Crap Sleep: What Helps Me

For as long as I can remember I have slept like shit.

I went through a phase of not being able to fall asleep, but for the most part it’s not being able to stay asleep.

Whichever you may have, it’s such an awful feeling waking up still tired, knowing you’ve got a full day ahead.

So let’s take a look at some of the stuff I recommend regularly.

I’m not saying the things in this article will definitely work for you, but they have definitely worked for me - and I hope in trying some of this stuff you can get a better nights sleep.

It’s also worth noting that these aren’t what I take every single day, sometimes you have a night out or get woken by screaming kids and know your sleep is going to be rubbish no matter what you do, but for the most part it’s good to have a framework to aim for.

Yogi Bedtime Tea

There’s a bunch of sleep teas - I can tell you’ve I’ve tried about 10 - and Yogi Tea Bedtime has always been my fave.

If you’re having particularly crappy sleep I’d recommend a cup about 2 hours before bed and another 1 hour before - keep them small-ish so you don’t need a wee in the night. Bag in, nice and strong.

ZMA

You can get ZMA blends everywhere but Amazon is your best bet - I use the Nutravita one - but tend to get whatever’s on offer.

I started taking ZMA years ago and immediately noticed a difference in how rested I felt - and a bonus is the Zinc will help immunity. I take about 3 an hour before bed with the sleep tea.

Sleep Mask, Earplugs

Every single night I use both of these. Even if you’re at home, it’s silent and you have blackout blinds, just try out a sleep mask and some earplugs. You can pick them up super cheap, even the foam plugs from the chemist will be fine.

You’d be surprised how even a tiny little bit of light can impact your quality of sleep - a lot of folks will say they can sleep with a light on but actually it could be impacting your deep sleep. Try it and see how you get on.

Limit Caffeine

I love caffeine, it improves performance and helps focus massively. But it’s very easy to overload in the day and have it keep you up at night.

After years of testing, I know my limits. I have one coffee (black, AeroPress) first thing in the morning when I get up and start work. Then I have one source of caffeine - could be another coffee, could be a pre-workout - before my workout. But only if my workout is before 3pm. I don’t drink caffeine after 3pm.

If I’m working out after work and it’s later in the evening, I just don’t take anything pre-workout.

Caffeine will stay in your system longer than you think, and even if you can fall asleep fine it could be impacting how deep you sleep and recover.

Blue Light Blocker

Obvious one, but try to use both blue light blocking glasses and the in-built blue light reduction options in your phone/computer. Recently I discovered my Mac wasn’t automatically switching it on so it’s worth double checking.

Read, No Phone

At least half an hour before bed, put your phone somewhere you can’t pick it up easily, and read a book. Read fiction, as I tend to find non-fiction gets ideas firing in my head and then I can’t sleep.

This is the hardest one to do honestly as it’s so easy to be knackered after a long day and feel like just scrolling rubbish on your phone. But it’s also by far one that’s had the biggest impact on me, not just sleep but for relaxation and reducing anxiety too.

If you’re really stuck…

All of the above aren’t going to knock you out cold. These are things that will help with sleep hygiene and doing them regularly as a routine will be a massive improvement in your rest.

That being said, if you are genuinely doing everything right, sometimes it’s a last resort to use something that will actually knock you out. I tend to use Boots Sleepease but most of these types of over-the-counter supplements are all similar and are based on diphenhydramine hydrochloride.

If I’m really out of whack, I’ll take 50mg of this for a couple of nights running, just to get back into a routine. But don’t rely on it!

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