithnovocaine.

Herearesomesimpletipsforsleepingonyourside:

Shoulder lean: Instead of sleeping with your shoulder directly under you,move it forward slightly to avoid constriction of your shoulder and armmuscles.

Pillow proposition:Make sure that your head isn’t propped up too high onpillows. You want to ensure that you’re maintaining the natural straightpositionofyourspinewithapillowthatsupportsyourneck,butdoesn’traiseyourheadtoomuch.

Forthosewithbackpain:Expertsrecommendsleepingonyoursidewithasoftpillowbetweenyourkneesifyouhaveahistoryofbackproblems.Thishelpstostabilizeyourspineandalleviatepressurefromyourhipsandlowerback.

Are You Sleeping with Your Soul Mate, or SleepingwiththeEnemy?Oftentimes,sleepingwithsomeoneyouloveisagreatcomfort.There’snothingbetter thangoing tosleepwith,andwakingupwith,your favoritepersoneach

day. But, take notice. If you want to keep them as your favorite person, andcontinuetobetheirs,you’vegottonavigatethissleepsituationwithintelligence.

Makenomistake; sleeping in thebedwith another live body canmake for anentertaining experience. Somepeople canget along in thebed just fine.Whileotherpeoplepreparetogointobattleeachnight.Somepeoplearepeacefulanddon’tmovemuch;others act as though they’re an acrobat inCirqueduSoleil.Somepeoplehogthecovers,somepeoplesnore,somepeopletalkintheirsleep,somepeopleevenscreamout loud.Therelationshipgoes toawholenew levelwhenyoumeetsomebody’ssleepalterego.

Obviously,communicatingand following theguidance in thisbook isgoing tobe invaluable. But what about the sleeping position itself? Unless you have adoubleCaliforniakingsizebed,theStarfishpositionisn’tgoingtocutit.

To make this really easy, the chart below will provide you with some sleeppositions to try.Simply test themoutand findwhichone(s)workbest foryouandyourpartnersothatyoucanbothgetthebestsleeppossible.

PlayYourPositionPowerTip#1Oursleeppositionhabitsarejust likeanyotherhabits:theycantakesometimetochange.Startoff thenight inyour idealsleepposition,and if youwake upduring the night and find yourself in a positionthat youdon’twant to be in, simplymake a conscious effort to getintoonethatyouprefer.

PlayYourPositionPowerTip#2Makesuretocommunicateyoursleepingneedsandpreferenceswithyour partner—this simply cannot be emphasized enough. Talk tothem with intention and compassion. Understand their sleepingneeds,andmakesurethatyou’redoingwhatyoucantomakethemfeelcomfortabletoo.

There are few things more intimate in life than sharing a sleepingspacewithsomeoneelse.Itcancreateagreaterconnection,oritcancreatemoreirritationthanyoucanimagine.Thesimplesolutionistocommunicatewithloveandrespect.

There is a great quote that says, “My bed is amagical placewhere I suddenlyremembereverythingIwassupposedtodo.”

People hop into bed, and then proceed to think about thewhen,where, who,why,what,andhowsoftheir life…allwhilethey’resupposedtobesleeping.Ifthissoundsfamiliartoyou,thenyouhaveaseriousissuewithsomethingwecall“innerchatter.”But,don’tworry,thereisasolution.

It’simportanttorealizethatthereisnothing“wrong”withyoujustbecauseyouhavealotofthoughts.It’spartofbeinghuman.It’sactuallyagreatgifttobeabletoprocessasmuchinformationaswedo.Expertsestimatethatwehaveupwardsof50,000thoughts-per-day;mostofthemrandom,andmostofthemshort-lived.But,inourover-informed,over-stressed,andhyper-sensitizedworldtodayitcanallbeabitmuch.Weneedtolearntoturnthevolumedownwhenwewantto.And,it’sreallyassimpleasthat.

What I’mgoing to sharewith you isnot just a tool tohelp you improve yoursleep;it’sapowerfultooltohelptransformyourlife.Theinnerchatterthatyouexperienceisaresultofthestressanduntamedbusynessoftheday.Now,morethanever,withtheconstantflowofinformationcomingatyou,it’simportanttohave a practice to help you buffer that stress. That important practiceismeditation.

Meditationdoesn’thavetobecomplicated,anditdefinitelydoesn’trequirethatyousubscribetoanyweirdspiritualbelief(nodrinkingtheKool-Aidplease!).Italso doesn’t require you to sit cross-legged on the floor, chanting a mantra,either. It can be as simple as sitting quietly and focusing on your breathing,countingyourstepsasyouwalkaroundthepark,oryoucaneventurneverydayactivitiesliketakingashowerorwashingyourclothesintoagreatmeditationbyfollowafewbasicprinciples.

Meditationis likea tonic.Atonic issomethingthatyoucanuseeveryday,andtheresultscontinue togetbetterandbetter.Themoreyoumeditate, themorecalmandpresenceyou’llhaveinyourday-to-daylife.

Now when I say more, I’m talking about frequency, and not a specific timerequirement.Once you find the rightmeditation for yourself, you can almostinstantlyfeelasenseofcalmandpresencebydoingyourpracticethroughouttheday.

I started off meditating for 30 to 45 minutes every morning for three years.Today, Idomore“mini-meditations,”often fiveminutesor less, and I feel thesamefocusandpeacethatIfeltallthoseyearswhenmeditatingforahalfhourormore.How?Because the effects are cumulative, and the neuro-associationmybrain and body have made to closing my eyes and focusing on my breath,instantlyputsmeinthatcalmspace.

Numerous studies show that meditation increases “feel-good” hormones andendorphins,lowersstresshormoneslikecortisol,andevenreducesinflammationinourbody.Now,youcanbuystuff thatcangiveyousimilarexperiences,butit’llprobablycostyoualotofmoney(andyoumightgetarrestedtoo).

Let’stakealookattheprovenwaysthatameditationpracticecanimproveyour

life.

PerformanceIn a study published in the journal Brain Research Bulletin, researchersdiscoveredthatpeopletrainedtomeditateoveraneight-weekperiodwerebetterabletocontrolspecifictypeofbrainwavescalled“alpharhythms.”

The lead author of the paper,MIT neuroscientist, ChristopherMoore, stated,“These activity patterns are thought tominimize distractions, to diminish thelikelihood stimuli will grab your attention. Our data indicate that meditationtrainingmakesyoubetteratfocusing,inpartbyallowingyoutobetterregulatehowthingsthatarisewillimpactyou.”

Couldyouusemorefocusinyourliferightnow?Wouldbeinglessdistractedbehelpfultoyou?

Ifyou’relikemostpeople,thenfocusisahugeissue.Ourabilitytofocusandgetthingsdoneisahugecomponentofoverallsuccess.Meditationliterallychangesyourbrainandenablesyoutoutilizeyourabilitytofocuslikenothingelsecan.Notinan“oh,thatsoundsnice”kindofway,butinitactuallychangesthewayyourbraingrowsandoperates.

Aftereightweeks,thesubjectswhohadbeentrainedinmeditationshowedlargerchangesinthesize(amplitude)oftheiralphawaveswhenaskedtofocusononespecific thing. Essentially, their focus was stronger and deeper than at thebeginningofthestudy.ResearchersatHarvardMedicalSchoolhavealsofoundthat meditation alters the structure of your brain, thickening the regionsassociatedwithattentionandsensoryprocessing.

There is an absurd amount of data mounting about the beneficial impact ofmediationonworkperformance,productivity,memory,andfocus.Don’tbetheone who misses the boat because you didn’t take advantage of this valuableresource.

HealthResearchattheMedicalCollegeofGeorgiafoundthatmeditationloweredbloodpressureandreducedtheriskofheartdiseaseandstroke.Numerousstudiesalsodemonstrate that meditation can reduce chronic pain and associatedinflammatorybiomarkers.

Today,over80percentofphysicianvisitsareforstress-relatedillnesses.Stressisatthetopofthelistofreasonswhypeoplebeginameditationpractice.Countlessstudies show the stress-reducing effects in healthy individuals, as well as inpatients suffering fromavarietyofdiseases.Meditationhasproven tobegoodforyourbrain,goodforyourbody,andgoodforlifeoverall.

SleepThe American Academy of Sleep Medicine published research showing thatmeditationisaneffectivetreatmentforinsomnia.Thestudyshowedthatoveratwo-month period sleep latency, total sleep time, total wake time, wake aftersleeponset, sleepefficiency, sleepquality, anddepression improved inpatientswhousedmeditation.

Principle investigator in the study, Dr Gourineni stated, “Results of the studyshow that teaching deep relaxation techniques during the daytime can helpimprovesleepatnight.”

The most important takeaway is that the only side effects associated withmeditationareabetterqualityoflife.Whereasusingdrugstotreatinsomniaisassociated with organ damage, hormone disruption, and significant chemicaldependency.

RidetheWaveWeallhavefourdifferentbrainwavefrequenciesthataremostoftenexpressed,measuredincyclespersecond(Hz).Eachofthesebrainwavefrequencieshavetheir own set of characteristics that demonstrate specific brain activity and auniquestateofconsciousness.Hereisabriefdescriptionofthefour:

Beta waves (15-40 Hz): This is the brain rhythm in the normal state ofwakefulness, associated with thinking, conscious problems solving, andattentiontowardstheouterworld.Youaremostlikelyina“betastate”whilereadingthisrightnow.

Alphawaves (9-14Hz):When you are truly relaxed, your brainwaves slowfromthehyper-alertnessofbetawavestothegentlewavesofalpha.The“alphastate” is where meditation begins and it’s a brain wave frequency thatheightens your imagination, visualization, memory, learning, andconcentration. This is the gateway to the subconscious mind andreprogrammingyourthinking.

Thetawaves(4-8Hz):Thetabrainwavesarepresentduringdeepmeditationandlightsleep,includingtheimportantREMdreamstate.Thisisthedomainof your subconscious and only experiencedmomentarily as you drift off tosleepfromalphaorwakefromdeepsleep(deltawaves).Wearemorereceptiveto insights and information beyond our normal conscious awareness in thisstate. Some experts state that thetameditation amplifies intuition and otherextrasensoryperceptionskills.

Deltawaves(1-3Hz):Thedeltafrequencyistheslowestofthefrequenciesandis experienced in deep, dreamless sleep. It is also seen occasionally in veryexperienced meditators. The delta state is critical to the body’s healingprocesses. Most regeneration and healing happen in this brain-wave state,makinggettingenoughdeepsleepcriticaltooursurvival.

The ability to change your brain waves is why meditation works. You canconsciously, proactively change theway your brain operates, and the potentialbenefitsaretremendous.

Nowthatweknowthepowerofmeditation,here’showtodoittoimproveyoursleepandgetabetterbrain,startingnow.

PrimetimeOneof thebest times formeditation iswhenyou’re already close to the alphaandthetabrainwaves.Thiswouldbeassoonasyouwakeupinthemorning,orrightbeforebedatnight.AstheAmericanAcademyofSleepMedicineresearchshowed,meditatinginthemorningisproventohelptestsubjectssleepatnight.You’recreatingaconsciousneuro-pathwaytorelaxation,abufferagainststress,andaprofoundsenseofpresencethatwillhelpyousleepbetteratnight.

