Sleeping Recipes
Health Recipe List
1) Fix Your Sleep: Say Good Morning to the Sun
2) Non Sleep Deep Rest: The Many Wonders of Having a Rest, It Doesn’t Have to be a Nap
3) A Steamy Mug of__ ; Time Your Caffeine and Stop Sabotaging Your Sleep
4) What To Do if You Find Yourself Lying Awake in Bed
5) Consistent Sleep Schedule
6) Fire Up Your Furnace, Wake Up and Move Baby
7) Erase This Saying From Your Speech “My Work is Too Busy, I’ll Sleep When I’m Dead”
8) Subscribe to the Sun (Not just in the morning)
9) It’s Time to Nap Like an Astronaut
1) Fix Your Sleep: Say Good Morning to the Sun
Timing: 2-5 minutes or 30-60 minutes on a cloudy day
Level of Difficulty: Easy to do, you just have to take the time to do it
Serving Size: 3 mornings in a row to start, then make it happen as much as you can
Spice Level: Mild and energizing like a protein filled breakfast
INGREDIENTS
Just you and that big bright star up in the sky called the sun
REASONING AND BENEFITS
One of the main reasons a lot of us struggle with sleep is because our internal clocks are confused and have no idea what time of day it actually is. Luckily, there is a very easy fix. Your body relies on light exposure to figure out what time of day it is, with sunlight being the most important. The issue here is that we are spending more time indoors and not catching those sweet rays in the morning, and we are exposing ourselves to brighter and brighter artificial lights later in the evening, which means our bodies are not gearing up for sleep when they should. If you struggle with sleep, the first thing you should try is this: get outside in the morning and get some sunlight in your eyes without sunglasses—but please, do not look directly at the sun. This rising low angle sun is your best friend when it comes to sleep as it will wake up your body and set your internal clock called your circadian rhythm. Another essential thing for sleep is melatonin. Melatonin is a hormone produced in your brain in response to darkness. Morning sun will shut down your production of melatonin in the morning to wake you up, and it will also tell your body to get ready to release melatonin in 12-16 hours to get ready for sleep. Those are two essential and beneficial triggers that we receive from the sun. Doing this consistently for a minimum of only three days will help you reset your internal clock so your body will actually know when it is supposed to be gearing up for sleep. Let’s repeat that one more time, only three days of getting sunlight in your eyes when you wake up will help reset your internal clock to get better sleep at night. If you have trouble sleeping, don’t go to a pill or an expensive mattress first, go hang out with your new best friend; that low angle sun.
INSTRUCTIONS
When you wake up, go outside and let sunlight enter your eyes (without sunglasses).
If you wake up before the sun, turn bright lights on when you wake up, and go hang with the sun when it comes up.
Do not look directly at the sun, this will hurt, anything that hurts your eyes when looking at it is no good, don’t do it.
Get morning sunlight as early as you can, before 10 am. After 10 am you will start losing the waking and melatonin sleep prep benefits. Any sunlight is great for you, but the window of benefit for your sleep will have passed.
If the sun is very bright, 2-5 minutes may be all that you need, if it is very cloudy, stay outside longer if possible for 30-60 mins.
Viewing sunlight through a window is good, but it will not be enough to set your clock because windows block too much of those beneficial rays. Get outside.
PRO TIP: If you don’t have time in the morning to catch the sun before you go to work, roll down your car window and stick your head out the window like a dog, and soak in some rays.
*While you are getting your morning sun, do a little exercise to start the day even better. A walk, quick jog, some jumping jacks, skipping, or a body weight workout. Maximize the sleep benefit.
** If there is a day when you do not want to do a little movement with that morning sun, read a book or try a little meditation. Optimize your time, stack these positive behaviours in your life
*** If this is a habit you can incorporate into your daily life, or at least 80% of it, your sleep will greatly improve, and you will be well on your way to becoming a sleep master.
Sources and Further Learning:
Learn more about sleep with this amazing book:
Walker, M. (2017). Why we sleep: Unlocking the Power of Sleep and Dreams. Simon and Schuster.
