You maybe joking but this is something that is virtually never talked about by fitness content creators. How am i to optimize my sleep when i work 12 hour shifts on a day/night rotation. Also throw in an hour commute to work everyday. Throw in an hour or so workout too. That doesn't leave much time for anything lol
Brutal. I hope you can get better sleep time as you age. It is a precious, and seriously undervalued, commodity. So glad the days of too little sleep are behind me tbh.
@@curtisdunn1854probably because you're screwed in terms of sleep lol. nothing you can do except be as efficient as possible and find time where you can. no easy answer
Relearn to be bored - YES absolutely yes! I try to lay down each time I get home from work and just *think* for half an hour. More than any meditation can do, you think about obtuse and tiny things and after a while you start to think about what you could do and then you have more motivation to stand up and actually do that thing!
I don’t use my phone when lifting. I leave it in a locker. I just use a simple kitchen timer. During breaks, I let my mind wander. It also keeps me on time by not getting sucked into social media drama.
The more I learn about the importance of sleep, the more stressed I get about sleep, meaning I'm more anxious when I go to bed, leading to worse quality sleep. I unironically slept better when I didn't know about this sleep hygiene stuff which is maddening.
Don't stress about it. Sleep is important, but it's not going to be +-1 hr a day that changes your whole life. Aim to be healthier, but don't make it an obsession, it's not a competition and it's not going to ruin your life if you fail at getting the perfect night of sleep every day
Hey mate I used to struggle with this and found a permanent solution. I do everything right in terms of getting better sleep (stay active all day, don’t eat huge meals close to bedtime, no caffeine after 12pm, no screens 1-2 hours before bed, read something unexciting when I’m trying to go to sleep, get up at the same time everyday). However, I just focus (without being obsessive) on doing the above correctly and then when I’m lying in bed, I just have the attitude of ‘if I sleep well, I sleep well, if I don’t, I don’t.’ I have the attitude that as long as I make an effort on my pre sleep routine, there’s nothing I can do to change whether or not I fall sleep. This eventually led me to stop being anxious and I generally sleep really well now. Sorry for the essay but hope this helps!
The one thing I'll disagree with is not taking any naps. Under certain conditions, naps are an amazing tool to have you feel physically/mentally refreshed to get you through the day. The problem is that some people "nap" for hours after they come home from school/work and wonder why they can't sleep at night. You should take short power naps (~20 minutes) earlier in the day and that's it. Don't be taking 1+ hour naps at 5 in the evening.
some athletes do this. ill have to find the video, but khabib nurmagomedov said he would do a morning training session then nap at around noon so he could get the energy to do another training session. and he was known for having extreme strength and cardio
Surprised to not see going to sleep at the same time on here. I feel like going sleep and waking up at the same time has made it easy to fall asleep quick . Even if I’m getting 7-8 hours, I feel more rested than 9 hours when sleeping a few hours later.
Agree! Having a consistent sleep routine is probably what has made the biggest positive impact on my sleep quality. Edit: He did sort of mention it towards the very end, though 😛
Regarding naps, sometimes I’m feeling beat in the afternoon, and the choice is between nap that freshens me up for my evening workout, or no nap and having a crappy low energy evening workout.
I think it depends on how much you sleep. Some people sleep for 2-3 hrs as a "nap" and that'll ruin your night sleep. I think if it's a 30-60 min nap, then it'll be fine for most people. But I think if you can have a perfect night sleep routine, you prob won't need to feel like you need to nap
@@flyingmonkeys96 Yes, my afternoon naps, when I take them, are about 15 minutes. Sleeping for more than about 45 minutes definitely makes it harder to sleep the next night.
I think it’s generally recommended to nap before 3pm if you’re going to. That’s what I try and stick to where possible. Not always possible but it’s a good rule.
Hey Alan I am also a husband and father of a toddler boy and soon to be a second child, I really appreciate this video. Applying this has helped my sleep at night greatly!! Cutting off caffeine around 12:30pm and also not taking preworkout anymore. Your point about a 10% boost in workout just to get -15% sleep effectiveness was really insightly. Thanks so much for what you do for the community!
There are options for studio apartments. The number one thing would be to create separation using rugs, space dividers, and other means. Basically, this would prevent the "energy" of the other spaces from entering the sleeping space.
My addition: 1. Get decent mattress and pillows 2. If your lifestyle allows it, go to sleep and wake up at the same times each day 3. If you are sleeping with a partner, get separate blankets 4. Never hit snooze on your alarm! Just set it for the time when you actually get out of bed
Can definitely say limiting your caffeine helps a lot. I didn't really believe the whole "caffeine after 5 will ruin your deep sleep" Spiel but ever since I limited my intake to just the morning, I've been having better sleep and also forced me to find better caffeine.