Startyourownmeditationpracticebeginningtomorrowmorning(orrightnowifyou’reanA-player!).Wehearallthetimeaboutunhealthyhabits,butthisisahealthyhabityoucancreate tobenefityour life innumerousareas.As littleasfivetotenminutestostartyourdaywillhaveacumulativeeffectonyourenergy,focus,andabilitytosleepbetteratnight.

If you ever find yourself in a situationwhere youwakeup too soon andhavetrouble going back to sleep, simply lay in your bed and practice a breathingmeditationtoputyourbrainintothealphaand/orthetastatetomimicsomeofthebenefitsofthesleepyouwouldnormallybemissingouton.

Thisisanincredibleresourcetohaveatyourdisposalwhenyouneedit.

It’s all about having tools and strategies to perform in our day-to-day lives.Meditationcanhelprejuvenateyourbodyandmind,supplementyoursleep,andimproveyourperformance.Ifyouneedsomehelpwithmeditationtechniques,Ihave some for you below, plus some bonus tips to help yourmind and bodyrecoverwhenyou’reinapinch.

CalmItDownPowerTip#1Ifyoudecidetomeditateatnighttohelpyouwind-downforsleep,trydoing itbefore youget into thebed,notwhile you’re inbed.Again,theneuro-association youwant tohavewith yourbed is sleep (andsex ifyou’re toosexy for thisparty)andthat’s it.Youcansitbyyourbedsideandmeditateforafewminutes,thenslideyourwayintobedforagreatnight’ssleep.

CalmItDownPowerTip#2Useguidedmeditationstohelpyougetacclimatedwhenyou’refirststarting out. They can be really helpful for extremely busy-mindedpeoplebecauseyourattentiongoestotheinstructionsalongtheway.TryouttheguidedmeditationsprovidedbyUCLAat:

http://theshawnstevensonmodel/guided-meditations

CalmItDownPowerTip#3If you do want to use a simple meditation/mindfulness practice tohelpyoufallasleepwhilelyinginbed,trythis:

Laypeacefullyonyourbackwithacomfortablepillowtosupportyourheadifyouneedone.

Takeadeepbreath,breathinginforfiveseconds,holdingforfiveseconds,thenbreathingoutforfiveseconds,andholdingoutforfiveseconds.Dothissequencethreetimes.

Nowshiftyourfocustobreathingandcirculatingthatoxygentoyour toes. Visualize the air coming in through your nose thentraveling down to your toes, and then back out (following thesamebreathingcountabove).

Next,moveyourattentiontoyourfeet.Breathe inthroughyournose and circulate the air to your feet following the samebreathing count above (five seconds in, five seconds hold, fivesecondsout,fivesecondshold).

Next,moveyourattention toyourankles, thenyour shins, thenyour knees, then your thighs, going all the way up your bodyuntil you gently drift away. Many people fall asleep beforereachingtheirknees.You’vegottoexperimentandfindoutwhatworksbestforyou.Givethisoneatryanytimeyoulike.

Thisiswhatmostpeoplearelookingfortohelpthemsleep,butitcomeswithahugecaveat.Ideally,youneedtoaddressthelifestyleissuesfirstthatareactuallycausing the sleep problem. If you jump to taking drugs or supplements thenyou’lljustbetreatingasymptomandincreasethelikelihoodthatyou’lldevelopadependencyonsomethingthatcanharmyoulongterm.

I’mgoing to sharewithyou fourof themoregentle-to-moderatenatural sleepaids.Focusonthe lifestylestuff first,and ifyouwant,youcanrespectfullyaddthesethingsintoo.Let’sgetstartedwiththemosttimetestedsleepaidofall.

1. Chamomile: This herb has been used for thousands of years to treateverything from skin disorders, to heart disease, to inflammation. Todaynumerous studies are proving the true efficacy of this ancient plant. Forexample, a study highlighted in Molecular Medicine Reports showed thatchamomile flavonoids have significant anti-inflammatory properties and

triggerCOX-2enzymeactivitythatreducesphysicalpain.

There’s currentlymuchmore anecdotal evidence of chamomile being a safesleepaidthanpeerreviewedstudies.Whatstudiesdoshowisthatchamomilecanhelpcalmthenervoussystem,relaxmuscles,andsetyouup forabetternight’ssleepwhenyouneedit.

Chamomileisanexcellentteatohavebeforebed.Simplyhaveastandardsizecupofteawithanorganic,pre-packedchamomileteabagandyou’llbegoodtogo.

2.Kavakava:ThisisactuallythenationaldrinkofthebeautifulislandofFiji.Kavakavaiswellknowntohavesedativepropertiesandiscommonlyusedtotreat sleeplessness and fatigue.A 2004 study also found that 300mg of kavakava may improve mood and cognitive performance. Several additionalstudiesshowthatit’seffectiveforreducingthesignsandsymptomsofanxiety(whichisdefinitelyananti-sleepstatetobein).

Themostimportantsleep-relateddataonkavakavademonstratesthatitmayhelptoimprovesleepqualityanddecreasetheamountoftimeneededtofallasleep.Preparingacupofkavakavateacanbepartofarelaxingeveningritual.

3.Valerian:Thistraditionalherbisthestrongestofthethreeandamoderatesedative. It’s indicated for individuals thathaveadifficult time fallingasleepandalsopromotesuninterruptedsleep.Therootofthevalerianplantisusedasmedicineandpressedintofreshjuiceorfreeze-driedtoformapowder.Fortea,pouronecupofboilingwateroveroneteaspoon(twotothreegrams)ofdried root, and steep five to tenminutes.There are also tinctures anddriedpowdersupplementcapsulesofthisandtheprevioustwomedicinalherbs.

4.5-HTP,GABA,andL-Tryptophan:Ibundledallthreeofthesetogetherbecausethey arenot the ideal choices,due to the fact that they’renotnaturalherbalpreparationslikethepreviousthree.Theseareisolatedchemicals,andcanbehelpfulifintentlymonitoredandusedwithcaution.

5-HTPisaneurotransmitterprecursortoserotonin.Inourbodies,serotoninis converted into melatonin (the get good sleep hormone). In one study,people who took 5-HTP went to sleep quicker and slept more deeply than

those who took a placebo. Researchers recommend 200-400mg at night tostimulateserotonin,butitmaytakesixtotwelveweekstobefullyeffective.

GABAisanimportantneurotransmitterinthecentralnervoussystem.Infact,itisthemajorinhibitoryneurotransmitterinthebrain.Therefore,itblockstheactionofexcitatorybrainchemicals.SomepeopleswearbythesedatingeffectsofGABAtohelpmanagestress. IfGABAisof interest toyou,500mgin theevening is a good place to start. Also, consider looking into theGABAprecursorspicamilonandphenibut.

L-Tryptophan is actually theprecursor to 5-HTP.Althoughyou can’t get 5-HTP in food, there are several foods that are rich in tryptophan liketurkey, chicken, pumpkin, sunflower seeds, collard greens, and sea veggies.Althoughthesefoodscanbepartofahealthydiet,thetraceamountsfoundinthemmaynotbeenoughtogettheeffectsyou’relookingfor.L-tryptophanisasimple,over-the-countersupplementyoucanuseinadditiontowhatyougetfromyourdiet.Itcanbetaken90minutesbeforebed.

These, like all other supplements, will influence people differently. Onesupplementmightbeamiracleforonepersonthathelpsthemreestablishtheirsleepingcycle,whileforsomeoneelseitmaycausethemtohavebaddreamsorevenfeelmoregroggy in themorning.Bottomline, it’suniquetoyouwhethersomething is going to be helpful or not. This goes for food, supplements, andevenexercise.You’vegottoexperimenttofindoutwhatworksbestforyouwithintelligence,safety,andthebestresultslong-term.

TheMelatoninMistakeYouwillnoticethatIdidn’tincludemelatonin.Thishasbecomeaverypopularsupplementasoflate,withallofoursocietiessleepingissues.Manyexpertsagreethat melatonin supplementation can be very effective for some people. But,what’s critical to understand about melatonin is that it is an actual hormoneyou’retaking.Andjustlikeanyotherhormonetherapy,liketestosteronetherapyor estrogen therapy, it comes with a greater risk of side effects and potentialproblems.

Oneofthemainissueswithmelatoninsupplementationisthatitcanpotentiallydown-regulate your body’s natural ability to produce melatonin on its own.Again, this is an actual hormone supplement, so unless you want to chancecreatingadependencyonthis,I’dsayavoiditandtryotherthingsfirst.

Takingprecursors tomelatonin canbe a fewdegrees safer, but still, awordofcautiontakenhere:thebestwaytouseasupplementisinashort-termperiodtoestablishanormalsleeppattern,ortoreestablishanormalsleeppatternafteratimezonechangefromtraveloratimechangeduetodaylightsavings.

Do safe, smart, natural things first, then only bring the supplements in to“supplement”thegoodthingsyou’realreadydoing.

SupplementationPowerTip#1Itcan’tbestressedenoughthatalltheotherstrategiesinthisbookarerecommendedbeforesupplementation.Innature,youwouldnotseecompounds like these anywhere. They typically only have a fewdecadesof testing (if that) versus the thousandsupon thousandsofyearsthathomosapienshavebeenontheplanet.Thinkaboutit.Yourbody has an ancient, infinitely intelligent design; then in comes achemical isolate made by Harry at the science lab last week, andthings might not go according to plan. There are some brilliantscientists and innovators making progress in supplementation andmedicinethatcanbelifesaving,butplease,nevermistakeaproductinacapsuleforbeingrealfood.

SupplementationPowerTip#2Find the right dose for yourself. Some companies recommenddosagesof theirproduct thatareoften too lowor toohigh foreachperson. For example, if someonewere tousemelatonin (though it’snotrecommended),150mcgformenor100mcgforwomenwouldbethe ideal place to start. Yet, the common dosage you’ll find withmelatoninproviders isaround3,000mcg.Height,weight,guthealth,stresslevels,inflammation,andmoreareallfactorsthatplayintohowmuchofa supplementwouldbe ideal for you.Thebestadvice is tostartlowandworkyourwayup,unlessyouare100percentcertaininwhatyouaredoing.

SupplementationPowerTip#3Don’tmixsleepaidswithalcohol.Bymixingthetwotogether,youcanrelaxmusclestoomuch,stopbreathing,andfindyourselfwakinguplikeBruceWillisinThe6thSense(Spoileralert:hewasdeadanddidn’tknow it). Seriously, taking any sleeping aids (be it medication orsupplements)alongwithalcoholisareallybadidea.Besmart,besafe,anddon’ttalktothekidwhosays,“Iseedeadpeople.”

WetalkedatlengthaboutthebenefitsofsunlightinhelpingusgetbettersleepinChapter2.Totakeitastepfurther,it’snotthesunlightalone,butwakingupintheearlypartofthedaythatsetsthetemplateforagreatnight’ssleep.

