Are you struggling to find your ideal sleep schedule?

“You’ll feel better after a good night’s sleep.”

It’s a comforting phrase often shared with friends going through tough times, like breakups. However, this statement holds a profound truth: a restful night’s sleep can indeed make you feel better. It goes beyond mere comfort; quality sleep can transform your life in numerous ways, helping you:

✅ Make better food choices
✅ Have more physical and mental energy for exercise and work
✅ More effectively manage your stress and emotions

These are just a few of the benefits of proper sleep. What’s even more intriguing is that these improvements can, in turn, contribute to better sleep. Instead of being trapped in a vicious cycle that makes life harder, getting adequate shuteye can initiate a virtuous cycle that significantly enhances your quality of life.

However, here’s the conundrum: Many people grapple with sleep-related issues. They perpetually feel tired, no matter what they try. They’ve experimented with various remedies, from gravity blankets to sleep trackers and supplements, and yet nothing seems to provide lasting relief.

There’s no one-size-fits-all solution for poor sleep, but a crucial starting point for many individuals is their sleep schedule. While this might seem like common sense, it can be remarkably effective, especially if you haven’t given it much thought before.

The First Step: Determining Your Ideal Sleep Duration

Begin by figuring out how many hours of sleep you personally need. This should be the amount that allows you to wake up without the aid of an alarm clock, feeling genuinely well-rested. If you’re unsure about this duration, a general guideline is to aim for 7-8 hours of sleep per night.

Now, work backward from the time you intend to wake up in the morning. This calculated time is your bedtime, and it’s genuinely that straightforward to determine. To enhance your sleep quality, strive to adhere to this schedule consistently, even on weekends.

Here’s the rationale behind this approach: After a restful night’s sleep, most people require approximately 16 hours of wakefulness before they naturally start to feel sleepy again. Therefore, if you allow yourself to wake up later than usual, you’ll likely struggle to fall asleep at your scheduled bedtime.

This advice comes directly from Dr. Jennifer Martin, President of the American Academy of Sleep Medicine, and it has proven effective for numerous individuals. However, it’s essential to acknowledge that implementing such a schedule may entail certain tradeoffs, some of which you might not particularly enjoy. For instance, it might require you to retire to bed earlier and forego sleeping in on your days off.

Nevertheless, the potential benefits are substantial, making it a worthy endeavor.

Start with “Doable” Rather Than “Ideal”

If transitioning to an “ideal” sleep schedule feels overwhelming or unattainable due to significant deviations from your current routine, consider beginning with a more manageable approach.

Create a sleep schedule that you believe you can faithfully follow for at least six out of seven nights a week. Evaluate your confidence in sticking to this schedule on a scale of 0 (impossible) to 10 (effortless), and only proceed when you reach a rating of 9 or 10.

Commit to this adjusted schedule for a minimum of two weeks. If you find success, you can gradually seek further improvements over time. Conversely, if you encounter difficulties or setbacks, don’t be discouraged; simply scale back and attempt again.

In the quest for a better night’s sleep and an improved quality of life, remember that small, consistent changes can lead to significant results. Sweet dreams await those who prioritize the foundational practice of cultivating an optimal sleep schedule.

I hope this helps, and while you’re here, I want to make sure you know that if there’s any way I can help you achieve your health and fitness goals, I’m here for you.

I offer online nutrition coaching to clients who are ready to quit dieting and start looking and feeling better, with more confidence and increased energy levels –  without complicated diets or painful workouts

What exactly is “nutrition coaching”… and how will it help you reach your goals?

When it comes to losing weight and getting the body you want, “eating better” is one of the most important steps. The only problem?

Most of the common diet advice you receive simply isn’t sustainable…

  • “Avoid your favorite foods… forever!”
  • “Don’t eat after 7pm!”
  • “Weigh and measure every morsel of food you eat!”

If you’ve tried something like this before and “failed”—or just couldn’t stick with it—you’re not alone.

(And it’s definitely NOT your fault.)

I talk to people every day who are trying to muster up all the willpower they can find to diet their way to a better body… but they still aren’t getting the results they want.

The good news? There’s a better way.

My nutrition coaching focuses on strategic, doable daily actions that are designed to fit into YOUR lifestyle. With this approach, you’ll learn how to:

  • Eat better—without dieting or feeling deprived.
  • Lose weight—without giving up your favorite foods.
  • Ditch the food rules—overcoming the guilt and shame.
  • Feel energized all day—so you can enjoy all the things you want and need to do.
  • Get the results you’ve always wanted—and build the healthy habits you need to stay that way for good.

Bottom line: My goal is to help you learn how to “eat better” so that it becomes easy, consistent, and automatic.

No restrictive dieting. No weighing or measuring your food. No “one size fits all” meal plan.

Instead, you’ll learn how to bring healthy eating into your lifestyle and get in amazing shape—while building the habits you need to stay that way for good.

How is nutrition coaching different from fitness coaching or personal training?

As a coach, my number one goal is to help my clients reach THEIR goals. Doing that effectively requires me to constantly look for opportunities to learn new skills and hone my craft.

This is exactly why I chose to become a Certified Nutrition Coach through Precision Nutrition.

I’ve now been trained by the best of the best, so I know what works.

(The nutrition method they teach is backed by science and has been proven to work with over 100,000 of their own clients… so it’s the real deal.)

The best part? The knowledge and skills I’ve gained can help you finally get the results you want—and keep them for life.

Through the rigorous training I’ve received, I learned that while exercise is a crucial part of losing weight, feeling good, and achieving optimal health… it’s only half the equation.

The other half—as you may have guessed—is nutrition.

I’d actually argue that nutrition is more important than exercise, because while you spend a few hours working out each week, challenges around eating and food can happen anytime (some would say all the time!).

That’s why having a coach there to guide and support you is crucial.

Don’t get me wrong: Exercise is very important. But no amount of exercise will ever be able to “outwork” bad nutrition habits. So in order to help you get the life-transforming results you deserve—I’m excited to be able to offer nutrition coaching in an official capacity.

What I learned while becoming a Certified Nutrition Coach opened my eyes to a whole new way of doing things. And through this science-proven approach, I’m ready to help you get even better results through healthy nutrition habits.

Interested? Have questions? Let’s talk…

If this sounds like something you’d be interested in, or if you have questions about what this would look like… I’d love to discuss how my online nutrition coaching program could help you get the results you’re looking for.

Click here to get started and I’ll answer any questions you have. Plus, we can connect to talk more about what this would look like for you.

Dedicated to your success,

Nico.

P.S. Just so you know: I’m offer fitness coaching as well—and it doesn’t have to be “either or.”

If you’re in a place where guidance and support from an experienced coach could help you reach your goals, I’m here to help in whatever capacity will be most beneficial for you.

Simply learn more here and we can talk about the different coaching options I have available.

>