Sleep changed my system for rest and recovery. Sleep is easy to overlook, especially because nobody teaches you how to do it. Nick Littlehales comes from the peak performance industry. He works with Premier League Football clubs and Olympians. He's developed a simple system to optimize your recovery. Anyone can find more sleep efficiency with a few key changes.
Key Takeaways
Memorable Quotes
Rating: 9/10
This gets a high rating because of its pure practicality. It's very much a 'how to' of sleep. It's a quick read, and even if you only take one or two pieces from it, you'll find value.
Key Takeaways
- Your sleep cycles go in increments of ~90 minutes.
- Wake up at the same time every day (yes, even weekends), so that your body is always primed to go in the morning.
- Go to sleep a multiple of 90 minutes before your wake up time. This means if you have 7 hours until your wake up time, you're better off staying up another hour.
- Use blackout shades.
- Find a mattress that's right for your body.
- Take advantage of naps to supplement your regular sleep. Nick calls them "Controlled Recovery Periods: CRPs," and I get a kick out of that.
Memorable Quotes
- In fact, setting a constant wake time is one of the most powerful tools at our disposal when looking to improve the quality of our recovery. Our bodies love it, with our circadian rhythms, set by the rise and fall of the sun, working around a consistent point, and our minds love it, because through this constant wake time we can build the confidence to be more flexible in other aspects of our lives.
- Use caffeine as a strategic performance enhancer, not out of habit—and no more than 400 milligrams per day.
- Think of sleep in ninety-minute cycles, not hours. Your sleep time is flexible, but it is determined by counting back in ninety-minute slots from your wake time. Look at sleep in a broader tract of time to take the pressure off. One ‘bad night’s sleep’ won’t kill you – think of it in cycles per week. Try to avoid three nights of fewer cycles than your ideal back to back.
- Start on five cycles, and see how you feel after seven days. If this is too long, move it down to four. Not enough? Move up to six. You’ll know because you should feel good once you’ve adjusted to it.
Rating: 9/10
This gets a high rating because of its pure practicality. It's very much a 'how to' of sleep. It's a quick read, and even if you only take one or two pieces from it, you'll find value.