AccordingtoDr.TraceyMarks,“Goingtosleepearlyandwakingearlysyncsthebodyclockwiththeearth’snaturalcircadianrhythms,whichismorerestorativethantryingtosleepwhilethesun’sup.”

Itmayseemtotallyironicthatgettingupearlycanhelpyousleepbetteratnight,but this goes back to the fact that humans have certain patterns of sleep andwakefulness that we’ve only, within the last hundred years, found a way tooverride.Therewasatime,notthat longagoinourhistory, thathumanswereprey,andintremendousdangeriftheywererummagingaroundatnight.

It’softenforgottenthathumansarenotnocturnalcreatures,soletmegiveyoualittleprooftoremindyou:

Oureyesightsucksinthedarkness.Wildpredatorslikelionshavemanymorerodsintheireyesthatenablethemtoseebetteratnight.Youcan’tseethem,buttheycanseeyou=You’reinvitedtodinner.

Wedon’thaveaverystrongsenseofsmelleither.Sure,youcansmelltheladywalkingpastyouatthegymwearingfartoomuchperfume(whatisshetryingto cover up anyway?) but nocturnal animals like the opossum can smelltroublefromamileout.

Wecan’thearwellenoughtonavigatethedarknesseither.Asmallnoisefromhundredsoffeetawaycanperkuptheearsofagreyfox.Theycan’tseeaswellas other nocturnal animals, but their keen sense of hearing allows them tohuntandavoiddangeratnight.

Humans have amazing senses that are really accentuated during the day. Thisallowsus to seevividcolorsandbeautifullyblend togetherourother senses tounderstandourenvironmentlikenoothercreaturecan.

Theinventionofthelightbulbhelpedtobrightenourworldandenabledustoinnovate,grow,andcreatebettercommunities.Yet,theuseofartificiallighthasmorphedintoanaddictionthathasseenoursleepinghoursandhealthplummettoall-time lows.Truly,whatgood is innovation ifwedon’thaveourhealth toenjoyit?

Youmightthink,“Well,we’renotoutinthewildanymoreanyway.TimeforaNetflix all-night marathon.Woohoo!” It’s true that we’re not out in the wildanymore,andourmodernamenitiesdomakelifeniceandcomfy.Yet, it’salsotrue that your genetics haven’t changedmuch from your ancestors who livedcloser to nature. Genetic adaptions can take thousands of years. And, unlessyou’reacharacterfromtheTwilightseries,youjustdon’thavethatkindoftime.

Humans, as well as other organisms, have evolved to adjust to predictablepatternsof lightanddarkness.Thesepatternsestablishour internalclocksandhormonal cycles every day of our lives. Once artificial light stepped into thepicture, it effectively varied the length of our days. As a result, the averageperson’s sleephasdecreased fromaroundnineconsistenthours to justaroundseven,varyingfromonenighttothenext.

The lack of consistencymay be one of the biggest issues of all. The irregularsleepinghourspreventsyourbrainfromsettlingintoapattern,creatingastateofperpetual“jetlag.”It’snotjusthowyousleep,butwhenyousleep,thathelpstocreatethebestversionofyou.It’scriticaltocreateasmartsleepscheduleinourworldtoday,anditstartswithgettingourbunsupinthemorning.

BeingPartoftheEarlyRiserClubHasBenefitsIn 2008 a study from theUniversity ofNorth Texas found that students whoidentified themselves asmorning people earned significantly higher grades. Infact, the early risers had a full gradepoint higher than the “night owls” in thestudyata3.5to2.5GPArespectively.Wakingupearlierobviouslyisn’ttheonlyfactorwithgettinggoodgrades,butit’sdefinitelyacorrelationtotakenoticeof.A better GPA could mean better career opportunities, and bigger levels ofsuccessoverall.

Speaking of career opportunities, research published in the Journal of AppliedSocial Psychology, showed that early birds are more proactive than eveningpeople,andsotheytendtodowellinbusiness.Thestudywentontostatethatmorning people also anticipate problems better and minimize them moreeffectively. This is a huge leverage point in business today as everything ischangingsofast.

It’snot thatpeoplewhoidentify themselvesasearlyrisersarebetterpeople,orbetterateverythingforthatmatter.Otherstudiessuggestthatnight-loverstendto be smarter and more creative than morning types, have a better senseof humor and can be more outgoing in some instances. The big issue is,accordingtotheHarvardBusinessReview,isthatnightowlsareoutofsyncwiththetypicalcorporateschedule,andmissoutoncriticalopportunitiesmoreoftenbecausetheirtimingisoff.

So,whetheryouidentifyyourselfasamorningpersonornightowl,youcandoamazing thingswith your life. I justwant to ensure that youhave the greatestadvantagepossible,andthatyou’rehealthisuptopartocreatethelifeyoureallywant. This leads to the reality that you’re health is radically improved whenyou’rehonoringyourbody’snaturalhormonalclock.Humansaredesignedtobe

upduringthedayandsleepingatnight.Beinga“nightowl”isanewidea,andyou’renotreallyanowlanyway.

NotaMorningPerson?Somepeople just lovegettingupearly in themorningto takeadvantageof theday. It’s averyempowering feeling tohaveaccomplished somuch longbeforeother people have even gotten out of bed.Various studies show thatmorningpeople tend to exhibit character traits like optimism, satisfaction, andconscientiousness. Getting started on your work goals by 8 a.m. gives you anextra sense of optimism in and of itself, whereas by 4 p.m. you’ve had sevenminorproblemsthathavetriedtothrowyouoffyourcourse.

Being a “night owl” is a new idea that’s only been possible in recent humanhistory. This is a trained behavior that, like it or leave it, is influencing yourhealthandresultsinyourlife.

Still,ifyoufirmlybelieveyouareanightowlandwanttomaketheswitchtogetyour circadian rhythms, hormones, and priorities in order, then here are thesimplestepstodoit.

LeoBabautafromthewildlypopularwebsiteZenHabitsrecommendsusingTheGradualMethod when changing your sleep schedule. Rather thanmaking thedecisiontosuddenlygetupat6a.m.whenyounormallygetupat8a.m., takegradual 15 minute increments off you’re wake up time until you get to yourdesireddestination.

Thisisamuchmoregracefulwaytodoit.Oftentimeswhenpeopledecidetogetupearly,theythrowtheirsleepcycleintosuchashockedstatethatthey’remoretiredandirritated,pluscreatinganeuro-associationtomorepaininwakingupearly.Thiscausesyou toburn throughyourwillpowerwithindaysandrevertbacktoyouroldhabitsbeforeyouknowit.

Soifyou’regoalistowakeupat6a.m.andyouarecurrentlygettingupat8a.m.,setyouralarmfor7:45a.m. instead.Dothat fora fewdays, thenmoveto7:30a.m.,thenmoveto7:15a.m.andsoon.Thiswillallowyourbodytoadapttothenewscheduleinamuchhealthierandsustainableway.

So how do you resist the urge to just hit the snooze alarm and forfeit you’recommitmenttogettingup?

Leo Babauta offered these three suggestions, and I have to say they’re prettybrilliant:

1. Get excited. The night before, think of one thing you’d like to do in themorningthatexcitesyou.Itcouldbesomethingyouwanttowrite,oranewyogaroutine,ormeditation,orsomethingyou’dliketoread,oraworkprojectthat’s got you fired up. In themorning,when youwake up, remember thatexcitingthing,andthatwillhelpmotivateyoutogetup.

2. Jump out of bed. Yes, jump out of bed.With enthusiasm. Jump up andspreadyourarmswideas if to say, “Yes! I amalive!Ready to tackle thedaywithopenarmsandthegustoofadrivenmaniac.”Seriously,itworks.

3.Putyouralarmacrosstheroom.Ifit’srightnexttoyou,you’llhitthesnoozebutton. Soput it on theother sideof the room, so you’ll have to getup (orjump up) to turn it off. Then, get into the habit of going straight to thebathroom topeeonce you’ve turned it off.Once you’redonepeeing, you’remuchlesslikelytogobacktobed.Atthispoint,rememberyourexcitingthing.Ifyoudidn’tjumpoutofbed,atleaststretchyourarmswideandgreettheday.

Puttingyouralarmacross theroomisalso ideal toreducetheamountofEMFexposure that we covered in Chapter 12. The EMFs from electronic devicesdisrupt the communication between the cells in your body, and are obviouslystronger if they’replugged in rightnext to you. It’snot a smartmove to sleepwithanyelectronicdevicesnearyourbody,sodon’tdoit.

Here’sonemorebonussuggestiontobeattheurgetogobacktobed,andinsteadenergizeyourbodytobereadytotakeontheday:Wakeupyoursenses.

When you get out of bed get your senses stimulatedwith something good. Acommonthingtodoistogetthatcoffeeorteabrewinganddrinkit.Thesmell,taste,andtouchareallenliveningforyousenses.

I’m ahuge advocator of drinking a big glass or twoofwater first thing in themorning.Icallthisan“innerbath.”Thiswillreplenishyourhydrationlevelsthatwentdownwhilesleeping,helpyourbodytoclearoutmetabolicwasteproducts,

andgiveyouasensorystimulationtohelpwakeupyourbody.Youcanalsotakea regular bathor shower too to get you going.Orusemoreof your senses byturningonsomegoodmusicandopeningthecurtainstoletinthenaturallight.There are so many things that will automatically get your mind and bodystimulatedwhenyou’reexposedtothem.Trythesethingsoutandstartyourdaywithrealmomentum.

Bywaking up early, you start helping your endocrine system link upwith thediurnalpatternsoftheearth.Getupwhenthesunrises.Itmightbechallengingatfirst,butafterlessthanacoupleofweeks,yourbodywilladapttothatpatternand you’ll feel muchmore rested and refreshed when you wake up. You canbreaktheoldpatternofbeingupatnight“tiredandwired”bybeingearlytoriseand having a natural release of cortisol, then going to bed earlier and takingadvantage of the natural release ofmelatonin. A quote from one ofmy son’sfavorite books, the epicmasterpiece,Winnie the Pooh: “For early to bed, andearlytorisewillmakeabearhappy,andhealthy,besides.”

EarlytoRisePowerTipGotobedwithin30minutesofthesametimeeachnightandwakeupatthesametimeeachday.Manypeople inourmodernworldtry to“catchup”onsleepandsleep-inonthedaysthattheydon’thavetogetup forwork. By throwingoff your sleep schedule like this, you’llusually find that you’remore tired than youwant to be on your offdays, and really dreading getting out of bed once Monday rollsaround.Remember,aconsistentsleepscheduleisimportantforyourhealth.

Try to avoid staying upmuch later just because you’re off the nextday.Actuallygotobedandgetupsothatyoucanusethatdaytodothethingsyouwant. Ipromiseyou,Netflixdoesstillworkduringthedaytime,andyoucangetamini-marathon inwithout thesamesideeffectsyou’llexperienceifyou’dstayedupallnight.

Tostaywithinyourbody’sdesiredsleeppattern,youdon’thavegotobed at exactly 10:02 p.m. each night, but do your best to make itwithin30minutesofwhatyouridealsleeptimeis.

