Don't Sleep on Sleep : GENT'S POST

“Oh, you need not worry ’bout me… I’ll sleep when I die!” he chuckled, with an exhausted smirk on his face.

Do a quick Google search on how many sleep hours a man should get and surely you won’t find the results to be surprising. Our bodies require around 7-9 hours a night to ensure we are at peak performance. We all know this, it’s one of the things we were taught as children that have actually stood the test of time. Applying this theory is where things become difficult.

Most of us do not achieve the recommended hours of sleep needed to consistently function at full capacity. We live in a time where we are encouraged and applauded for grinding until the sun comes up, resting our eyes for a few hours, then doing it again. That “I’ll sleep when I die” thought process often leads to extreme burnout. When that burnout starts creeping in, along comes the negative self talk with a vengeance.

How To Track Your Sleep

There are many devices available on the market that help you track your sleep. Sleep tracker’s come in a variety of different rings, wristbands, watches, and headbands to choose from. These trackers help monitor body movements as you sleep. Depending on the device, it may look at the difference in heart rate changes during sleep. This also helps to estimate how much time you’ve spent in each sleep cycle. They’re designed to determine how much time you’ve spent awake versus time asleep. Going from averaging 4-5 hours of sleep a night to averaging 7-8 hours, will change your life.

Get Ready for Bed

A plan to ensure that you are making the most of your night is an integral part of this process. A “nightly routine” is beneficial to ensure a productive morning. What time did you last eat before you went to bed? How much screen time have you subjected yourself to? Ideally you want to allow yourself a couple hours free from blue light (TV, Phones) before you call it a night.

Start with a plan, because a man without a plan, is not a man.

“I’m a Beast, and I Only Sleep 4 hours”

Here’s the thing. It’s not a matter of how well you’re performing, its a matter of how well you could be performing. What about recovery and willpower? It’s about how exhausted you feel at the end of the day. This is about the internal strength you have to continue to uphold the standards you’ve set for yourself. You cannot play catchup with your rest either. Unfortunately, that’s not how it works. You can’t sleep for 3 hours, then 4, then 6 in hopes that an 11 hour mega crash at the end of the week will balance it out. Without the consecutive recommended hours, your body simply is not functioning to it’s full capacity.

Gentlemen, if you’re out here killing it and you’re not even functioning at 100%, imagine a world where you’re consistently getting at least seven hours of sleep. Imagine how much more productive your thoughts will be. You’re unstoppable now, wait until they get a load of the well rested version of you.