I felt absolutely terrible waking up, cut out alcohol because that seemed like I was getting terrible sleep and couldn’t handle it anymore. Still felt awful. Wife and I slept in opposite rooms due to my snoring. Got a sleep study and found out I have “severe sleep apnea” in terms of mild, moderate, and severe. A few months in and it’s much better now Highly recommend a sleep study to anyone who might have sleep issues. Also have a small fan on the floor that acts as a white noise machine, use a night guard for grinding teeth, blackout curtains, and eye mask for any light issues. Take your sleep seriously.
@@J01123 CPAP and trying multiple masks until I got the correct one. Took a few months to adjust, but finally did and life has improved for myself and my wife.
For tip #1, if you only have one room available (like me), this should still work, just on a smaller scale: Keep your bed for sleeping only, don't lay down on your bed to relax and scroll the phone/watch youtube netflix etc.
I like these tips. Unfortunately I am on an on call rotation where I need to be available 24/7 for a week, so I need to have at least my work phone in my sleep chamber for that week. I like to read a chapter of a book before shutting my eyes for the night. It's kind of my routine to read a chapter in bed after brushing my teeth, and my body gets really tired when I finish the chapter. For caffeine I try to only have black coffee or tea before noon after any morning cardio I have scheduled. If I have it after noon, it really makes it hard to sleep. I honestly hate pre-workout.
When I was in the field as a firefighter it was terrible, every shift my sleep got fucked up. I'm in the office at HQ now so consistency is a lot easier :)
As someone who lives in a studio, those inexpensive bed tents on amazon help a ton to delineate your bed from the rest of the space. It's really nice to crawl into your cozy little bed cave that's pitch black.
Excellent advice as always. This is pretty much the only fitness channel i can watch consistently. Most creators follow the trend of the week or post endless lists of the "best workouts", but Alan genuinely seems to post things that either interest him or seem important enough to inform his subscribers. And I really appreciate his calm approach to conveying information without claiming it to be the end-all be-all for everyone.
It's funny to watch Alan videos after a long time away from his channel. I remember watching time and time again his squats, press and other videos in the beginning of my lift jorney. Then I read some of the books he recommended(Greg, Starting Strength, Superior Man, Better them steroids), watch some videos from dudes he recommends, gain so much knowledge that I rarely watch lifting content. Watching this video gives me the same nostalgic sensation as when I visit college after years of being a graduated, passing through to a classroom door getting a glimpse of your favorite professor lecturing and you remember how it was to be there learning from him, then it click and you learn how to love the journey. Thanks Alan Thrall, I always "TRAIIINNNNNN UNTAAAAAAMEEEEDnd"
for those of you like me who live in a small apartment with roommates (or keeping your bedroom for sleeping only is not an option for some other reason), the next best thing is to STAY OUT of your bed when you aren't sleeping. this includes not looking at your phone in bed when you go to bed or when you wake up
Every upload from Alan is a treat, the man is always up to a point, no water or info fluff in his videos. I'll definitely give white noise machine a try, thanks for the great advice.
fan works good for white noise and cooling at the same time as another option, also get a good pillow. even if you have a shitty bed or no bed a good pillow does a lot of good
This was a great video, thank you for all the help and insight. It's a relief your children have such a father that is instilling great habits. We all need to be more like you. Happy for you!
Speaking to the caffeine point I haven't had caffeine in so long. I can consistently get around 8 hours of sleep a night without having to wake up for anything! This video is truth.
For me, the following has helped me sleep, the biggest one being adding Cardio to my routine, going to bed with a full stomach, and working out in the morning. Other things I do: ice pack wrapped in a towel on my pillow, and sleeping with a fan on (aimed away from me), helps keep me cool and doubles with noise!
Thanks, Alan. Just an addition/correction - to reduce body temperature at night to facilitate sleeping, one should expose oneself to heat, not cold. The compensatory systems of the body cool down the core body temperature in response to being exposed to heat. Therefore a hot water bath (not uncomfortably hot, though) or keeping feet dipped in hot water for a while can help cool down the body.
White noise is soooo good i actually listen to either fan noises 10 hour plus videos or brown noise videos if there's some annoying noise outside my apartment
Fantastic insights Alan! I thought I had heard every sleep tip in the book but you have shed light on things I wasn't even thinking about in this video. Thanks man!
What worked for me was magnesium. It completely changed my life. If you struggle to fall and stay asleep, look into magnesium. It's an amazing supplement.
One thing I think improved my sleep quality is getting one of those wake up lights. It makes waking up in the morning way less jarring and you feel less inclined to mash the snooze button and fall asleep again (although this still happens sometimes).