Humansareuniqueinthefactthatmanyofusgetdressedupjusttogotobed.Wehavespecialbedattirethatwecallpajamas,andit’sjustoneofthosewordsthat’s synonymous with comfiness. Go ahead and say it slowly and tell me itdoesn’tfeelgood.“Pajamas...Pajamas...”

PuttingonyourPJ’scanbelikeamentaltriggertorelaxandwinddownfortheday.You’regettingoutofyourouterworlduniformandputtingclothesonyourbodythatmakeyoufeelsafe,relaxed,andathome.Therealityis,you’renotjustwearingclothesthatonlyyourinnercircleoffriendsandfamilycanseeyouin(unlessyou’regoingtoaPajamaJammyJam)butyou’realsoputtingonclothesthatwillinherentlyaffectthequalityofyoursleep.

Aswe covered inChapter 5, thermoregulation is a critical aspect ofmanagingsleepquality.Researchshowsthatcertainformsofinsomniaarelinkedtofaultybody temperature regulation, and an inability to cool down enough to enter

deeperstagesofsleep.It’simportanttorealizethefactthatyourbodyisbetteratkeepingitselfwarmthankeepingitselfcool,soyou’llmakeiteasieronyourselfbywearingfewerandlooserclothestobed.

InaDutchstudy,scientisthadparticipantswearthermosuitstolowertheirskintemperature less than one degree Celsius (without affecting core bodytemperature)tomeasureits impactonsleep.Thestudyresultsshowedthattheparticipantsdidn’twakeupasmuchduring thenight and the amountof timespentinstagesthreeandfour(deepsleep)hadincreased.

Ifyouthinkthatwhatyou’rewearingtobeddoesn’tmatter,thinkagain.

Now, I’mnot saying thatyouhave to freezeyour tootsiesoff just togetbettersleep,butIamsayingthatifyou’reusedtodressinguplikeanEskimotohopinthesack,youmightwanttoconsiderpullingoffalayerortwo.

If you live in a home where you can regulate the temperature, you’re morefortunatethanbillionsofotherpeopleontheplanet.Withthatsaid,overdoingiton thewarmthcan result inyou sleeping the “right” amountofhoursbutnotfeelingrestedwhenyouwakeup.Ifyou’vegotsevencovers,anelectricblanket,andyou’redressedlikeyou’regoinghunting,youjustmightbepreventingyourbodyfromgettingthemostrejuvenatingstagesofsleep.

MidnightStranglerTheformandfitofyourbedtimeclothingismoresignificantthananyfashionstatementyoucanmake.Wearingtight,restrictiveclothingtobedisahugesleepmistakeyouneedtoavoid.Clothingthatistootightcanliterallycutofftheflowof your lymphatic system. Your lymphatic system is the cellular “wastemanagement” system of your body, and an important part of your immunesystem.Ittransportsandcirculatesextracellularfluidthroughoutyourbody,andyouactuallyhavefourtimesmorelymphfluidthanyouhaveblood.

When your lymphatic system gets cut off due to restrictive clothing, thatextracellular fluid can start to pool in different places in your body, and realnastinesscanensuefromthere.

Themostcommonculprithereistightsocks.You’llknowthisbecausewhenyoupull your socks off, you can still see the imprint of the sockperfectly on yourskin.It’sanicepartytrick,butthisisnotgoodatall.

It’s through the lymphatic system that toxic substances can move out of thebody. If it’s cut off in anyway, it’s like bending awater hose and blocking itsability to flow out. The water pressure will swell, and you can mess up yourinternalplumingorworse.

InChapter5,Irecommendedthatyoukeepthebedroomcool,butalsowearapair of warm socks if you tend to get cold easily. To remedy the problem ofchoking your ankles out while you sleep, simply vie for a pair of loose, fuzzysocksasyourgo-tochoice.Manytypesofhikingsockshavealooserfit,sothatmightbeagoodplacetostart.

Beyondthelowerextremities,therecouldbeanevenbiggerandmoredangerousissueforwomen.Thismaycomeasashock,buta2009studyfoundthatwomenwhosleptintheirbrahada60percentgreaterriskfordevelopingbreastcancer.

Numerous studies are now confirming the link between breast cancer andhabitualbrawearing.Thisdoesn’tmeanyoushouldthrowyourbrasaway,butitdoesmeanthatyouneedtobeconscientiousofthisconnection.Whenyoutakeoff your bra and see those indentions around your back, sides, shoulders, and

breasts, that’s a clear indication that you’re cutting off lymphatic flow andcirculation.

Thelymphnodesandlymphfunctionisacriticalcomponentinpreventingthedevelopment of diseases, including breast cancer. Many women have beentrainedtoweartheirbra24-7forfearofwhatsocietywillthink,saggingbreasts,andevenbackpain.Thoughthese ideascanbecomeveryreal toan individual,theresearchsimplyshowsthattheseworriesarenotvalid.

A 15-year study involvingmore than 300 women concluded that, “Medically,physiologically,anatomically,thebreastdoesnotbenefitfrombeingdeprivedofgravity.”Overall,itwasfoundthatwomenwhodonotusebrasdevelopedmoremuscle tissue to naturally support the breasts, they had greater nipple lift(in relation to their shoulders), and women who wore bras hadactuallyacceleratedbreastsagging.

Again, this is contrary to a deeply ingrained public opinion, but it’s actuallybasedonsoundscience.Brascanmakebreastslookamazingwhilethey’rebeingworn.Butifthebreastsareconstantlyheldweightlessbythebra,theyhaveverylittleopportunity todevelop theability to support themselves. It’s just likeanyotherbodypart,ifyoudon’tuseit,itwillatrophy.

Ourmain focushere is improving your sleep, and improving yourhealth as aresultofit.Atnightwhileyou’resleepingisanobvioustimetogobra-freeandcutyour riskofmajorproblems fromwearingabra24-hoursaday.Wedon’thave to start up a bra-a-holics anonymous. But, if you want to getmore information on the bra-breast cancer connection, check out the bookDressed to Kill by Medical Anthropologists Sydney Ross Singer and SomaGrismaijer.

The best clothing for bedwill be non-restricting and hypoallergenic (both thefabricitselfandhowit’swashed).I’mnotsayingtowearaflannelonesie,noramIsayingtowearoneofthoseold-schoolnightgownsfromtheTVshowMama’sFamily. Be comfortable, and get comfortablewith your own body beingmorefree.There are countless attractive options for bed attire if that’s important toyou.I’mjustgoingtosharethebasics.

Herearejustafewoptionsonwhattoweartobed:

Men:Boxers,loosefittingpajamabottoms,basketballshorts,basict-shirtifyouwant,orgonaked

Women: Boy shorts, your own or your significant other’s t-shirt orboxers,flowinglingerie,yogapantsor“tights”thatdon’tstrangleyourlegsandhips,loosefittingpajamabottoms,orgonaked

BirthdaySuitIfyouandyourpartnerbothsleepinthenude,youcanbereapingthebenefitsofthefeel-goodhormoneoxytocin.Itcouldbefromintimacy(likesleepinginthesamebed),massage,sex,orsimplycuddling,theskin-to-skincontactisallthat’srequired. Oxytocin is a potent anti-stress hormone. It reduces signs andsymptomsofdepression,combatsnegativeeffectsofcortisol,andhelpsregulateblood pressure. It’s also been shown to decrease intestinal inflammation andimprovegutmotilityaswell.Allthemorereasontogetascloseaspossible.

On top of all this is the obvious: More sex. As we covered in Chapter 9, anorgasmmightjustbenature’snumberonesleepaid.

DressfortheOccasionPowerTip#1A1991Harvardstudy foundthatwomenwhodonotwearbrashadhalf the risk of breast cancer compared to avid bra users. Takebedtimeasanoptimalopportunitytogobra-free.Thisisagreatstarttoimprovingyourhealthandcuttingdownonyourprogrammedbradependency.Forthefellas,avoidwearingtightunderweartobedthatkeep your testicles pressed against your body. You’re potentiallyoverheating your family jewels, and not allowing them to extendandretractbasedonamorenaturaltemperature.

DressfortheOccasionPowerTip#2Another nighttimegood sleep fashion accessory youmightwant tolookintoiswhatIcallMr.&Mrs.SmithGlasses.

Okay, soyouwant tostayupa little laterandwatchamovie,goonwild adventures through YouTube (the other day I started offresearching rehab exercises for knees and eventually ended upwatching bloopers from the TV show Parks & Recreation. You knowhowYouTube can be…), ormaybe you justwant to take this sleepmastery to the ultimate level. Well, I’ve already given yourecommendationsforeliminatingthe“bluelight”fromyourcomputerscreen,butwhatabouttherestofthehouse?

Ifyou’rereallypassionateaboutthisstuff,anddon’tmindlookinglikesomeonefromthefuture,thenyoucanrocktheseglassesthatblockblue light and give everything a much safer, softer, orange tint.They’re similar to the glasses that Brad and Angelina wore in themovieMr. andMrs. Smith during an epic fight scene. If you get thecheapones,thenyouwon’tlookthatcool…buthey,thisisforsciencenot social points. Although, if someone comes into your house andseesyouwearingthem,you’lltotallylooklikeabadass(alittleweird,but still a badass). Just visit www.LowBlueLights.com or Google“orangesafetyglasses”andyou’llseeabunchtochoosefrom.

Since the beginningof time, humanshavehad a constant interactionwith theearth.Ourancestorswouldcome incontactwith theearth’s surfaceonadailybasis:walking,hunting,gatheringfoodandwater,communing,playing,relaxingandmore.Nearlyeverythingtheydidrequiredaconnectionwiththeearth.

Today,inourindustrializedworld,manypeoplegodays,weeks,orevenlongerwithoutcomingincontactwiththesurfaceoftheearthitself.Wearecoopedupinourhomesoroffices,spendingmoretimeindoorsconsumingtechnology,andlesstimeinteractingwiththesourcethatallofourtechnologycomesfrom.Sure,wemaywalkoutside to get intoour cars, butmost of uswearnon-conduciverubber-soled shoes that ensure our bodies never get that intimate connection.Werarelytouchtheground,rarelytouchatree,andrarelytouchthesourcethatcreateseverycellinourbody.

Scientistarediscoveringthatthisishavingahugeimpactonourhealth.

Overwhelming research is mounting that shows the impressive benefitstheearth’selectromagneticsurfacehasonthehumanbody.Wemaynotrealizethis,butthehumanbodyishighlyconductive.We,liketheearth,arerunningonelectromagnetic energy. Our nervous system is like internal wiring that’stransmitting information throughout our entire body. We’re also made ofminerals,andourtissuesholdwater,soweareverymuchlikeawalking,talking,conductivebattery.

You’ve probably noticed that we can accumulate static electricity and “shock”someonewhotouchesus.Weallknownottostickametalobjectintoanoutletorwe’ll“shortout”oursystem.Eveninscarymovies,oneoftheworstwaystogois having an electric device tossed into your bathtub while you’re trying toexfoliate.

Bottomline:Youmaynotbeabletoseeit,butyouarehighlyconductive.Yougive off and receive energy every second of every day. The misuse andmisunderstandingofyourbody’selectricalsystemisacatalystforchronichealthproblems.