Learn more about sleep and listen to this Podcast:
Huberman Lab Episode 2: Master Your Sleep and Be More Alert When Awake
2) Non Sleep Deep Rest: The Many Wonders of Having a Rest, It Doesn’t Have to be a Nap
Timing: 5-20 Minutes
Level of Difficulty: Easy, just find the time and listen
Serving Size: Try to fit these in a few times a week to train your mind to calm down
Spice Level: Melt in your mouth mild
INGREDIENTS
Just yourself, listening to a video, while hanging out with your breath
REASONING AND BENEFITS
Do you suck at napping? Do you skip them entirely because you don’t see the point of a short nap when you just lay there getting frustrated trying to fall asleep? If this is you, or if you only have 5-10 minutes for a rest during your day, we are here to tell you that you don’t have to actually fall asleep. Having a quick rest can do absolute wonders for your energy, focus, and state of mind. This rest doesn’t require you to meditate, or focus your thoughts and energy on what you are doing, all you have to do is throw on a video on youtube and listen to a relaxing script. There are two types of videos we recommend that you search and try here: “Non Sleep Deep Rest” and “Yoga Nidra.” These are amazing for your short term and long term health. In the short term, these forms of rest will reset your energy levels and focus for the remainder of the day. In the long term, the more you do these, the faster you will be able to shift your mental state from stress or focus to calmness and relaxation. Think of these videos as a work out for your brain to calm down. The more you run, the better you get at running, the more you teach your brain to calm down and relax, the better it will be at it. If you have never been able to stick to meditation, or if you have always been a bad napper, or if you never rest at all during the day, this is the recipe for you. Throw on a video, listen to what they say, and become a pro at calming your mind and body down.
INSTRUCTIONS
Find a time during the day when you can fit in a short rest while listening to one of these videos on Non Sleep Deep Rest or Yoga Nidra. Try them both to see which you like best.
Some helpful times to try these out: in the middle of a busy day, after a stressful event, before an important task, before you go to sleep to quiet your mind, while your kids are napping, or absolutely any time that you can fit it in.
Sit down, lay down, do whatever you have access to. Throw on a video and just relax, listen, and feel yourself calming down.
Find times that work best for you, and try fitting these in a few times per week.
PRO TIP: This recipe is an absolute must in our minds. We rarely slow down in today’s world, we rarely give our mind a break, this is the easiest way to make that happen and get better at calming down.
* Non sleep deep rest was coined by Dr. Andrew Huberman. Listen to him talk about all of the benefits online. There are 10 minute and 20 minute videos, find your favourite and stick with it.
** There are a ton of different yoga nidra videos online. Try out a few different ones to find your favourite, and the length that works best for you.
*** If you find that stress is taking over your mind, fitting these short rests into your day will allow you to take control back and relax.
Sources and Further Learning:
Learn more about non sleep deep rest from Andrew Huberman:
https://www.hubermanlab.com/topics/nsdr-meditation-and-breathwork
Non sleep deep rest and yoga nidra videos:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AKGrmY8OSHM&t=311s
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pL02HRFk2vo&t=33s
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_noquwycq78
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7H0FKzeuVVs
3) A Steamy Mug of__ ; Time Your Caffeine and Stop Sabotaging Your Sleep
Timing: No extra time out of your day
Level of Difficulty: Depends on your level of caffeine addiction
Serving Size: Try out the morning delay or skip the late afternoon joe and go from there
Spice Level: Mild for chill coffee drinkers, a little spicy at first if your body is used to that cup of joe right away in the morning!
