The newsletter which curates & delivers the best nutritional advice, fitness hacks & holistic health strategies to your inbox every week.

💪🏼 HEALTH HACK

How To Fall Asleep Easier Than Ever By Following The Right 'Wind Down' Schedule

The numbers are in & they tell a troubling story...

We're experiencing a sleep epidemic!

Despite the fact that people are suffering with low energy levels, tiredness & fatigue during the day...

Somewhat paradoxically, we also cannot fall asleep at night… (or don't feel rested the next morning due to a poor quality of sleep too!)

Because of this… the sales of sleeping pills & other aids are soaring as people desperately try to get some much-needed zzzzz’s...

But here’s the problem with these sleeping pills or melatonin supplements that people are taking: they are not a good long-term fix as they create dependence.

Before long, you cannot fall asleep anymore without those little sleeping pills… essentially leaving you worse off than before you started taking them… (except, of course, the Big Pharma companies are richer as you're even more dependent on them now than before!)

Fortunately, there are many other natural, simplier things you can do (or rather, to stop doing!) to start falling asleep easier (& improve your sleep quality!) so you feel fully energized the next morning!

While some (even many) of the things we’re about to share will seem obvious… common sense is not always common practice... with most people breaking these rules (leading to a hard time falling asleep in the first place, as mentioned…)

So, here's the framework:

Starting with an obvious one, the first thing you'll want to avoid is...

7+ Hours Before: Caffeine

And, as you can see as part of the graphic ^ you'll want to stop consuming any & all caffeine ideally about 7 hours before bed.

Yes, 7 hours!

(so if you're going to be at 11pm, last sip at 4pm.)

And even though 7 hours may seem like a lot, please note that's actually the bare minimum!

What this means is that the caffeine is in your system (& as a result, blocking the release of melatonin which helps you fall asleep) for about 6 - 8 after you consume it...

Which means, you want to have your last cup of coffee (or energy drink... or certain types of tea that have higher levels of caffeine) about about 6 - 8 hours (let's just 7 hours as a good mid-point here) before you go to sleep...

That way about half the caffeine will be out of your system by then...

6+ Hours Before: Naps

If you're going to take a nap during the day (if not, just ignore this one) you'll want to do this at the latest about 6 hours before your actual sleep time...

Basically, what happens is that some (even many) people take naps too late into the day… (or take naps that are too long in length).

A lot of people take naps too late into the afternoon & this throws off their circadian rhythm & now they have a hard time falling asleep at night...

So, if let's say, you go to bed at 10PM, you'll want to wake up from your nap at the latest by 4PM...

Ideally, even earlier... you can nap at 1PM or 2PM ideally.

4 Hours Before: Heavy Exercise

Exercise is obviously something you want to be doing (heavier exercise at least 3 - 5 times a week... & at least something light every day) but the timing is also important for optimal results...

If you’re doing this exercise too late into your day, that’s going to affect your ability to fall asleep at night.

Why?

Because exercise raises your heart rate as well as body temperature & therefore makes it harder to fall asleep...

And so, exercise, absolutely... but don't do it too late!

Ideally, no later than about 4 hours before you to bed… that way, you give your body plenty of time for your heart rate to drop, your body temperature to drop & melatonin to release!

3 Hours Before: Alcohol

If you're going to drink alcohol (ideally don't!) you want to stop doing that about 3 hours before bed...

Next...

2 Hours Before: Food & Work

The next 2 things you'll want to stop are food (which forces your body to digest it, also elevating your heart rate, body temperature & making it harder to fall asleep or get into the deeper cycles of sleep during the night)...

...as well as work (which if you stop too late before bed, you may have a harder time falling asleep because you'll still be thinking about it & your mind is running!)

Also, your last meal, keep it lighter (not a huge feast!) for the same reasons.

1.5 Hours Before: Light

One of the main things that regulars our circadian rhythm affecting our energy levels during the day as well as sleep at night is light.

It’s the reason you absolutely do want lots of light in the morning (notice how much easier it’s to wake up & jump straight into the day when the sun is rising & sunlight is flooding your bedroom as you wake, like during summer months vs when you wake as it’s still pitch black outside like during winter).

It’s why you want to go outside within the first few hours (ideally within 1 hour) of waking to get natural sunlight…

And it’s also why you want to do the exact opposite before falling asleep & avoid light ideally about an hour (even a bit more - more like 1.5 hours is ideal) before you go to bed.

And this includes bright lights in the house, as well as technology (TV screens, laptops, smartphones & so on!) they omit ‘blue light’, which also stops the melatonin production required to fall asleep easily…

And so, there you have it...

Take a look again - here are the things you want to avoid & when you want to avoid them in order to prepare yourself for restful sleep...

^ This is basically your "wind down" schedule; a simple blueprint for what to avoid & when to help your body wind down before bed & make falling asleep easier...