@AlanThrall Great tips! On taking cold showers before bed to cool down, it's paradoxically the opposite. The Sleep Foundation has info on why, but basically warm water expands blood vessels near the surface of skin for some time after the shower, which facilites heat loss and body cooling while you're in bed.
I disagree regarding not taking naps, it could be a good way to get some extra sleep and rest if you are not able to have a solid 8hour a night, also, it is kinda cultural edit: of course, depends on the context
My two cents: 1.) Take all of this advice loosely. If you take it too strictly and perfectionistic it can lead to fear of not sleeping (a phobia - fear of wakefulness - insomnia). 2.) Mindfulness is not about reducing thoughts, it’s about noticing them non-judgmentally (with curiosity), and then slowly returning to your breath. Sounds like splitting hairs, but that nuance is important. Otherwise, great video!
Man, I installed an AC unit, have a blindfold, tape my mouth (sometimes, I don't have any problems other than having to use new tape every night) and draped stuff over my window But honestly night shift has been eating me alive, I've taken prescribed sleeping pills and only slept in 3 hour chunks (had to go back to sleep twice to get ~7 hours) and while at work I've had to try to take power naps and cram food in my gullet to make it through I can't even change jobs because it fucks with my military application (also because I think it's pussying out for getting so knackered from night shift when the military will do worse) Shit's so damn frustrating, and it makes lifting scarier because I'm lightheaded and easy to gas out through the entire workout, I am trying go workout before work but it's also smack during peak hours when everything is taken up
I've had trouble sleeping through for ages. Recently I've got my blood checked. Turns out I'm magnesium deficient. Supplementing magnesium has drastically improved my sleep.
I have an overactive brain. Anxiety and I'm on the spectrum. This is just context, not any kind of point or signposting or whatever. I write as a hobby. I don't write before bed, as I'll write instead of sleep. Instead, and as weird as this might sound, I tell myself stories at night. Little mini-stories, first person perspective, just whatever randomness is in my head. I only mildly order it, I kinda just let my brain unspool. It keeps me from over-analyzing the events of the day or trying to over-plan tomorrow. I'm probably asleep within five minutes, where I used to be up for hours unable to get out of my own spiraling thoughts. I guess that's my version of the meditate/pray point. It works for me, the process might work for someone else, too. Just putting that out there if you are a person like me that has issues sleeping.
Severe sleep apnea (about 50 times an hour each hour) while I sleep has my sleep quality destroyed. Still been able to become pretty jacked and strong despite it but it makes it way more difficult and has def increased my time spent injured. Have a surgery for the inspire device on Tuesday (attempted to use a cpap for years with absolutely zero improvement from it). Hopefully I'll be getting better and sleep and feeling/performing better within the next few months
Alan if you have any tips on waking up, considering your experience in the military and as a dad I'd love to hear them! My morning routine has always made me feel like a zombie for as long as I can remember
A couple of things that can help are: Drink water as soon as you wake up, expose yourself to sunlight to trigger circadian rhythm and move your body a little bit by stretching or walking around the house
Another tip would be to implement a bedroom lighting properly. It should be dimmed, reddish, somewhere around 2700K or even lower, and only at the level of your foot. Set it so that after the dark, or 10PM, it's the only source of light in the room and only activates on movement. Nothing bright when entering the bedroom after 8-9 PM. Second tip would go against common fitness wisdom, but ... avoid protein 2-3 hours before bed. Protein can stimulate catecholamine production, which can literally keep you awake for hours.
Meditation is like exercise for your brain. It's a skill to clear your mind, literally not have any thoughts and be present (mindfulness). It's difficult to do, but it has a massive impact on how you deal with emotions and moods and recognizing them in your daily life. Caffeine has a half-life of ~6 hours. So if you had 150mg in a coffee at 6am, you still have 38mg in your blood at 6pm! It also doesn't "give you energy", it blocks the binding of adenosine to the adenosine A1 receptors in your brain. It's a trick. Overall read about the science of things and the chance of success in what you want will greatly improve.
I wouldn't recommend a cold shower before bed to cool down. Your body will reduce circulation to your extremities to stay warm and actually raise body temperature above baseline after you get out. Somewhat counterintuitively, a warm shower will reduce body temp once you get out. You can even notice this as you get cold after a warm shower and not nearly as cold after a cold one.
Avoiding sodium intake late in the day is very important. I get very thirsty at night because of all the sodium I usually eat. Then I’m taking head calls every 2 hours and there goes my sleep thrown out the window.
When I black out my room my anxiety figures "Oh so we're actually dead this time! This is the grave! Time to make sure we come back to life, 180bpm go brrrr!" so I need a tiny orange light facing a corner to provide the least amount of light possible.