INGREDIENTS
Your favourite caffeinated coffee or tea
REASONING AND BENEFITS
Before you get worried about us taking away that steamy mug of caffeine, you can relax, because we aren’t going to do that. Coffee and caffeinated tea can be great for you when consumed in moderation and during the right times of the day. We are talking only about coffee and tea, because avoiding caffeine from pop and energy drinks is a good idea because of the sugar and other ingredients. Coffee and tea both offer good nutrients and antioxidants to your body, and can be used to increase focus during your day. Let’s talk about timing: try and avoid drinking your first mug of caffeine right when you wake up. You are going to want to wait 60-90 minutes before you drink caffeine. This will actually help you fall asleep at night because the sleep pressure that builds up inside you throughout the day (adenosine) will be able to start right away. If you consume caffeine right away, the caffeine will actually block and delay that sleep pressure from building, and that means you won’t have enough sleep pressure built up inside you to fall asleep as well at night. Next step: put a stop to caffeine after 2 pm. Caffeine has a half life of 5-7 hours, so if for example you have a coffee at 4 pm, half of the caffeine will still be in your body when you are trying to fall asleep. This can make it hard to fall asleep, and will cause a fractured sleep when you do end up falling asleep, reducing that important sleep quality. The one situation where we recommend you stop drinking caffeine all together is if you are having a really hard time falling asleep and staying asleep. We aren’t saying you have to stop forever, but take a break from caffeine, fix your sleep, and then you can introduce caffeine back into your life at the optimal times of day and take note of how it truly affects you.
INSTRUCTIONS
Wake up and fight the urge to drink caffeine right away by drinking two cups of water.
Now that you have fought the urge, indulge in the finest mug of coffee or tea 60-90 minutes after waking up. The higher the quality of the bean or leaves, the better the nutrients.
Don’t drink the whole pot of coffee, enjoy a mug or two and shut it down.
Do you need an early afternoon pick me up? Go for it, but avoid caffeine after 2 pm, or else it will start impacting your sleep
Is a post dinner cup of joe in your routine? Shut that down and try drinking decaffeinated tea instead.
PRO TIP: If you are in the habit of drinking caffeine right away in the morning, get creative with how you delay that first cup. If you have to make it right away to get to work, toss it in a thermos, and set an alarm for 60-90 minutes after waking up. When the alarm sounds, enjoy the heck out of it.
* When you buy your coffee, try out some fair trade organic coffee beans to maximize those nutrients and antioxidants.
** Some great caffeinated teas that pack a mean nutrient rich punch that we love are: Yerba Mate, Matcha, and Pu-Erh. If you can, organic would be great, loose leaf organic even better.
*** Time your caffeine before exercise or a focused work bout to get an added edge. Heck, have some caffeine right before an early afternoon siesta and get the energy increasing double whammy of caffeine and a LLD (Little Lay Down).
Learn more about mastering your sleep:
Walker, M. (2017). Why we sleep: Unlocking the Power of Sleep and Dreams. Simon and Schuster.
4) What To Do if You Find Yourself Lying Awake in Bed
Timing: Staying awake a little longer than usual
Level of Difficulty: Easy to stay awake, easier to fall asleep
Serving Size: Do this until you build back your confidence to fall asleep when you get in bed
Spice Level: Spicy to stay awake and get tired, but sweet once you can fall asleep quickly again
INGREDIENTS
Just yourself, a later bedtime, and a renewed skill of falling asleep again
REASONING AND BENEFITS
Alright, if you are here and you have already read the “Quieting the Mind” recipe, that means that you are still struggling with falling asleep. So what now? The goal now is to teach your brain that your bed is for sleeping when you are tired. Stay with us here. If you do other things in your bed such as check out your phone, watch TV, or do your finances, your brain will attach many different things to your bed instead of just sleeping. Stop doing those things in bed, and then do not go to bed until you are very tired. This will mean that you stay awake longer than usual. This may seem counterproductive to your goal of sleeping better, but, as we try to show your brain that your bed is only for sleeping, we need to get you in bed only when you are tired so that your body and brain have no choice but to fall asleep. When you stay awake longer than normal, your sleep pressure (adenosine) will build and build, making you more and more tired. While you let this sleep pressure build, instead of focusing on going to sleep, focus on seeing how long you can stay awake. We sometimes create sleep anxiety when we start worrying about if we are going to fall asleep or not, incapacitating us from being able to sleep. Focusing on staying awake will get rid of the sleep anxiety. Alright, it’s time to teach your body how to fall asleep again.
INSTRUCTIONS
If you have been struggling to fall asleep lately, and you find yourself stressing out about whether you are going to fall asleep or not then it is time to switch up your routine.