Speaking of sleep… if you'd like to learn even more about how to just just fall asleep easily, but also ensure the highest possible quality of sleep & wake up each morning full of energy… check out the full Potencia course on the topic, titled:

‘Sleep Code: How To Fall Asleep Easily, Sleep Peacefully & Wake Up Full Of Energy’

✅ RECOMMENDATION

2x More Amazing Content For Free!

If you’re not yet subscribed to our other, companion newsletter where each week we outline the best habits… scientifically-proven to improve not just your physical, but your mental, emotional & spiritual wellbeing, as well as your work, career & relationships with others…

…now’s your reminder to do exactly that. It’s called:

‘Mighty Habits’

As part of it, we do the heavy lifting & boring work of sifting through the latest scientific research, research journals & studies for you...

...identifying, curating & delivering you a detailed breakdown of these very best habits that you can build...

(the ones scientifically-proven to make the biggest difference for you; also as practices by the world's most successful people!)...

...to help you transform not only your health & fitness, but also your income, relationships with others & overall happiness in life!

👉 Click here to claim your V.I.P. access for free »

🌿 HEALTHY RECIPE

Raw Vegan Cheese (Or... A Delicious, Dairy-Free, Cheese Alternative You Can Enjoy Without Straining Your Liver, Gut Or Clogging Up Arteries!)

If you want to improve your nutrition, health & wellbeing, one thing you'll want to do is reduce the amount of dairy you consume…

(& especially so, ultra-processed dairy foods like soft cheeses!)

This 'Raw Vegan Cheese' recipe is minimally processed (we do use a blender which is a form of processing!)… making it a delicious soft cheese alternative that you can eat without straining your liver or clogging up your arteries!

It’s far, far healthier than store-bought cheeses as it is packed with nutrients & contains zero additives, preservatives, trans fats, sodium, or indeed any unhealthy ingredients at all!

To give it the right consistency & flavour we use raw cashew nuts, which are a regular go-to ingredient for many cheesy raw vegan dishes…

We also use the cheesy-flavoured ‘nutritional yeast’, which is an essential addition to any vegan diet!

The reason is, nutritional yeast is the only known food outside of animal products that contains very high levels of vitamin b12; essential for healthy DNA synthesis, red blood cell production & maintaining the health of the nervous system.

If you are vegetarian or vegan, simply sprinkle nutritional yeast over dishes to enhance the flavour or use to thicken soups and stews.

If you are getting around 2 tablespoons per day of unfortified (meaning without adding synthetic vitamins to the ingredients) nutritional yeast per day, you’re likely hitting around 130% of your DRV (a.k.a DV, DRA or probably something else where you’re from!)

And if you already have issues with the health of your nerves or blood, then you can always pump that amount up...

We then pump up the vitamins & minerals ourselves by adding one of the purest salts in the world; Celtic Sea Salt.

Then we throw in some garlic, lemon & finally some fresh green herbs in the form of basil, making this an antioxidant powerhouse!

And if you're a 'cheese lover', you might be thinking... 'Vegan cheese! Pah, no chance am I trying that!'

To which we say, c’mon now, loosen up a little & give it a go!

• Serves: 6-8 servings

• Time: 3 minutes

• Difficulty: Easy

Ingredients: 

• 200g raw cashew nuts

• ¼ cup nutritional yeast

• 1 clove garlic

• Juice of 1 wedge lemon

• 3 leaves fresh basil

• Pinch sea salt

• 1 cup filtered water

Method:

1. Add all ingredients to blender cup

2. Blend until super smooth

3. Serve with carrot, celery or cucumber sticks for a healthy weight loss snack

4. Or use as you would any soft cheese, on organic gluten-free crackers or toast for example

💭 QUOTE OF THE WEEK

🍴 FOOD HACK

The Worst Kitchen Appliance & How To Stop Killing The Nutritional Value Of Your Food With 1 Simple Lifestyle Change!

You know that appliance sitting in nearly every Western kitchen?

Yes, that one, the microwave...

Everybody seems to be using it & even entire industries have been created based around it — like 'microwave meals'.

Well, turns out that, if health truly is your priority, using this device might not be such a good idea...

In fact, you may even throw away your microwave entirely!

Here's why:

Many studies have found that microwaving food can turn harmless stuff in your food — like glucosides & galactosides in frozen fruit — into potentially harmful compounds (even veggies aren't safe; alkaloids can turn into troublemakers too.)

One study in particular compared the nutritional value in broccoli...

It found that microwaving the broccoli zapped a whopping 97% of its antioxidants.

Steaming? Only 11%.

Raw? None gone!

And it’s not just about altering your dinner...

There’ve been incidents, like the accidental death in '91 at an Oklahoma hospital because they microwaved blood for a transfusion. Yikes, right?

So, maybe it's time to ditch what is admittedly a super convenient device as it's really a disguised-nutrition-death-machine in the long-run…

(we promise your body will definitely thank you for it!)

Instead… we recommend opting for other, healthier ways of heating/processing your food — heating a little more slowly might just mean more nutrients on your plate & better health in the long run.