Alan, do you think there might be anything in the way of proper neck training to prevent sleep apnea events? It makes sense to some extent that so many bodybuilders are afflicted with it due to sheer neck mass, but I can't help but wonder if there's just an imbalance at play there.
My guy could earn his psych PhD with #4. The ability to be bored is CRITICAL to successful and healthy adaptation in the real world. Every time my sons tell me they're bored, I simply say "good. Enjoy it."
Personally I find it almost impossible to not use any electronic devices in the evening. To counteract this I go to bed 1 hour earlier than necessary. I always got a lot of things on my mind and the first 10-20 minutes I always lay in bed thinking about stuff. Can be quite overwhelming sometimes but after an hour or so I usually can sleep quite well the rest of the night.
Regarding the alarm phone, I place mine on the other side of the room. Keeps the scrolling temptation out of reach (literally). And i need to ger ob my feet and walk a few steps to turn the alarm off
Two things; not unusual that people wake up 2-3am, historically people did things with that time other than just making more people - it has evolutionary origins tied to vulnerability when we were prey species and so we tend to have “existential upset” at that time, you can read Matthew Walker about it and all but do NOT let it stress you out, don’t dwell on it. The other thing is casein protein is a good slow-digesting snack before bed, you can make an easy pudding with a scoop and some almond milk (good with some peanut butter).
I'd say cutting out caffeine 100%, if you're doing regular doses, might be ok. But if you're doing 4 energy drinks a day, 1200mg, 3x the dose recommended by the FDA, is a a bad idea because of the added stress of headaches and other withdraw symptoms. Maybe ween it out of a while in that case
General advice is to not consume caffeine after 2PMish. That gives your body enough time to process what you've consumed previously without impacting your ability to go to sleep.
I sleep better in a cold room - and I kinda hate that that's true, because I have to be warm, or at least my feet and hands. Warm me, cool air - that's the magic.
If any of this doesn't work it might be time to check with a doctor if you have a delayed sleep something something i forgot disorder. That's what bothered my adoptive little brother for so long, fucked up his performance in college.
#7 Stop Drinking Caffeine: yes this could also be the cause of any mental problems your having anger, depression, anxiety quitting coffee could change ur entire life
SLEEP UNTAMED!
This might have been the most egregious missed opportunity for an apropos adapted catch phrase all year.
Im gonna watch this video before my 3 hours of sleep then i go to my 24 hour shift. I hope its optimal.
good luck fam, let me know how it goes 🙏
You maybe joking but this is something that is virtually never talked about by fitness content creators. How am i to optimize my sleep when i work 12 hour shifts on a day/night rotation. Also throw in an hour commute to work everyday. Throw in an hour or so workout too. That doesn't leave much time for anything lol
@@curtisdunn1854 The way you optimize that is get a different job.
Brutal. I hope you can get better sleep time as you age. It is a precious, and seriously undervalued, commodity. So glad the days of too little sleep are behind me tbh.
@@curtisdunn1854probably because you're screwed in terms of sleep lol. nothing you can do except be as efficient as possible and find time where you can. no easy answer
Alan is like a dad I never had. Even if I'm older than Alan, and have a dad.
Wut
alan is my sleep dad
Alan: rails against scrolling on the phone.
Me while streaming this video to my TV so i can scroll on my phone while watching: hell yeah!
Multitasking is terrible for your attention span (I am typing this while the video is still playing)
Relearn to be bored - YES absolutely yes! I try to lay down each time I get home from work and just *think* for half an hour. More than any meditation can do, you think about obtuse and tiny things and after a while you start to think about what you could do and then you have more motivation to stand up and actually do that thing!
I don’t use my phone when lifting. I leave it in a locker. I just use a simple kitchen timer. During breaks, I let my mind wander. It also keeps me on time by not getting sucked into social media drama.
The more I learn about the importance of sleep, the more stressed I get about sleep, meaning I'm more anxious when I go to bed, leading to worse quality sleep. I unironically slept better when I didn't know about this sleep hygiene stuff which is maddening.
Don't stress about it. Sleep is important, but it's not going to be +-1 hr a day that changes your whole life. Aim to be healthier, but don't make it an obsession, it's not a competition and it's not going to ruin your life if you fail at getting the perfect night of sleep every day
Hey mate I used to struggle with this and found a permanent solution. I do everything right in terms of getting better sleep (stay active all day, don’t eat huge meals close to bedtime, no caffeine after 12pm, no screens 1-2 hours before bed, read something unexciting when I’m trying to go to sleep, get up at the same time everyday). However, I just focus (without being obsessive) on doing the above correctly and then when I’m lying in bed, I just have the attitude of ‘if I sleep well, I sleep well, if I don’t, I don’t.’ I have the attitude that as long as I make an effort on my pre sleep routine, there’s nothing I can do to change whether or not I fall sleep. This eventually led me to stop being anxious and I generally sleep really well now. Sorry for the essay but hope this helps!