No TV and no phones in your bed, just keep your bed for sleeping.
Go to bed only when you are very tired, so your body has no choice but to fall asleep.
Stay awake later than usual to set yourself up for maybe a 6 hour sleep. This will build up your sleep pressure and get you ready for sleep.
Instead of worrying about whether you are going to fall asleep or not, think about how long you can stay awake to keep the sleep stress at bay.
If you are laying in bed awake for longer than 20 minutes, go to another room and do something relaxing until you are very tired again and try again.
Once you are feeling better about falling asleep quickly, and the sleep stress is going away, switch back to your normal bed time to give you 7-9 hours of sleep.
PRO TIP: I know it sounds strange to sleep less when you are having trouble falling asleep, but this is the key step to the process. You really need to feel very tired before you lay in bed. This will give yourself the best chance of falling asleep easily.
* Make sure to wake up at your normal wake up time even after going to sleep late because this will allow your sleep pressure to build up throughout the day to set yourself up for sleep that night as well.
** Stay away from naps while you are trying to fix your falling asleep game. Try a non sleep deep rest instead if you are feeling very tired during the day. (Search non sleep deep rest online and follow along)
*** Having trouble falling asleep is completely normal. The good news is that you can make small easy tweaks to get back to those easy sleeps that you take for granted when you are falling asleep well.
Sources:
Learn more about sleep:
Walker, M. (2017). Why we sleep: Unlocking the Power of Sleep and Dreams. Simon and Schuster.
5) Consistent Sleep Schedule
Timing: Extra sleep during the week, less sleep in on weekends
Level of Difficulty: Easy - Hard depending on your lifestyle
Serving Size: As often as you can for maximum benefit
Spice Level: Nice and mild and energizing once you get in the habit of it
INGREDIENTS
Just yourself, your bedtime alarm, your wake up alarm, and that comfy bed of yours.
REASONING AND BENEFITS
Seven to nine hours of sleep every night people, that is the key to a happy healthy life. On top of that, if you can keep your sleep times and wake times consistent, you will be well on your way to sleep mastery. Depending on your lifestyle, this may seem like the hardest thing to do in the world, or the easiest. No matter what group you fall under, this is a recipe that you should really focus on when you are trying to maximize your sleep game. Do you change your whole sleep schedule on weekends to try and catch up on sleep you missed through the week? We have two recommendations here: (1) Try to go to bed earlier throughout the week at consistent times to give yourself more hours of sleep. (2) Don’t sleep in as long on weekends. Try to wake up around the same time that you do throughout the week to keep your body in a consistent wake/sleep rhythm so that the Monday morning wake up isn’t as hard. We all love a good sleep in, and I’m sure you are already rolling your eyes and cursing us for trying to take away your sweet extra hours of sleep on weekends. Just hear us out, if you are serious about amping up your sleep game, this is a recipe to really take seriously during this process. We ask you for this: go to bed and wake up at the same time every day for a couple weeks and see how you feel, see how easy it is to go to bed, and see how you feel when you wake up in the morning. We aren’t telling you to shut your life down, just see how it feels after a couple weeks, be aware of the benefits, and make consistent sleep times the majority, not the minority. And oh ya, make sure that the times you choose allow for 7-9 hours of sleep.
INSTRUCTIONS
Set an alarm clock for your wake up time, AND your bedtime. The annoying alarm clock beeping is just as important at night as it is in the morning.
Make sure your timing allows you to get somewhere between 7 - 9 hours of sleep
Do this for one week straight to feel the benefits, longer if you can. After that, keep it consistent as often as you can. Think twice about staying up late two nights in a row.
When you inevitably enjoy a later night out with friends or family, instead of leaning into that big sleep the next day, wake up just a little beyond your normal sleep time, and catch up the next night by going to sleep a little early.
Don’t make this a hard line in your life. After you try this for a week or longer, allow yourself to enjoy your late nights every once in a while, just try to avoid making that your norm. Remember how good you feel on consistent sleeps, and make that your norm.
PRO TIP: If you enjoy TV at night, It is so easy to let those episodes on Netflix keep rolling beyond when you want to go to bed. Before you sit down to watch a show, have a set time when you are going to turn it off to start your bedtime routine.
