Howdy- I’m Keith, the new guy on the content team.
I’m also a new Zeo user and I love the data I get from it. I will admit though, that part of this love affair might come from the fact that, every morning, Zeo tells me that I have great sleep.
I didn’t pop a pill or let my body “catch up” after short-changing it. I did this all through simple, easy to follow actions–and I’m going to share my formula with you. Let’s face it, no one should have to just “deal” with poor sleep and part of my job here at Zeo is to help you all get that better night’s sleep.
Let me make one thing clear: This great sleep is the result of small habits and behavior changes done repeatedly for years. True, the steps are easy but if you cheat on them, you’ll pay for it with your sleep.
Step One: Make a (standing) date with your Bed
I go to bed every night at exactly the same time. I mean, okay, it might not always be exactly the same time, but it’s awfully close. I usually start getting ready for bed around 9:15pm and it’s lights out not too long after. My girlfriend’s not crazy about that, but I make a point of reassuring her that it’s me who needs to go to bed that early, not her.
A steady bedtime--though like most, I too, was guilty of "shifting bed time" one weekend
To help keep that bedtime, I don’t drink caffeine and I rarely drink alcohol–maybe a beer or two on the weekend but that’s it. I do go to parties, but I’m more a fan of the afternoon affairs so that I can keep my bedtime. Again, 9:15pm is certainly early for some, but keeping the same bedtime and risetime–even on the weekends–goes a long way towards sleep improvement.
Step Two: Turn your Bedroom into a Cave
Years ago, I discovered two wonderful things that help me get great sleep: light-blocking curtains and a fan. The light-blocking curtains keep the room as dark as possible, allowing my melatonin to kick in and sending me off to dreamland.
The fan, on the other hand, has two purposes:
- to keep things nice and cool–even in the winter
- to cancel out all other noise.
Basically, I turn my bedroom into a sensory deprivation chamber every night and it works like a dream. I hardly ever wake up during the night, except to use the bathroom.
Step Three: Add an Exercise Routine to the Mix
For almost 7 years now, I’ve been exercising for about an hour and a half to 2 hours a day, 5 to 6 days a week. I’m pretty convinced that it’s the world’s greatest–and most overlooked–sleeping pill. As soon as I get up in the morning, boom, I go to the gym. Even better? A recent study shows that exercising during the morning leads to better sleep than exercising at night.
Step Four: Shake, Strain, then Serve Night after Night
Okay, I can hear you rolling your eyes over there. So what’s the payoff for all of this? An average ZQ of 97. A recent “bad” night for me was less than 8 hours long and got me a ZQ of 94. Andi@Zeo said that was sick, but I think she’s just jealous. (Editor’s note: Dang right I am!)
What this means is that, night after night, I can count on:
- 1 1/2 -2 hours of Deep sleep
- 2-3 hours of REM sleep
- 3-4 hours of Light sleep
- less than 2 wake-ups each night
I do everything in my power to ensure that I sleep like a (32 year old) baby–and it’s great to see that it pays off. My question to you is, now that you know some of my secrets, what are you going to do differently tonight and tomorrow?
Related Posts
- How can I cut back on caffeine without “crashing”?
- How sleeping like a Pro can boost your game
- Keeping a Schedule Keeps you Healthy
- To Be(nzo) or not to Be(nzo): A Tempered Approach to Sleeping Pills
- What Can One Do To Promote Good Sleep?
Keith (Ave ZQ: 97) is a writer and the newest member of the Zeo Web Content team. When it comes to sleep, he’s a Viking.
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In plain english, what is the last step referring to?
The last step is just a reiteration that what I do to get good sleep works for me and that it might work for you too. Everybody is different though.
Well, I’m happy for you Keith, but you must know that most of the people at Zeo have difficulties with sleeping and that’s why they are here. You do not have chronic pain of 12 year duration, which prohibits extreme exercise. I am lucky i can walk a bit each day. So frankly your boast of 2 hours of deep sleep is really annoying to those of us who average 10 minutes. We do everything in our power to sleep better too, but you are lucky you don’t have any health problems to deal with. And you’re a kid. Give me your numbers when you’re 60.
I apologize if it sounded like I was boasting about my sleep/sleep habits, that certainly wasn’t my intention. I have some things I do that help me to get good sleep and I just wanted to share them. You’re absolutely right, I’m fortunate that I can do the things I do to help me get good sleep, but I do realize that everybody is different, and what works for me might not work for some (or even most) people.
Keith,
I agree with your observations, which mirror my experience when it comes to quality sleep. The principles of good sleep hold true when we’re older as well. I’ve discovered that all the small steps I’ve made toward getting good sleep add up. I’ve been a Zeo user for two years and have better sleep than I did previously.
It’s great to hear that you’ve experienced an improvement in your sleep! I just hope I’m able to adhere to my routine, and thus get great sleep, in the future.
Yea – your post was pretty…um…obnoxious. I have severe OSA and my recent data tells me that I get no deep sleep -or- under one min. Why? I have no idea….but your blog post doesn’t help the rest of us who are struggling. When you have OSA, twins, a cpap, career and a family to run and aren’t in your 20s….that will be an entirely different story. Open your eyes and your heart….being a young white male doe not have to limit your scope of understanding of the world….I believe you are more than your stereotype….just like I am more than a middle aged, middle-class mom. You will not be able to keep up your routine…trust me…life will change for you because it always does. Often, for the better.