Bro I feel seen.
Ain't that the truth!!
Ain't that the truth! I spend my whole life worried about my sleep.
The one thing I'll disagree with is not taking any naps. Under certain conditions, naps are an amazing tool to have you feel physically/mentally refreshed to get you through the day.
The problem is that some people "nap" for hours after they come home from school/work and wonder why they can't sleep at night. You should take short power naps (~20 minutes) earlier in the day and that's it. Don't be taking 1+ hour naps at 5 in the evening.
1 nap of 20-30 minutes after lunch is the iberican choice
some athletes do this. ill have to find the video, but khabib nurmagomedov said he would do a morning training session then nap at around noon so he could get the energy to do another training session. and he was known for having extreme strength and cardio
I’ve benefited from “nonsleep deep rest”, just letting my mind slip and disassociate for maybe 20 mins.
come home from work, play on the ground with kids but fall asleep for 15 mins, I never sleep longer than that cause of kids. Wake up feeling new.
Look up Dr. Huberman on naps and NSDR
Surprised to not see going to sleep at the same time on here. I feel like going sleep and waking up at the same time has made it easy to fall asleep quick . Even if I’m getting 7-8 hours, I feel more rested than 9 hours when sleeping a few hours later.
Agree! Having a consistent sleep routine is probably what has made the biggest positive impact on my sleep quality.
Edit: He did sort of mention it towards the very end, though 😛
Regarding naps, sometimes I’m feeling beat in the afternoon, and the choice is between nap that freshens me up for my evening workout, or no nap and having a crappy low energy evening workout.
I think it depends on how much you sleep. Some people sleep for 2-3 hrs as a "nap" and that'll ruin your night sleep. I think if it's a 30-60 min nap, then it'll be fine for most people. But I think if you can have a perfect night sleep routine, you prob won't need to feel like you need to nap
@@flyingmonkeys96 Yes, my afternoon naps, when I take them, are about 15 minutes. Sleeping for more than about 45 minutes definitely makes it harder to sleep the next night.
Used to use my lunch breaks to nap in my car. Life saver. Tip: park in shade, wear shades, and use ear plugs.
I think it’s generally recommended to nap before 3pm if you’re going to. That’s what I try and stick to where possible. Not always possible but it’s a good rule.
Hey Alan I am also a husband and father of a toddler boy and soon to be a second child, I really appreciate this video. Applying this has helped my sleep at night greatly!! Cutting off caffeine around 12:30pm and also not taking preworkout anymore. Your point about a 10% boost in workout just to get -15% sleep effectiveness was really insightly. Thanks so much for what you do for the community!
There are options for studio apartments. The number one thing would be to create separation using rugs, space dividers, and other means. Basically, this would prevent the "energy" of the other spaces from entering the sleeping space.
Yes! No napping/laying down throughout the day, no phone/social media in the evening, just one cup of coffee in the morning and you good to go.
I trust you Alan, I got into lifting back in 2015 because of your videos and never stopped and kept the path. You’re the man
Red light at night, as well as stretching and doing breath work before bed is a great way to relax and get better sleep
David Goggins-esk stretching is a game changer.
@@StraitjacketFitnessesque*
My addition:
1. Get decent mattress and pillows
2. If your lifestyle allows it, go to sleep and wake up at the same times each day
3. If you are sleeping with a partner, get separate blankets
4. Never hit snooze on your alarm! Just set it for the time when you actually get out of bed
Can definitely say limiting your caffeine helps a lot.
I didn't really believe the whole "caffeine after 5 will ruin your deep sleep" Spiel but ever since I limited my intake to just the morning, I've been having better sleep and also forced me to find better caffeine.
I believe 3pm is the real cutoff
@@urgamecshk Actually if you look at the science, its more like 13 hours before sleep, which isn't a fun number at all but is what it is.
Man, this comes at a perfect time. My sleep schedule has been absolutely jacked up
I felt absolutely terrible waking up, cut out alcohol because that seemed like I was getting terrible sleep and couldn’t handle it anymore. Still felt awful. Wife and I slept in opposite rooms due to my snoring. Got a sleep study and found out I have “severe sleep apnea” in terms of mild, moderate, and severe. A few months in and it’s much better now
Highly recommend a sleep study to anyone who might have sleep issues.
Also have a small fan on the floor that acts as a white noise machine, use a night guard for grinding teeth, blackout curtains, and eye mask for any light issues. Take your sleep seriously.
What have you used to help with your apnea?
@@J01123 CPAP and trying multiple masks until I got the correct one. Took a few months to adjust, but finally did and life has improved for myself and my wife.