* You can make your night time alarm clock for when you want to go to bed, or set it 10-30 minutes before your bed time to allow yourself to wind down and get your mind ready for sleep.
** We know it sounds crazy to skip your weekend sleep in if you enjoy that. Just hear us out and give it a shot. If you find you really need it, then it is probably because you didn’t get enough sleep during the week. Try and fix that first.
*** Our bodies like consistency, our internal clocks like consistency, we operate more efficiently, our bodies don’t have to try and figure out what is going on. Do this for your body, stop confusing it.
6) Fire Up Your Furnace, Wake Up and Move Baby
Timing: 1-60 minutes. Whatever you can make happen!
Level of Difficulty: Easy - Hard based on how you feel
Serving Size: Start with a short amount of time to create a consistent habit to fit it in most days
Spice Level: Can be spicy while you are doing it, but it will create a clear focused mind
INGREDIENTS
Just yourself and your body folks, no equipment needed. Unless using equipment is what you like to do in the morning, then rock out with your favourite equipment.
REASONING AND BENEFITS
There are a few things that you can do in the morning to set yourself up for a good sleep at night. Sun exposure in the morning is a big one, another big one is morning movement. Do these together and you will be sleeping like a baby in no time. One possible reason why you aren’t sleeping as well as you used to is because of your cortisol levels. Cortisol is a hormone with many jobs, including managing your stress response, and it helps control your sleep/wake schedule. Just like your internal clock doesn't know what time it is because of a lack of sunlight, your body doesn’t know when to release the proper cortisol levels throughout the day. Our cortisol should be spiking at its max in the morning, and it should be nice and low at bedtime to allow our bodies and minds to get into sleep mode. Moving in the morning has two main benefits: (1) you are taking advantage of your higher cortisol levels in the morning which provide you with energy and focus to carry out that movement and (2) you are helping tell your body to release your cortisol in the morning to get on the proper cortisol releasing schedule to help you sleep at night with low cortisol levels. Not only this, but for the rest of the day you will not be sitting there thinking damn, I haven’t exercised yet, when am I going to fit it in? That is out of your mind because you have already crushed some morning movement. Let’s stack some recipes here. Do your morning movement while getting your morning sun, and oh baby, you will be setting yourself up well for some high quality sleep at night.
INSTRUCTIONS
Start small. Set aside 5-10 minutes, even just 1 minute in the morning for some movement. A quick walk, jumping jacks, bodyweight workout, yoga, burpees, whatever floats your morning movement boat.
Find whatever length of time works best for you to consistently do it. Little victories are better than always waiting for the perfect morning to get your perfect morning movement and never actually doing it.
Consistency is a beautiful thing to make this a routine, and enjoying it will help even more. Pick a routine you enjoy. Listen to some tunes, or just hang with your morning thoughts as you get ready for the day.
PRO TIP: If you have kids and find you can never fit this in between getting them ready in the morning, get them involved and start doing some family movement. This allows you to get it done, it gets them involved, and they see you crushing out some exercise.
* Don’t overthink it. Start with some very simple movement that you know, that you enjoy, that you will consistently do. Build it from there.
** Working out doesn’t have to be a 1 hour session in the gym.
*** Get creative with what prompts you to move. I personally don’t allow myself to drink my morning coffee until I have done push ups, crunches, and squats. Try to find a habit that you already do every morning, and pair this morning movement with it.
7) Erase This Saying From Your Speech “My Work is Too Busy, I’ll Sleep When I’m Dead”
Timing: Check in with yourself during busy times, rest when needed
Level of Difficulty: Hard to do when you are caught up in a busy stretch
Serving Size: Find a schedule that works best for you. Check in every day, every week, every month. Whatever works, but make sure to be realistic, and rest when you have to.
Spice Level: Can lead to mildness during the spicy times
INGREDIENTS
Just yourself and your awareness of… yourself.