Howdoesthisrelatetoyou,theearth,andyourhealth?

Currently, over 90 percent of physician visits are for stress and inflammatory-relatedissues.Stressandinflammationgohand-in-handandareahugeunder-current in the vast majority of diseases. It may sound a little strange, buttouchingtheearthmaybethebiggestkeytoeliminatingourissueswithchronicinflammation.

InflammationNationWenowunderstandthatthehumanbodyisconductive.Everytissueinourbodycarries a charge, and this is actually what allows many functions to happen.Inflammation, in particular, is a natural function facilitated by a type ofwhitebloodcell calledaneutrophil.Neutrophils deliver reactive oxygen species (alsoknownasfreeradicals)tothesiteofaninjuryorneed.Thesefreeradicalscarryapositive charge that will tear harmful bacteria apart and break apart damagedcells tocreateroomforhealthycells tomove inandrepair tissues.Prettycool,right?

Inflammationisnotsupposedtobeacatastrophicthing.Therealproblemariseswhen free radical activity goes unchecked and some of those free radicals canleakintothesurroundingtissueanddamagehealthycells.Thisistherealcauseof inflammation, andmost people are dealingwith this at chronic levels on aday-to-daybasis.

Everyday you have cellular damage, simply by the nature of being alive.Damagedheartcells,livercells,musclecells,etc.allsetoffanoxidativeburstoffreeradicalstoaddressthem.Thisisbasicchemistry,featuringapositivechargedeventthatneedstobeneutralized.

Alltherageinhealthandnutritiontodayhasbeencenteredaroundantioxidants.Antioxidants carry free electrons that neutralize free radicals and stop overly-aggressiveoxidation right in it’s tracks. Inflammation is reduced, andhealth isimproved.

Therealityisthatyoucaneathighantioxidantfoodsuntilyou’reblueintheface(fromeatingalotofblueberries,ofcourse)butthisisn’tgoingtoswingthebattleofoxidationinyourfavorasmuchasyouthink.

Firstofall,theantioxidantsneedtobeintherightform,andconventionalfoodprocessing techniques tend to strip the antioxidant potency from our food.Secondly,thedietaryantioxidantshavetowithstandthedigestiveprocess,maketheirwaythroughthegut lining,andhopefully findtheirwayintoyourblood.Thirdly, dietary antioxidants have been found to pale in comparison to your

body’s own endogenous antioxidant capabilities. The ability of your liver tosupport production of the antioxidant superoxide dismutase, for example, ismore potent than any antioxidant you can consume. The key is getting yourbodyintotherightstatesothatyourorgansandtissuescandothegreatjobtheyalreadyknowhowtodo.Lastly,it’sbeendiscoveredthatthenumberonesourceoffreeelectronsisactuallythesourceofwhereallofourfoodcomesfrom:theearthitself.

Scientisthavediscoveredthattheearth’ssurfaceisbrimmingwithfreeelectronsthat are readily absorbedby thehumanbodywhen they come in contactwitheach other. This is known as an electron transfer. The effects of this electrontransferarebeingresearchedrigorously,andtheimpactonsportsperformance,healing,andoverallhealthareshocking.

Researchers are calling this connection with the human body and the earth“grounding”or“earthing.”

Ina2013issueoftheJournalofAlternativeandComplimentaryMedicineastudywas published showing that, “Grounding increases the surface charge on redblood cells and thereby reduces blood viscosity and clumping. Groundingappears to be one of the simplest and yet most profound interventions forhelpingreducecardiovascularriskandcardiovascularevents.”

Wait,holdup...Justgettingincontactwiththeearth’ssurfacecanimprovemybloodandlowermyriskofaheartattack?

Anotherstudyhadthistosay:

“Reduction in inflammationasaresultofearthinghasbeendocumentedwithinfraredmedicalimagingandwithmeasurementsofbloodchemistryand white blood cell counts. The logical explanation for the anti-inflammatoryeffectsisthatgroundingthebodyallowsnegativelychargedantioxidant electrons from the Earth to enter the body and neutralizepositivelychargedfreeradicalsatsitesofinflammation.FlowofelectronsfromtheEarthtothebodyhasbeendocumented.”

Asforstress,it’sbeenconfirmedthatearthinghasameasurableimpactonstressreduction by shifting the autonomic nervous system from sympathetic toparasympatheticdominance,improvingheartratevariability,andnormalizationofmuscletension.

Iwouldn’thavebelievedthatsomethingsosimpleascomingincontactwiththeearth would be so powerful if the data wasn’t so thick. For a comprehensiveunderstanding,youcancheckoutthebookEarthing:TheMostImportantHealthDiscoveryEver?

Fornow, justdon’tbe the lastperson tomake this connection, andutilize thefree,health-givingresourceyouhaverightoutsideyourfrontdoor.

WhataboutSleep?A study published in 2004 looked at the biological effects of grounding thehumanbodyduringsleepasmeasuredbycortisollevelsandsubjectivereportingofsleep,pain,andstress.

Thestudyfoundthatthepatientswhoweregroundedduringsleephadreducednight-time levels of cortisol and an overall normalization of cortisol secretionduringtheday.Remember,cortisolisthearchnemesisofsleep.Ifyourcortisollevelsareoff,yoursleepwillbeoff.Subjectivereportingbythestudyparticipantsalsoindicatedthatgroundingduringsleepimprovedsleepquality,reducedpain,andloweredstress.

Gettingyourselfgroundedcanhavealife-changingimpactonyoursleepquality.Now, I’m not saying you need to go camping outside like Canteen Boy (old

AdamSandlercharacter;lookhimup)justtogetallofthesebenefits.Todayyoucanutilize incredibleearthing technology thatbrings thebenefitsof theearth’senergyrightintoyourhome.

I’ve been using an Earthing Mat under my desk and sleeping on EarthingSheets for about five years. These are well-designed products that can beconnected toagroundingrodoutsideyourhome,oreasily into thegroundingplugyou’ll findinmostelectricaloutlets.Theysafelyandeffectivelydeliverthefreeelectronsfromtheearthrighttoyou,andallyouneedtodoittouchthemwithanypartofyourbody.Theabovesleepstudyutilizedgroundingproductstoconnectthetestsubjectswiththeearth,andtriggeralloftheimpressiveresultstheyreceived.

Whether or not you decide to utilize these advancements in groundingtechnology,it’sabsolutelycriticaltogetyourbodyincontactwiththeearthonaregularbasistodisplacethepositivechargeyou’recarrying,absorbfreeelectronstoimproveyourrecovery,hormones,andhearthealth,andmostimportantlytogetagreatnight’ssleep.

GetGroundedPowerTip#1Get your direct Vitamin G. Make it a regular practice to get somequality time with your feet on the ground. This means conductivesurfaceslikesoil,grass,sand(atthebeach),andevenlivingbodiesofwaterliketheocean.Thereareothersurfacesthatareconductive,likeconcreteandbrick,buttheireffectivenessdependsonseveralfactors.It’sbest togetyourVitaminG (yourdaily interactionwith theearth)fromthesoilandgrass itself.Bytheway,haveyouevernoticedthatwhenyou takeavacationandgo toabeach, you tend toget reallyamazingsleep?Nowyouknowthatit’strulynotacoincidence.

GetGroundedPowerTip#2Theearthingproductsallowyoutonothavetoshiftyourlifearoundtoomuch to get the benefits of earthing. You can simply continuedoingthingsyounormallydo:workatyourcomputer,sleep,etc.,andbeconnectedtotheearththewholetime.Youcanhaveoneearthingproductorearthingeverywhere—therearemats, sheets,mattresses,mousepads,andevenbandsyoucanputonspecificpainpointsonyour body that are used clinically to reduce pain and inflammation.Nothing replaces getting in direct contactwith the earth, but theseitemscanbeagreatalternativetogetthebenefitsyouneed.

GetGroundedPowerTip#3Because grounding has been proven to sync your body’s circadianclockwiththenormaldiurnalpatternsoftheearth,gettinggroundedafteraflightisapowerfulthingtodo.Ihavefoundthatthispracticeusuallyeliminatesjetlag,andhelpsmetoadjusttothenewtimezonethatI’minveryfast.Humanswerenotdesignedtoskiptimezonesinafewhours, soutilizing advances like this can reallyhelp to revitalizeyou.Ifatallpossible,IgetsomedirectVitaminGfromtheearthaftertravel.Plus,IbringmyEarthingSheetswithme,andalwaysgetagreatnightssleepjustlikeI’mathome.

Humans are creatures of habit and habitat.We’ve covered how tomake yourenvironmentmore sleep-friendly, how to put your body in the ideal state forsleepbeforebed,andevenpracticestocalmyourmindandputyouinthemoodforrestfulsleep.Nowit’stimetoputthesethingstogetherinasuccinctpatternthatreallyworksforyoulong-term.

Your brain loves to fall into patterns so that it can free up space to do otherthings. Themore unconscious competencies we have, themore apt we are tohavegreatersuccessandproductivity.

Whatisanunconsciouscompetency?

Well,thereareultimatelyfourstagestolearninganynewskillorhabit.

1. Unconscious incompetence—whenyou’redoingsomethingwrongandyoudon’tknowyou’redoingitwrong

2. Consciousincompetence—whenyou’redoingsomethingwrongbutyouknowyou’redoingitwrong

3. Conscious competence— when you’re doing something right but youhavetoconsciouslyfocusondoingittherightway

4. Unconsciouscompetence—whenyou’redoingsomethingrightandyoudon’tevenhavetothinkaboutit

Initially,puttingthethingsthatyou’velearnedinthisbookintoactionwillputyou in a phase of conscious competence. You’re going to have to think aboutthemandputconsciouseffort intodoingthemright. It’ssortof likewhenyoufirst learned to drive. You’re verymindful of everything, you have a checklistwhenyougetintoyourcar:adjustseat,mirrors,seatbelt,etc.andyoumakesureyou have them right.While driving, you’re hyper-aware. Eyesmoving, payingattention to your speed, monitoring road signs, other cars, and being extracareful.

Then fast-forward a fewmonths.When you hop in your car, key goes in theignitionandyou’reoutofthere.Notbeingreckless,byanymeans,butyou’vegotthechecklist automated.Yourbrainnotices that the seatandmirrorsare rightevenwithoutyourconsciousawarenessneedingtogothere.Thedrivingprocessitself can become so second nature that you can get into your car for a 20minutes drive, and not even consciously remember all the steps you took toarriveatyourdestination.

It’s not that youwere hypnotized by an evilmutant, it’s that you’re brain hasfreed up space to do other things because driving has become a strongunconscious competence. Your conscious mind can hop in if there’s anirregularityorproblem,butoverallyourbrainhasthisactivityoncruisecontrol.

Toputgettinggreat sleepeverynightoncruisecontrol, it’s simplyamatterofritualizing things just like when you first learn to drive. The word ritual isderivedfromtheLatinwordritusmeaning“aprovenwayofdoingsomething.”A ritual is a small sequence of step-by-step actions that put you in a certainmood,stateorframeofmindforgettingsomethingdone.