For tip #1, if you only have one room available (like me), this should still work, just on a smaller scale:
Keep your bed for sleeping only, don't lay down on your bed to relax and scroll the phone/watch youtube netflix etc.
Instead of scrolling on my phone at night, I try to write in a journal. Helps empty my brain, and relaxes me
Many of these tips go beyond sleeping and into the realm of mental health. Thank you for doing this video.
I have watched quiet a few vids about sleep, but this one is really good.
I like these tips. Unfortunately I am on an on call rotation where I need to be available 24/7 for a week, so I need to have at least my work phone in my sleep chamber for that week. I like to read a chapter of a book before shutting my eyes for the night. It's kind of my routine to read a chapter in bed after brushing my teeth, and my body gets really tired when I finish the chapter.
For caffeine I try to only have black coffee or tea before noon after any morning cardio I have scheduled. If I have it after noon, it really makes it hard to sleep. I honestly hate pre-workout.
When I was in the field as a firefighter it was terrible, every shift my sleep got fucked up. I'm in the office at HQ now so consistency is a lot easier :)
haven't slept in 3 days this week this vid sit right with me right now
As someone who lives in a studio, those inexpensive bed tents on amazon help a ton to delineate your bed from the rest of the space. It's really nice to crawl into your cozy little bed cave that's pitch black.
Excellent advice as always. This is pretty much the only fitness channel i can watch consistently. Most creators follow the trend of the week or post endless lists of the "best workouts", but Alan genuinely seems to post things that either interest him or seem important enough to inform his subscribers. And I really appreciate his calm approach to conveying information without claiming it to be the end-all be-all for everyone.
It's funny to watch Alan videos after a long time away from his channel. I remember watching time and time again his squats, press and other videos in the beginning of my lift jorney. Then I read some of the books he recommended(Greg, Starting Strength, Superior Man, Better them steroids), watch some videos from dudes he recommends, gain so much knowledge that I rarely watch lifting content. Watching this video gives me the same nostalgic sensation as when I visit college after years of being a graduated, passing through to a classroom door getting a glimpse of your favorite professor lecturing and you remember how it was to be there learning from him, then it click and you learn how to love the journey. Thanks Alan Thrall, I always "TRAIIINNNNNN UNTAAAAAAMEEEEDnd"
for those of you like me who live in a small apartment with roommates (or keeping your bedroom for sleeping only is not an option for some other reason), the next best thing is to STAY OUT of your bed when you aren't sleeping. this includes not looking at your phone in bed when you go to bed or when you wake up
Every upload from Alan is a treat, the man is always up to a point, no water or info fluff in his videos. I'll definitely give white noise machine a try, thanks for the great advice.
fan works good for white noise and cooling at the same time as another option, also get a good pillow. even if you have a shitty bed or no bed a good pillow does a lot of good
This was a great video, thank you for all the help and insight.
It's a relief your children have such a father that is instilling great habits. We all need to be more like you.
Happy for you!
Speaking to the caffeine point I haven't had caffeine in so long. I can consistently get around 8 hours of sleep a night without having to wake up for anything! This video is truth.
For me, the following has helped me sleep, the biggest one being adding Cardio to my routine, going to bed with a full stomach, and working out in the morning. Other things I do: ice pack wrapped in a towel on my pillow, and sleeping with a fan on (aimed away from me), helps keep me cool and doubles with noise!
Great stuff, as always Alan. Will add a tip for better sleep while traveling. Eye mask + ear plugs.
Thanks, Alan. Just an addition/correction - to reduce body temperature at night to facilitate sleeping, one should expose oneself to heat, not cold. The compensatory systems of the body cool down the core body temperature in response to being exposed to heat.
Therefore a hot water bath (not uncomfortably hot, though) or keeping feet dipped in hot water for a while can help cool down the body.
For me the key is to not overthink things, that's the main thing that can deteriote my sleep
White noise is soooo good i actually listen to either fan noises 10 hour plus videos or brown noise videos if there's some annoying noise outside my apartment
Fantastic insights Alan! I thought I had heard every sleep tip in the book but you have shed light on things I wasn't even thinking about in this video. Thanks man!
What worked for me was magnesium. It completely changed my life. If you struggle to fall and stay asleep, look into magnesium. It's an amazing supplement.
Working out is my number one reason for insomnia. (No joke). Especially leg day is brutal. It especially reduces my REM sleep.
your literally the KING Alan, great vid!
One thing I think improved my sleep quality is getting one of those wake up lights. It makes waking up in the morning way less jarring and you feel less inclined to mash the snooze button and fall asleep again (although this still happens sometimes).