REASONING AND BENEFITS
The newest badge of honour in the workplace is never sleeping, always working, and being proud of it. Newest is a relative term, in the last few decades, this saying has become more and more common. What would your great grandparents think of you if you said that to them? Maybe laughter, maybe a “come on man,” maybe a question about the importance of your family and community, and maybe just down right bafflement. We aren’t going to sit here and tell you that you can never be busy with work. Both of us have had, and have our busy stretches when we work more than we want to. What we don’t do is brag about it like it is how we should all be living our lives. We recognize that we are working more than we would like, we still prioritize as much self care as possible, we prioritize quality family time when we can, and we set our sights on the end of the busy stretch to get back to normal as fast as possible. Life gets busy, the key thing is to ride the busy stretches like waves. Ride them out as best as you can with focus, foresight, self awareness, and an eye on the end. When the ride is over, swim back out and dodge those waves that come crashing at you, swim under them, keep an eye on the wave break and the peace that the calm waters will bring. When you reach the calm waters, sit on your board, look around, reflect on the busy stage you just got out of, and be ready to enjoy the quieter time when you can focus on yourself, your family, and your interests. Now some facts: shorter sleep will lower your work rate and make you less efficient. Productivity goes down, leading to longer working hours, leading to less sleep. Sleep more, become more productive, work less, feel better, sleep better, and repeat.
INSTRUCTIONS
Rip that “I’ll sleep when I’m dead” badge of honour right off your shirt, and stop reinforcing it. Especially if you are a senior member on your team, if you stop, this mindset will go extinct like the parasaurolophus.
Remember that productivity goes down when you are tired, stop those late night work emails, and that last minute work. Have a proper shut down ritual before you go to bed and write down what you want to get done tomorrow, and SAVE IT FOR TOMORROW.
Lean into the busy times at work, get through them as fast as you can. Take care of yourself as best as you can, stay away from bad habits as this is the time when we can spiral, and that will just keep having a negative impact on your sleep.
Rest your mind at some point during your work day. Do this by napping, meditating, or resting with a Non Sleep Deep Rest or Yoga Nidra script.
PRO TIP: We all get caught up in the hustle and bustle of our everyday lives, becoming aware of this is the first step to bringing you back to some balance in your life.
*After 22 hours of being awake, you are impaired to the same level as someone legally drunk.
** If you are in a management role, or heck, at the bottom of the totem pole. Start bringing in some awareness to the negative impacts of poor sleep. The culture will not change unless you start changing it.
*** Awareness is a big theme in this book. Become aware of your busy times, evaluate them, make a plan to take care of yourself, and a plan for when it is over or slowed down.
8) Subscribe to the Sun (Not just in the morning)
Timing: 30 minutes at any time in the middle of the day
Level of Difficulty: Easy to get outside, make it happen
Serving Size: Every day if you can
Spice Level: As energizing as yerba mate tea
INGREDIENTS
Just you and that bright star in the sky
REASONING AND BENEFITS
This is recipe two of three about sunlight. Let’s go baby. One of the most consistent aspects in our daily lives is the rising and falling sun. Our bodies have learned to use this sunlight to wake ourselves up when the sun rises for the day, and use the darkness to trigger our bodies to start getting ready for sleep. Using sunlight may just be the easiest, cheapest, and best way for you to improve your sleep. Again, when you wake up in the morning, get sunlight in your eyes as soon as possible. Pay attention now, the next most important time to get sunlight is any time during the day for a minimum of thirty minutes. This could be during your lunch break, or taking some work calls outside while you go for a walk, or doing your afternoon exercise outside, whatever works best for you. Our bodies need sunlight throughout the day for a myriad of reasons for our health, especially our sleep. This helps your internal clock stay on the right schedule after setting it up in the morning with some morning sun. This is yet another way to help you fall asleep at night because your melatonin will be released at the proper time to help initiate sleep, and this will help you wake up in the morning. Pair this with exercise and/or time in nature for the next level benefits. This will help your mental health, physical health, and of course, your sleep. Get outside everybody.
INSTRUCTIONS
When you wake up, go outside and let sunlight enter your eyes without sunglasses.
Get outside at any other point in the day for a minimum of 30 minutes. The longer the better, but aim for at least 30 minutes.