Whetherornotyou’vehadahistoryofsleepproblems,aregularbedtimeritual

willhelpyouwinddownandprepareyourbodyforthebestsleeppossible.

Jessica Alexander of The Sleep Council stated, “A bedtime ritual teaches thebraintobecomefamiliarwithsleeptimesandwaketimes.Itprogramsthebrainandinternalbodyclocktogetusedtoasetroutine.”

Parentsthroughouttimearewellawareofthepowerofbedtimeritualsfortheirkids. Some may include a warm bath, putting on pajamas, a bedtime story,relaxingmusic, or something as simple as a kiss on the forehead and a lovingtuckintobed.

Ifyouestablishaconsistentbedtimeritual,yourkidsdriftofftosleepbeforeyouknow it. Their brains and bodies have completely linked those systematicactivities togoingright tosleep.And,asIsaidbefore, inmanywayswe’re justbigadultbabies,andthesamebasicprogrammingisstillthere.Wejustneedtolearntotapintoit.

Dr.LawrenceEpsteinofHarvardMedicalSchoolsaid,“Ourbodycravesroutineand likes to know what’s coming.” By creating a pre-sleep ritual, you’reestablishingaclearassociationbetweenspecificactivitiesandsleep.

Let’slookatsomecommonandeffectiveactivitiesyoucanaddtoyoureveningritualtohelpyougetagreatnight’ssleep.

GetintheMoodRelaxationbeforebedisessential.You’regoingtodiscoverthatmaintaininganeveningritualislikehavinganoffswitchforthestressinyourlife.

Stressistypicallytieduptoanunwillingnesstoletthingsgo,andkeepingthingsping ponging around in yourmind. Here are some specific strategies to helprelax,de-stress,andgetintotherightstateforsleep:

Read some fiction: It’s not a surprise that kids sleep better than most adults.Readingfictionorhavingsomeoneelsereadyoufictionispowerfulforrelaxingour overused, analytical left-brain. There are few things more capable ofdisconnecting you from your stress, worries, and tension than escaping toanotherworldwithinthepagesofabook.

Non-fictioncanbeokay if it’sabiographyorsomethingalong those lines.Butthebestbetistooavoidtheanalytical,methodical,teaching,ortrainingtypesofbooks.

Also,whereyoureadmaybeimportanttoo.Dr.Epsteinadvisestocreateaclearassociation between your bed and sleep. It’s recommended that you readanywhereinyourhomeotherthanyourbeditself ifyoudon’thavethisstrongassociationbuilt.Youcanreadinyourbedroom,justnotinyourbedifyoucan’thandlethereadingrainbowjuice.

Takeabath:Awarmbathorshowershortlybeforebedcanhelpyouunwindandrelax.Waterbyitselfcanhaveaverycalmingeffect,butaddingaromatherapyormagnesiumbathsaltstotheequationcanmakeitevenbetter.

Besurethatthewaterisn’ttoohotoryouruntheriskofraisingyourcorebodytemperaturetoomuch.Also,besurethatyoudon’thoprightoutandgostraighttobed.Allowseveralminutesforyourcoretemperaturetocomebackdown,orsome experts recommend finishing up with a cold bath or shower for thispurpose.

Journaling:Thisisapowerfulpracticethatsomeofthemostsuccessfulpeopleintheworlddo.FromOprah, toTonyRobbins, journalinghasbeena consistent

part of their lives. For the intents of a pre-bedtime ritual, you can use yourjournal to capture stray thoughts; to get any of the random ideas out of yourheadandoutontothepaper.Thatalonewillhelpfreeupmentalspace.

Youcouldalsousethejournalasacheck-in.Tolookatyourprogressandaffirmwhatstepsyouneedtotakenext.Again,gettingitoutofyourheadandontothepaper.

Gratitude log: Part of the reasonpeoplehave anxiety and trouble sleeping is afixation on the things they haven’t done and what they don’t have. If you’rereadingthisrightnow,chancesareyouarefarmorefortunatethanyourealize,and you may have gotten out of touch with just how much you have to begratefulfor.

Youcanuseagratitudelogtosimplycapturethreetofivethingsthatyouweregratefulfortoday.Itcouldbebigthings,itcouldbesmallthings.Justtheactofpaying attention and writing them down to end your day will make youmorereceptive toallof thegoodthings thathappenthatweendup taking forgranted.

Meditationand/orprayers:IrememberwhenIwaslittle;mygrandmotherwouldalwayshaveme saymyprayers before I go tobed.Theprayer endedwithmeasking for the people I love to be protected. I remember saying each person Icould think of by name. My grandmother was incredibly patient with me,because that listwouldbepretty long sometimes. InChapter16,we talked in-depth about the positive affects ofmeditationon sleep quality.The results arereal,butonlyusefulifyouuseit.

Nowthatwehavesomemorerelaxationtoolstoaddtothemix,here’sasimple,easychecklisttocreateastrongneuro-associationbetweenyourbedtimeritualsandgettingamazingsleep.

EveningRitualChecklist:

[]Electronicscreensoff90minutes(minimum)beforebed

[]Stretchand/orbathorshower

[]Readsomefiction

[]Brushyourteeth

[]Usethebathroom

[]Journal

[]Meditation,prayers,orgivegratitude

[]Laydowninbedtosleep

[]Timetosaygoodnight

Sleepisthesecretsauce.

Thehumanbodyisbrilliantlydesignedtoutilizesleeptoimprovevirtuallyeveryfunction that you have. You don’t plug into a socket. You aremade anew byhonoringyourbodyandgettingthesleepyourequire.

Thepathtosuccesswillnotbemadebybypassingdreamland.Yourequiresleeptobe the greatest versionof yourself, andnopill, potion, or tactic can changethat.

Tobegreatatsomething,youhavetomakeastudyofit.I’mtrulyhonoredandhappythatyoupickedupthisbookanddecidedtomakeastudyofsomethingthatwillbringyougreathealthandhappinessformanyyearstocome.

In ourworld today, it’s the simple things that help us reconnectwithwhat ismost valuable. It ismy hope that this book helps you to reconnect to nature,reconnecttojoy,andreconnecttowhat’smostimportantaboutyourself.

RitualizeItPowerTip#1While driving, abnormal things can happen on the road, just likethingscancomeupandinterrupttheflowofyoureveningrituals.Rollwith it,beflexible,anddotheverybestyoucantostayontrack. It’snotaboutbeingperfectbyanymeans,butitisaboutbeingawareofwhatyouneedtodo,andconsistentlyputtingapriorityonyourself.

Ifyoureveningritual isa littleoff,becauseoftravelforexample, justdo themajority of things that youwould normally do in the same,systematic fashion. Stretch, read some fiction, brush your teeth,journal, andget intobed.Doyourbest toworkwithyourbodyandyourbodywillworkwithyou.

Remember, your best is usually a lot more than you think it is.Sometimeswewill put our ownwell-being on the back-burner andthrowupourhandsinconceit.Wewillsaythatwearetryingourbest,but if we do an honest assessment, we’ll usually find that we hadmuchmoreskillandcreativitytobringtothetablethanwewilladmit.

Behonestwithyourself.And, ifyoumakeamistake, forgiveyourselfandfixit.Inourworldwheresleephasbecomeanenemy,itmaytakesometimetogetreacquaintedwiththefriendthatsleepreallyis.

RitualizeItPowerTip#2It’s commonly believed that it takes around 21 days to form a newhabit.Thereality is that itactuallydependsonthesizeandscopeofthehabit,withresearchfindingsomehabitstakingafewweeks,whileotherhabitscantakeseveralmonths.

Toreallyensurethatyoumakeyoureveningritual“automated,”takeactiontofollowitascloseaspossibleforaminimumof30days.Inthebeginning,youhavetoexperimentabittofindoutwhatworksbestforyou,butonceyoufindit,it’sallaboutconsistencyfromthere.

A great quote I once heard, in regards to people being successful,statedthat, “Wefindsomethingthatworks,andthenwestopdoingit.”Don’tfallintothattrap.Fromthispointforward,holdyourselftoahigher standard, and structure things in your life to support yoursuccess rather than tear it down. There is somuchgreatness in youwaiting to be shared, and it starts with passion, consistency, andgettingagreatnight’ssleep.

Introduction

AtlantaSnoringInstitute.“AtlantaSnoringInstituteHonorsNationalSleepAwarenessWeekbyProvidingBreakthroughTreatmentsandCures.”http://www.prweb.com/releases/pillar-procedure/atlanta/prweb11643960.htm.

DivisionofSleepMedicineatHarvardMedicalSchool.MoodandSleep.http://healthysleep.med.harvard.edu/need-sleep/whats-in-it-for-you/mood.

Jean-PhilippeChaputPh.D,AngeloTremblayPh.D.“Adequatesleeptoimprovethetreatmentofobesity.”CMAJ.http://www.cmaj.ca/content/early/2012/09/17/cmaj.120876.

NationalHeart,Lung,andBloodInstitute.“WhatAreSleepDeprivationandDeficiency?”https://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/health-topics/topics/sdd/printall-index.html.

Chapter1

Heffernan,Margaret.’TooLittleSleep:TheNewPerformanceKiller’.Cbsnews.com.http://www.cbsnews.com/news/too-little-sleep-the-new-performance-killer/

Pomplun,MarcandSilva,EdwardJ.andRonda,JosephM.andCain,SeanW.andMünch,MirjamY.andCzeisler,CharlesA.andDuffy,JeanneF.“Theeffectsofcircadianphase,timeawake,andimposedsleeprestrictiononperformingcomplexvisualtasks:Evidencefromcomparativevisualsearch.”JournalofVision.http://www.journalofvision.org/content/12/7/14.fullTaffinder,NJ,McManus,IC,Gul,Y,Russell,RCG,Darzi,A.“Effectofsleepdeprivationonsurgeons’dexterityonlaparoscopysimulator.”TheLancet.http://www.thelancet.com/pdfs/journals/lancet/PIIS0140673698000348.pdfTracy,Abigail.“5TipstoGetaProductiveNight’sSleep.”Inc.Magazinehttp://www.inc.com/abigail-tracy/five-tips-for-a-good-nights-sleep.html

Chapter2

BrainFacts.“TheSleep-WakefulnessCycle”http://www.brainfacts.org/sensing-thinking-behaving/sleep/articles/2012/the-sleep-wakefulness-cycle/

DiSalvo,David.”ToGetMoreSleep,GetMoreSunlight.”Forbes.http://www.forbes.com/sites/daviddisalvo/2013/06/18/to-get-more-sleep-get-more-sunlight/

SmartTan.”SunExposureLeadstoBetterSleep:Study”https://smarttan.com/news/index.php/sun-exposure-leads-to-better-sleep-study/

NationalInstituteofNeurologicalDisordersandStroke.“BrainBasics:UnderstandingSleep.”http://www.ninds.nih.gov/disorders/brain_basics/understanding_sleep.htmUniversityofMarylandMedicalCenter.“Melatonin.”http://umm.edu/health/medical/altmed/supplement/melatonin