Moving my PC setup and dedicating my bedroom for sleep only is one of the best things ever 👍
@AlanThrall Great tips! On taking cold showers before bed to cool down, it's paradoxically the opposite. The Sleep Foundation has info on why, but basically warm water expands blood vessels near the surface of skin for some time after the shower, which facilites heat loss and body cooling while you're in bed.
I’ve been following tip #8 for sometime now. Got to keep it up
I disagree regarding not taking naps, it could be a good way to get some extra sleep and rest if you are not able to have a solid 8hour a night, also, it is kinda cultural
edit: of course, depends on the context
yup, agreed. In China they do it religiously for example
With the edit, this is very well said.
Salute.
My two cents:
1.) Take all of this advice loosely. If you take it too strictly and perfectionistic it can lead to fear of not sleeping (a phobia - fear of wakefulness - insomnia).
2.) Mindfulness is not about reducing thoughts, it’s about noticing them non-judgmentally (with curiosity), and then slowly returning to your breath. Sounds like splitting hairs, but that nuance is important.
Otherwise, great video!
You're right on both points. 👍
Great insights. Thanks
You've got great skin Alan. Thanks for the tips.
Man, I installed an AC unit, have a blindfold, tape my mouth (sometimes, I don't have any problems other than having to use new tape every night) and draped stuff over my window
But honestly night shift has been eating me alive, I've taken prescribed sleeping pills and only slept in 3 hour chunks (had to go back to sleep twice to get ~7 hours) and while at work I've had to try to take power naps and cram food in my gullet to make it through
I can't even change jobs because it fucks with my military application (also because I think it's pussying out for getting so knackered from night shift when the military will do worse)
Shit's so damn frustrating, and it makes lifting scarier because I'm lightheaded and easy to gas out through the entire workout, I am trying go workout before work but it's also smack during peak hours when everything is taken up
I've had trouble sleeping through for ages. Recently I've got my blood checked. Turns out I'm magnesium deficient. Supplementing magnesium has drastically improved my sleep.
I have an overactive brain. Anxiety and I'm on the spectrum. This is just context, not any kind of point or signposting or whatever. I write as a hobby. I don't write before bed, as I'll write instead of sleep. Instead, and as weird as this might sound, I tell myself stories at night. Little mini-stories, first person perspective, just whatever randomness is in my head. I only mildly order it, I kinda just let my brain unspool. It keeps me from over-analyzing the events of the day or trying to over-plan tomorrow. I'm probably asleep within five minutes, where I used to be up for hours unable to get out of my own spiraling thoughts. I guess that's my version of the meditate/pray point. It works for me, the process might work for someone else, too. Just putting that out there if you are a person like me that has issues sleeping.
Looking good bro
This is actually helpful thanks
reading before bed is underrated imo
Based Alan always tending to my fitness topic needs.
Always remember!❤
Severe sleep apnea (about 50 times an hour each hour) while I sleep has my sleep quality destroyed. Still been able to become pretty jacked and strong despite it but it makes it way more difficult and has def increased my time spent injured. Have a surgery for the inspire device on Tuesday (attempted to use a cpap for years with absolutely zero improvement from it). Hopefully I'll be getting better and sleep and feeling/performing better within the next few months
How many hours of sleep do you get each night?
On average: 7 and a bit.
7.5hrs (5 full sleep cycles)
4 1/2... but I'm working on it and keeping my room cool and under 70F helps me sleep longer, like 6 hours.
One meeeeeellion hours
@@BullMoose1858your bed must be over an aquarium filled with sharks that have lasers on their heads
Alan if you have any tips on waking up, considering your experience in the military and as a dad I'd love to hear them! My morning routine has always made me feel like a zombie for as long as I can remember
That just means you have to go to bed earlier
A couple of things that can help are: Drink water as soon as you wake up, expose yourself to sunlight to trigger circadian rhythm and move your body a little bit by stretching or walking around the house
Another tip would be to implement a bedroom lighting properly. It should be dimmed, reddish, somewhere around 2700K or even lower, and only at the level of your foot. Set it so that after the dark, or 10PM, it's the only source of light in the room and only activates on movement. Nothing bright when entering the bedroom after 8-9 PM.
Second tip would go against common fitness wisdom, but ... avoid protein 2-3 hours before bed. Protein can stimulate catecholamine production, which can literally keep you awake for hours.
I like this urbane smoking jacket vibe. We just need some Vic Damone in the background and the evening pape.
This is amazing 😍
Meditation is like exercise for your brain. It's a skill to clear your mind, literally not have any thoughts and be present (mindfulness). It's difficult to do, but it has a massive impact on how you deal with emotions and moods and recognizing them in your daily life.
Caffeine has a half-life of ~6 hours. So if you had 150mg in a coffee at 6am, you still have 38mg in your blood at 6pm!
