4 techniques that support optimal sleep

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The benefits of optimal sleep are enormous and have a huge impact on performance and health. Along with enabling your brain to wash itself, deep sleep cues delta brain waves, which drive recovery and regeneration.

From every possible perspective – physiologically, psychologically, emotionally and energy-wise – humans need to sleep deeply and regularly engage in proper recovery. To be as inspired and energized as possible in your daily life and work, you need to invest in your recovery.

There’s simply no way around it.

Here are four things to consider for optimal sleep and cueing delta waves.

1. Lower your heart rate and body temperature

With your heart rate, your goal is to get below 60 bpm, which is the most common state for deep sleep. This is achieved by being deliberate about what you are doing prior to going to sleep so that your physiology supports the stimulation of delta waves.

In terms of temperature, you want your bedroom at 19 degrees Celsius. From there, you can use a protocol of having a hot bath followed by a cool shower. This triggers the release of melatonin, which knocks you out.

2. Ensure your mind is calm

To explore the impact of an active mind on sleep, I have run experiments on my sleep using the OURA ring, which delivers data about a night’s sleep.

One night, I worked until the last minute doing emails and driving hard in beta mode. When I did that, my first three hours of sleep were hardly sleep at all. I was in and out of a wakeful state and my mind was racing. I was basically awake until two o'clock in the morning.

The next night, I followed my sleep protocol to the letter, which is basically a hot bath + cool shower, a little bit of meditation, and a little bit of reading fiction. The data from that night showed I was in deep sleep throughout the night, which I knew because I woke up feeling incredible the next day.

Be deliberate about the time you spend leading into sleep so you can ensure your mind is calm.

3. Respect the need for darkness

If we look at an MRI scan of the brain at the level of the eyes, we see that when incoming light hits the back of the eyeballs, structures there convert the light into electricity. This current shoots through the optic nerve into the pineal gland, which is responsible for the release of the hormone melatonin that controls your sleep-wake cycles.

If you are shining a device in your eyes late at night, you are basically signaling your brain that it is morning and the sun just came up. As a result, it will be very difficult for you to fall asleep quickly and sleep deeply.

You can avoid this by creating a barrier between day and night.

Options for doing this include changing the settings on your devices to night mode or getting yourself blue-light glasses. You can also turn down the brightness on your devices or flip to a black background with white text. Anything that reduces incoming light.

In general, I’m in favour of eliminating devices completely in the final hour before bed, but you should find a technique that works for you.

4. As a rule of thumb, avoid activation

Physical and mental activation are the enemy of deep sleep and delta state. If you are physiologically or psychologically activated in the hour before you're going to sleep at night, this is not going to work very well.

Whether you follow my techniques for defending your last hour or create a protocol of your own, be deliberate about how you spend time before bed.

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Want to learn more?

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In a 24/7 world, it can be a real challenge to get proper rest and give your mind and body the opportunity to fully recharge. In my new book, I outline how small changes in the way you rest, refocus and recharge can help you improve your mental health, prevent illness and deliver optimal results. In high-performance athletic circles, “deliberate recovery” practices are the secret weapon of the very best. But you don’t have to be an elite athlete to benefit from these strategies. Rest Refocus Recharge offers simple and practical techniques that you can easily incorporate into your existing routine, including:

Rest and sleep

Relax and create

Reflect and learn

Recharge and focus

Regenerate and perform

Let me know what you think about this article and the new book in the comments section below!