Wooten,M.D.,VirgilD.“HowtoFallAsleep.”http://health.howstuffworks.com/mentalhealth/sleep/basics/how-to-fall-asleep2.htm

Chapter3

Sutherland,Stephani.“BrightScreensCouldDelayBedtime.”ScientificAmerican.http://www.scientificamerican.com/article/bright-screens-could-delay-bedtime/

f.luxsoftware.Research.http://justgetflux.com/research.html

Chapter4

Breus,Dr.Michael.“NewDetailsonCaffeine’sSleep-DisruptingEffects.HuffingtonPost.http://www.huffingtonpost.com/dr-michael-j-breus/caffeine-sleep_b_4454546.htmlPaddock,Ph.D.,Catharine.“Caffeinecandisruptsleephourslater.”MedicalNewsToday.http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/268851.php

Purdy,Kevin.“WhatCaffeineActuallyDoestoYourBrain.”LifeHacker.http://lifehacker.com/5585217/what-caffeine-actually-does-to-your-brain

Chapter5

GradisarM.,L.Lack,H.Wright,J.Harris,andA.Brooks.“Dochronicprimaryinsomniacshaveimpariedheatlosswhenatemptingtosleep?”http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/16306160?ordinalpos=1&itool=EntrezSystem2.PEntrez.Pubmed.Pubmed_ResultsPanel.Pubmed_DefaultReportPanel.Pubmed_RVDocSumMercola,M.D.,Joseph.“DoColdTemperaturesImproveSleep?”http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2009/12/19/Do-Cold-Temperatures-Improve-Sleep.aspx

O’Connor,Anahad.“TheClaim:ColdTemperaturesImproveSleep.”TheNewYorkTimes.http://www.nytimes.com/2009/08/04/health/04real.html?_r=0

Chapter6

Chaudhary,M.D.,Kulreet.“SleepandLongevity.”http://www.doctoroz.com/blog/kulreet-chaudhary-md/sleep-and-longevity

Goel,Manisha.“WhatIsTheBestTimeToGoToBed.”LifeHackerIndiahttp://www.lifehacker.co.in/jugaad/What-Is-The-Best-Time-To-Go-To-Bed/articleshow/26421720.cms

Chapter7

Clark,Ian.“ThePerfectMineral.”http://store.activationproducts.com/magnesiuminfusion.html?AFFID=105206

Guise,Stephen.“50StudiesSuggestThatMagnesiumDeficiencyIsKillingUs.”DumbLittleMan:TipsForLife.http://www.dumblittleman.com/2013/08/50-studies-suggest-that-magnesium.htmlHyman,M.D.,Mark.“Magnesium:MeettheMostPowerfulRelaxationMineralAvailable.”http://drhyman.com/blog/2010/05/20/magnesium-the-most-powerful-relaxation-mineral-available/

NutritionBreakthroughs.“Insomnia:StudiesConfirmCalciumandMagnesiumEffective.”MedicalNewsToday.http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/releases/163169.phpStevenson,Shawn“BenefitsofMagnesium”TheShawnStevensonModel.http://theshawnstevensonmodel.com/benefits-of-magnesium/

Chapter8

Hirshkowitz,Ph.D.,MaxandPatriciaB.Smith.SleepDisordersForDummies.http://books.google.com/books?id=r0PXwAzgrysC&pg=PT335&lpg=PT335&dq=running+water+effects+on+sleep&source=bl&ots=Az-SvlpiDB&sig=wkxBE5LK5CnKaQRdANF3hcRuEe0&hl=en&sa=X&ei=oXP6Uue3MsW8qgGXg4CQBw&ved=0CGMQ6AEwBw#v=onepage&q=running%20water%20effects%20on%20sleep&f=falseHuffingtonPost.“10BestHouseplantsToDeStressYourHomeAndPurifyTheAir.”http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/03/29/best-houseplants-destress_n_2964013.htmlMerton,Amber.“PlantTherapy:HowPlantsCanHelpYouSleepBetter.”PlushBedsBlog.http://www.plushbeds.com/blog/sleep-science/plant-therapy-how-plants-can-help-you-sleep-better/

WheelingJesuitUniversity.“WJUProfessorandStudentsFindJasmineOdorLeadstoMoreRestfulSleep,DecreasedAnxietyandGreaterMentalPerformance.http://www.wju.edu/about/adm_news_story.asp?iNewsID=539

Chapter9

Cass,M.D.,Hyla.“LetThereBeDark—andMelatonin.”LifeEnhancement.http://www.life-enhancement.com/magazine/article/1677-let-there-be-dark-and-melatoninDvorsky,George.“Whyweneedtosleepintotaldarkness.”io9.http://io9.com/why-we-need-to-sleepin-total-darkness-1497075228

Gooley,JoshuaJ.,etal.“ExposuretoRoomLightbeforeBedtimeSuppressesMelatoninOnsetandShortensMelatoninDurationinHumans.”JournalofClinicalEndocrinologyandMetabolism.http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3047226/?report=classicPikul,Corrie.“HowToTurnYourBedroomIntoASleepCave.”HuffingtonPost.http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/08/02/how-to-sleep-better-bedroom-tips_n_3673088.htmlStevenson,Shawn.“HelpMeSleep!–21WaysToCureYourSleepProblems(Part2).”TheShawnStevensonModel.http://theshawnstevensonmodel.com/21-cure-sleep-problem-pt2/

*West,KathleenE.,etal.“Bluelightfromlight-emittingdiodeselicitsadose-dependentsuppressionofmelatonininhumans.”JournalofAppliedPhysiology.http://jap.physiology.org/content/110/3/619.abstractZukerman,Wendy.“Skin‘sees’thelighttoprotectagainstsunshine.”NewScientist.http://www.newscientist.com/article/dn21127-skin-sees-the-light-to-protect-against-sunshine.html#.UvpkoXddUWw

Chapter10

BrynMawrCollege.“CanSexCureInsomnia???”Serendip.http://serendip.brynmawr.edu/bb/neuro/neuro05/web2/contributor.html

Flash.“The5HealthBenefitsofHavinganOrgasm.”http://www.self.com/blogs/flash/2011/09/the-5-health-benefits-of-havin.html

Gloom.“WhyDoMenFeelSleepyAfterSex?”MentalHealthDaily.http://mentalhealthdaily.com/2013/04/24/why-do-men-feel-sleepy-after-sex-prolactin-oxytocin-vasopressin-et-al/

Jacques,Renee.“11ReasonsYouShouldBeHavingMoreOrgasms.“HuffingtonPost.http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/11/05/orgasm-health-benefits_n_4143213.htmlKeeners,M.D.,Brigitte,TillmannH.C.Kruger,M.D.,StuartBrody,Ph.D.,SandraSchmidlin,EvaNaegeli,andMarcelEgli,Ph.D.“TheQualityofSexualExperienceinWomenCorrelateswithPost-OrgasmicProlactinSurges:ResultsfromanExperimentalPrototypeStudy.“TheJournalofSexualMedicine.http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23421490

Wenner,Melinda.“WhyDoGuysGetSleepyAfterSex?”LiveScience.http://www.livescience.com/32445-why-do-guys-get-sleepy-after-sex.html

Chapter11

AppalachianStateUniversity.“Earlymorningexerciseisbestforreducingbloodpressureandimprovingsleep.”http://www.news.appstate.edu/2011/06/13/early-morning-exercise/

Davis,JeanieLerche.“MorningExerciseMayHelpYouSleep.“WebMD.http://www.webmd.com/menopause/news/20031104/morning-exercise-may-help-you-sleep*ExperienceLife.“ExerciseEarly,SleepBetter.http://experiencelife.com/newsflashes/exercise-early-sleep-deep/

***Stevenson,Shawn.“FatalFatLossMistake#3–WorkingOutAtNight.”TheShawnStevensonModel.http://theshawnstevensonmodel.com/fat-loss-mistake-working-out-at-night/

Widrich,Leo.“WhatHappenstoOurBrainsWhenWeExerciseandhowItMakesUsHappier.”Buffer.http://blog.bufferapp.com/why-exercising-makes-us-happier?utm_content=bufferd1a95&utm_medium=social&utm_source=twitter.com&utm_campaign=bufferWooten,M.D.,VirgilD.“HowtoFallAsleep.”HowStuffWorks.http://health.howstuffworks.com/mentalhealth/sleep/basics/how-to-fall-asleep1.htm

Chapter12

Becker,Joshua.“18GoodReasonstoGettheTVOutofYourBedroom.”BecomingMinimalist.http://www.becomingminimalist.com/18-darn-good-reasons-to-get-the-tv-out-of-the-bedroom/

Gilbert,Jason.“SmartphoneAddiction:StaggeringPercentageOfHumansCouldn’tGoOneDayWithoutTheirPhone.”HuffingtonPost.http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/08/16/smartphone-addiction-time-survey_n_1791790.htmlGittleman,AnnLousie.“Hormones,CellPhonesandEMFs.”AreYouZapped.http://www.areyouzapped.com/articles/83

Lean,Geoffrey.“Mobilephoneradioationwrecksyoursleep.”TheIndependent.http://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/health-and-families/health-news/mobile-phone-radiation-wrecks-your-sleep-771262.htmlMercola,M.D.,Joseph.“NEWUrgentWarningtoAllCellPhoneUsers.”http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2012/06/16/emf-safety-tips.aspxMercola,M.D.,Joseph.“CellPhonesRaiseChildren’sRiskofBrainCancer500Percent.”http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2008/10/11/cell-phones-raise-children-s-risk-of-brain-cancer-500-percent.aspxMacrae,Fiona.“Computerinyourchild’sbedroomdisturbssleepandcanleadtomemoryproblemsandpoormarksinschool.”DailyMail.http://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-2378417/Computer-childs-bedroom-disturbs-sleep-lead-memory-problems-poor-marks-school.htmlNationalCancerInstitute.“MagneticFieldExposureandCancer:QuestionsandAnswers.”http://www.cancer.gov/cancertopics/factsheet/Risk/magnetic-fieldsParker-Pope,Tara.“AOne-EyedInvaderintheBedroom.”TheNewYorkTimes.http://www.nytimes.com/2008/03/04/health/04well.html?_r=0

Talreja,Prerna.“SleepingWithYourPhoneisBadForYourHealth—Obviously”PolicyMic.http://www.policymic.com/articles/31199/sleeping-with-your-phone-is-bad-for-your-health-obviouslyRiggs,Roy.”TheLittle-KnownDangersofEMFsandHowToProtectYouandYourFamily.”BodyEcology.http://bodyecology.com/articles/little-known-dangers-of-

emf.php#.UxSwdfRdUWx

Chapter13

Brandt,MichelleL.“ResearchersIDbesthourstosleepwhentimeislimitedPeoplewhorestintheearlymorningdobetterthanthosewhosleeplateatnight.”StanfordReport.http://news.stanford.edu/news/2003/may28/sleep.htmlDean,Carolyn,M.D.“Magnesium-TheWeightLossCure.”NaturalNews.http://www.naturalnews.com/036049_magnesium_weight_loss_cure.html