Don’t let cloudy days hold you back, those powerful rays from the sun will find you, they always do. If you can stay outside a little longer on cloudy days, that would be great because the exposure won’t be as powerful as a clear sunny day. By staying out longer, you will be able to get the proper amount of sunlight.
If you can exercise and/or get out in nature during this time, even better.
PRO TIP: Both of us agree here, when we get outside during the day, we feel more awake and energized, and better prepared to take on the rest of the day. See if you feel the same way.
* If the sun is hurting your eyes, throw on some sunglasses. Let the sunlight hit as much of your skin as you can as well for even more benefit, while maintaining sun safety.
** Getting more sunlight throughout the day will create positive improvements in all aspects of your life such as mood and overall health.
*** Get creative here. If you can’t seem to find time in the day to get away from your desk, think of ways to work while you are outside. Take phone calls, make notes, whatever you can to get outside.
9) It’s Time to Nap Like an Astronaut
Timing: 5-30 minutes, maximum 90 minutes
Level of Difficulty: Easy, who doesn’t love a nap
Serving Size: Start small, start with one day, see how your body feels
Spice Level: Smooth and sweet my friends
INGREDIENTS
Just yourself and anywhere you can sit or lay down for a few z’s
REASONING AND BENEFITS
Alright, we are finally here, the moment you have all been waiting for, let’s dive into the benefits of a nap. At this time in society, we are all filling up our schedules, we are all busy, and it is often seen as a weakness or a waste of time to get a little midday rest. A common theme throughout this book is making sure you take time to take care of yourself — this is a prime example. Allow yourself to rest when you are tired. When your brain is operating on high, sit or lay down for even just 5-10 minutes to relax your mind, get yourself out of the fight-or-flight stress response, and boost your energy. There are still some napping cultures throughout the world, including South America and the Mediterranean. These napping communities are often called “the places where we forget to die.” (WS 70) Their focus on quality sleep, naps, and a healthy diet appear to be keys to a long healthy life. So how do we nap like an astronaut? Back in the 1990’s, NASA discovered the benefits of napping for their astronauts. This isn’t a nap that will take a lot of time out of your day, they came to the conclusion that a nap of only 26 minutes offered a 34% increase in performance and more than a 50% increase in alertness. (WS 305) This result is staggering. Stop being afraid of rest and try it out for yourself. Start small with a 5-10 minute lay down with slowed breathing to restore your body. There you have it, your ticket to napping.
INSTRUCTIONS
Find some time in the early afternoon to fit in a little rest.
Lay down and slow down your breathing with some inhales through your nose and long extended exhales through your mouth with pursed lips for a couple rounds of breathing.
Start with 5-10 minutes, or be an astronaut and rock 26 minutes, or anywhere in between there and 90 minutes to find that sweet spot for you.
Try to avoid naps longer than 90 minutes (that is the length of one of your sleep cycles), and do not nap after 3 pm because that will make it harder to fall asleep at night. This includes that little nap that you like to take on the couch before bedtime. That little nap can sabotage your quest for quality sleep.
If you are someone who struggles to fall asleep at night, unfortunately napping may not be for you. You want to save up all of your precious sleep pressure that builds during the day for bedtime. When you are able to fall asleep faster at night, then you can start introducing naps into your life and see how they affect you.
PRO TIP: In the past, both of us have looked at napping as a waste of time, as something that is inefficient. We have learned that the opposite is true. You will be able to function so much better if you are more rested. A tired mind isn’t good for yourself, your work, or anyone around you.
* For those short nap opportunities of 5-10 minutes, do not worry if you don’t fall asleep, the simple act of consciously slowing down and slowing your breathing will be a great little reset.
** You don’t have to be circling in space to have a nap, find a way to make it happen in your life and find a length of nap that works for you to feel that energy boost and give your mind a break.
*** Sometimes to be more efficient and have a clear mind, we have to take a step back, napping is a prime example of making that happen.
Sources:
Learn to master your sleep:
Walker, M. (2017). Why we sleep: Unlocking the Power of Sleep and Dreams. Simon and Schuster.