It also doesn't "give you energy", it blocks the binding of adenosine to the adenosine A1 receptors in your brain. It's a trick.
Overall read about the science of things and the chance of success in what you want will greatly improve.
Thanks Alan!
Hello from Ukraine! Thank you for your positive content! Sleep well!
I wouldn't recommend a cold shower before bed to cool down. Your body will reduce circulation to your extremities to stay warm and actually raise body temperature above baseline after you get out. Somewhat counterintuitively, a warm shower will reduce body temp once you get out. You can even notice this as you get cold after a warm shower and not nearly as cold after a cold one.
Avoiding sodium intake late in the day is very important. I get very thirsty at night because of all the sodium I usually eat. Then I’m taking head calls every 2 hours and there goes my sleep thrown out the window.
I realized cutting out even just a beer in the afternoon had a huge impact on my sleep.
When I black out my room my anxiety figures "Oh so we're actually dead this time! This is the grave! Time to make sure we come back to life, 180bpm go brrrr!" so I need a tiny orange light facing a corner to provide the least amount of light possible.
blackout curtains are a game changer
When did you live in DC and for how long? Where did you train? Asking as a native of Northern Virginia
Cut off caffeine 7 hours before bed, food 3 hours before bed and any fluid 1 hour before bed
marpac dohm for the win babyyyyy!!!
Alan, do you think there might be anything in the way of proper neck training to prevent sleep apnea events? It makes sense to some extent that so many bodybuilders are afflicted with it due to sheer neck mass, but I can't help but wonder if there's just an imbalance at play there.
Something else: Stick with a sleep schedule, even on weekends, and avoid alcohol just like caffeine.
Good one!
My guy could earn his psych PhD with #4. The ability to be bored is CRITICAL to successful and healthy adaptation in the real world. Every time my sons tell me they're bored, I simply say "good. Enjoy it."
Personally I find it almost impossible to not use any electronic devices in the evening. To counteract this I go to bed 1 hour earlier than necessary. I always got a lot of things on my mind and the first 10-20 minutes I always lay in bed thinking about stuff. Can be quite overwhelming sometimes but after an hour or so I usually can sleep quite well the rest of the night.
If I double my steps every day, at day 27 I walk to the sun and back in a single day
Regarding the alarm phone, I place mine on the other side of the room. Keeps the scrolling temptation out of reach (literally). And i need to ger ob my feet and walk a few steps to turn the alarm off
Two things; not unusual that people wake up 2-3am, historically people did things with that time other than just making more people - it has evolutionary origins tied to vulnerability when we were prey species and so we tend to have “existential upset” at that time, you can read Matthew Walker about it and all but do NOT let it stress you out, don’t dwell on it. The other thing is casein protein is a good slow-digesting snack before bed, you can make an easy pudding with a scoop and some almond milk (good with some peanut butter).
Getting good sleep can also reduce hair loss issues for a lot of men
I did all these tips for years and was super frustrated. Turns out I have sleep apnea at age 23!
Hi Allan. Disagree with the naping part. Multiple studies have shown how beneficial naping is and I will keep doing it.
That's allowed
I'd say cutting out caffeine 100%, if you're doing regular doses, might be ok. But if you're doing 4 energy drinks a day, 1200mg, 3x the dose recommended by the FDA, is a a bad idea because of the added stress of headaches and other withdraw symptoms. Maybe ween it out of a while in that case
Another great tip is to read a book before bed. I spend 30-45 mins each night and it puts me out of
about to have some untamed sleep
Freeze frame on 18:27 to see how Alan feels when you are on your phone at 11:30 in bed.
Dad noises are what trigger Pavlov's response for me
Alan's looked Amish for years but the transformation is finally complete
If your sleep is bad, get a sleep study! I was stopping breathing over 30x/hr during REM sleep, and I don’t even snore.
Until the sandman comes
General advice is to not consume caffeine after 2PMish. That gives your body enough time to process what you've consumed previously without impacting your ability to go to sleep.
i sleep like a baby with videos, asmr stuff. fall asleep in few minutes. light may be bad, i dont know
I sleep better in a cold room - and I kinda hate that that's true, because I have to be warm, or at least my feet and hands. Warm me, cool air - that's the magic.
Great!
If any of this doesn't work it might be time to check with a doctor if you have a delayed sleep something something i forgot disorder. That's what bothered my adoptive little brother for so long, fucked up his performance in college.
My wife got me the same dumbbell deadlift and diapers shirt. I guess that makes us best friends….
#7 Stop Drinking Caffeine: yes this could also be the cause of any mental problems your having anger, depression, anxiety quitting coffee could change ur entire life
Hey Alan, should I still NOT MOVE THE BARBELL?