Gregoire,Carolyn.“BeingOverweight,ObeseLinkedToReleaseOfStressHormoneCortisolAfterEating.”HuffingtonPost.http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/06/20/stress-weight-gain_n_3459755.htmlGunnars,Kris.“23StudiesonLow-CarbandLow-FatDiets–TimetoRetireTheFad.”AuthorityNutritionhttp://authoritynutrition.com/23-studies-on-low-carb-and-low-fat-diets/

NationalSleepFoundation.“ObesityandSleep.”http://www.sleepfoundation.org/sleep-topics/obesity-and-sleep/page/0%2C1/****

MacGill,Markus.“Obesitylinktolackofsleepsuggestedbybrainscans.”MedicalNewsToday.http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/264539.php

Pessoney,StacyA.“BasicMagnesiumDeficiencyCausesObesityandDiabetes.”WholesaleNutrition.http://nutri.com/blog/2014/02/basic-magnesium-deficiency-causes-obesity-and-diabetes/

Shafii,Mohammad,DuncanR.Macmillan,MaryP.Key,NancyKaufman,andIrwinD.Nahinsky.“CaseStudy:MelatonininSevereObesity.”JournaloftheAmericanAcademyofChildandAdolescentPsychiatry.http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0890856709664467

Chapter14

Arnedt,J.T.,Rohsenow,D.J.,Almeida,A.B.,Hunt,S.K.,Gokhale,M,Gottlieb,D.J.,andHowland,J.“Sleepfollowingalcoholintoxicationinhealthy,youngadults:effectsofsexandfamilyhistoryofalcoholism.”Alcoholism:ClinicalandExperimentalResearch.http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21323679

Park,Alice.“Can’tSleep?ItMayBeAffectingYourMemory.“Time.http://healthland.time.com/2012/02/16/cant-sleep-it-may-be-affecting-your-memory/

Ross,Valerie.“AlcoholSideEffects:4WaysDrinkingMessesWithYourSleep.”HuffingtonPost.http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/05/17/alcohol-side-effects-drinking-sleep_n_3286434.htmlGoins,Liesa.“HowtoHoldYourLiquor.”WebMD.http://www.webmd.com/balance/features/how-to-hold-your-liquor

Wikipedia.“Sleepandmemory.”http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sleep_and_memory

Rosenberg,Ph.D,Russell.“HowAlcoholCanRuinYourSleep.”HuffingtonPost.http://www.huffingtonpost.com/russell-rosenberg-phd/alcohol-sleep_b_902578.html

Chapter15

Breene,Sophia.“TheBest(andWorse)PositionsforSleeping.”Greatist.http://greatist.com/happiness/best-sleep-positions

BuzzFeed.“WhatYourSleepingPositionSaysAboutYou.”https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XjoqsIgJTk0

Dale,Healther.“TheProsandConsofSleepingonYourSide,Back,andStomach.PopSugar.http://www.fitsugar.com/Which-Sleep-Position-Healthiest-14571804

HitFull.“22Funny-AwkwardSleepingPositions.”http://www.hitfull.com/pictures/pset.php?set=funny_crazy_Awkward_Sleeping_positions

Pratiks.“3Positionsfor2PeopleSleepingTogether.”https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rcV1CGN3tvA

SearchResults:SleepPosition.YouTube.comhttps://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=sleep%20position&sm=3

UNP.SleepingStyleChart.http://www.unp.me/f8/whts-your-sleeping-style-215474/

Wikipedia.“Snoring.”http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Snoring

Vojta,Prof.Václav.“WhoDevelopedVojtaDiagnosticsandTherapy?”TheVojtaPrinciple.http://vojtakonzept.de/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=47&Itemid=7&lang=enFrew,DavidR.“TranscendentalMeditationandProductivity.”AcademyofManagementJournal.http://amj.aom.org/content/17/2/362.short

Chapter16

AmericanAcademyofSleepMedicine.“MeditationMayBeAnEffectiveTreatmentForInsomnia.”ScienceDaily.http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/06/090609072719.htm“BetterSleepThroughMeditation”4TechniquestoTryTonight.”HealthMagazine.http://www.health.com/health/condition-article/0,,20189101,00.htmlFinerminds.“MeetYourBrainWaves—IntroducingAlpha,Beta,Theta,Delta,andGamma.”http://www.finerminds.com/mind-power/brain-waves/

MeditationsMindMatters.“Brainwaves.”http://www.meditations-uk.com/information/brain_waves.html

Trafton,Anne.“Thebenefitsofmeditation.”MITNews.http://web.mit.edu/newsoffice/2011/meditation-0505.html

Chapter17

Asprey,Dave.“SleepHackingPart3”FallingAsleepFastwithBiochemistry.”Bulletproof:TheStateofHighPerformance.http://www.bulletproofexec.com/sleep-hacking-part-3-falling-asleep-fast-with-biochemistry/

Ehrlich,N.M.D.,StevenD.“5Hydroxytryptophan(5-HTP).”UniversityOfMarylandMedicalReferenceGuide.http://umm.edu/health/medical/altmed/supplement/5hydroxytryptophan-5htpEhrlich,N.M.D.,StevenD.“Kavakava.”UniversityOfMarylandMedicalReferenceGuidehttp://umm.edu/health/medical/altmed/herb/kava-kava

Ehrlich,N.M.D.,StevenD.“Valerian.”UniversityOfMarylandMedicalReferenceGuidehttps://umm.edu/health/medical/altmed/herb/valerian

Smucker,M.P.H.,Ph.D,CelesteM.“Chamomilehelpswithanxiety,sleeplessnessanddepression.”NaturalNews.http://www.naturalnews.com/034454_chamomile_anxiety_depression.htmlSisson,Mark.“WhyMelatoninIsaDangerousSupplement.”Mark’sDailyApple.http://www.marksdailyapple.com/before-you-close-your-eyes-make-sure-theyre-open/#axzz2vD0hbsogSrivastava,JanmejaiK.,EswarShankar,andSanjayGupta.“Chamomile:Aherbalmedicineofthepastwithabrightfuture(Review).”MolecularMedicineReports.http://www.spandidos-publications.com/mmr/3/6/895

Chapter18

Agliata,Kate.“CharacteristicsofNocturnalAnimals.”eHow.http://www.ehow.com/info_8742878_characteristics-nocturnal-animals.html

Gonzalez,RobertT.“Whyisissoimpossibletogetoutofbedinthemorning?”io9.http://io9.com/why-is-it-so-impossible-to-get-out-of-bed-in-the-mornin-1348209324

Mercola,M.D.,Joseph.“WhyYouShouldNeverSleepWithTVorDimLightsOn...”http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2011/02/19/why-you-should-never-sleep-with-tv-or-dim-lights-on.aspxRettner,Rachel.“AvoidingDepression:SleepinginDarkRoomMayHelp.”LiveScience.http://www.livescience.com/9004-avoiding-depression-sleeping-dark-room.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+livescience%2Fhealthscitech+%28LiveScience.com+Health+SciTech%29

Williams,RayB.“EarlyRisersareHappier,HealthierandMoreProductiveThanNightOwls.”PsychologyToday.http://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/wired-success/201208/early-risers-are-happier-healthier-and-more-productive-night-owlsMarks,M.D.Tracey.“HowToBecomeAMorningPerson.”HuffingtonPost.http://www.huffingtonpost.com/tracey-marks-md/morning-person_b_864377.html

Goudreau,Jenna.“10AdvantagesofWakingUpEarly.”ForbesWoman.http://shine.yahoo.com/healthy-living/10-advantages-waking-early-195900205.html

Babauta,Leo.“TheMostSuccessfulTechniquesforRisingEarly.”ZenHabits.http://zenhabits.net/early/

Chapter19

Gates,Sara.“DoWomenNeedBras?FrenchStudySaysBrassieresAreA‘FalseNecessity’.”HuffingtonPost.http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/04/11/women-bras-study-france-false-necessity_n_3062114.html

*GhanaNews.“WhySleepingWithoutClothesIsGood.”http://www.spyghana.com/why-sleeping-without-clothes-is-good/

Krempf,Antoine.“Breastswouldbebetterwithoutabra.”FranceInfo.http://www.franceinfo.fr/societe/les-seins-se-portent-mieux-sans-soutien-gorge-947307-2013-04-10

LowBlue-LightGlasses.https://www.lowbluelights.com

Singer,SydneyRoss.“DroopPhobia,TheBraandBreastCancer.”KillerCulture.http://www.killerculture.com/droop-phobia-the-bra-and-breast-cancer/

Stevenson,Shawn.“DressedToKill–TheDangersOfWearingBrasAndConstrictiveClothingWithMedicalAnthropologistSydneySingerhttp://theshawnstevensonmodel.com/dangers-wearing-bras/

Sisson,Mark.“HowLightAffectsOurSleep.”Mark’sDailyApple.http://www.marksdailyapple.com/how-light-affects-our-sleep/#axzz2wQlML18c

Chapter20

Chevalier,G.,S.T.Sinatra,J.LOschman,andR.M.Delany.“Earthing(grounding)thehumanbodyreducesbloodviscosity-amajorfactorincardiovasculardisease.”JournalofAlternativeandComplementaryMedicine.http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22757749

Ghaly,M.D.,Maurice,andDaleTeplitx,M.A.“TheBiologicEffectsofGroundingtheHumanBodyDuringSleepasMeasuredbyCortisolLevelsandSubjectiveReportingofSleep,Pain,andStress.”JournalofAlternativeandComplementaryMedicine.http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/15650465

Kiefer,Dale.“SuperoxideDismutaseBoostingtheBody’sPrimaryAntioxidantDefense.”LifeEtensionMagazine.http://www.lef.org/magazine/mag2006/jun2006_report_sod_01.htmTheEarthingInstitute.“Areyougroundedinwater–theocean,alake,yourswimmingpool,yourbathtub?”http://earthinginstitute.net/qa/%E2%97%8F-are-you-grounded-in-water-the-ocean-a-lake-your-swimming-pool-your-bathtub/

Chapter21

Lynn,Aaron.“EveningRituals:GettingBetterSleepwithaLittlePreparation.”AsianEfficiency.http://www.asianefficiency.com/health/evening-rituals-getting-better-sleep-with-a-little-preparation/

Griffel,Mattan.“UnconsciousIncompetenceandtheFourStagesofLearning.”Mediumhttps://medium.com/self-investment/ad5583abf646

Tartakovsky,M.S.,Margarita.“12WaystoShutOffYourBrainBeforeBedtime.”PsychCentral.http://psychcentral.com/lib/12-ways-to-shut-off-your-brain-before-bedtime/0006577

Shawn Stevenson is the creator ofTheModelHealth Show, featured as the #1Nutrition and Fitness podcast on iTunes, and a leading health expert who'stransformed the lives of thousands of people around theworld.A graduate ofThe University of Missouri - St. Louis with a background in biology andkinesiology, Shawnwenton tobe the founderofAdvanced IntegrativeHealthAlliance, a successful company that provides Wellness Services for bothindividuals andorganizationsworldwide. Shawn is adynamickeynote speakerwho has spoken for TEDx, universities, and numerous organizations withoutstandingreviews.

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