Background

I used to believe I was a night owl.

Little did I know, I was destroying my productivity (and mental health).

About a decade ago, my life was a mess and I didn’t know why.

Self-improvement was an obsession so I did what any junkie would naturally do:

Stay up for hours into the night binging self-improvement content.

Naturally, I’d wake up late and struggle to roll out of bed until 10 minutes before my first class in college.

My first jobs were hell. I had to force myself to wake up on 4-6 hours of sleep (not ideal).

Here are some of the other side effects:

• Brain fog

• Netflix binging

• Yelling at my kids

• Arguing with my wife

• Feeling tired after 1 pm

• Getting distracted at work

• Scrolling social media at night

• Random things getting me worked up.

Nothing to be proud of.

2 years ago, I started a morning routine that changed my entire life. For once I was productive.

Now I’m able to work deeply for 3-5 hours a day – REAL work that makes money or creates lasting change.

Since then, I’ve:

1. Lost 20 lbs of fat

2. Paid off $53K in debt.

3. Bought a 1-acre property.

4. Gained 1200 followers on Twitter.

5. Got a promotion and 2 raises at my 9-5.

6. Built stronger bonds with my family of 4.

7. Written over 40 newsletter articles/blogs.

8. Severely reduced social media consumption.

9. Started creating videos (after decades of fear).

10. Earned a few thousand dollars from side hustles.

This is not to brag but to show that I was a completely different person before.

Unproductive. Barely scraping by in my old career. And unable to focus because of a goldfish attention span.

Complete 180° for a former lazy, video game-addicted momma’s boy.

The key difference?

Starting a morning and night routine and getting better sleep.

Today I’m going to share the 3-2-1 Rule for getting high-quality sleep.

Core Concept

Deep sleep makes you superhuman.

But most people neglect sleep for the sake of “getting shit done.”

What if I told you the shit you’re getting done is shitty because your sleep is shit?

It’s true.

Sleep is vital to brain function and performance.

Sure, you’ve heard it before but you might not realize how much money, time, and energy you’re leaving on the table from bad sleeping habits.

Not to mention stress and emotional dysregulation.

Start getting at least 7 hours tonight so you can be a better partner, parent, or hybrid entrepreneur (shout out to my buddy Mike).

No sheep counting required.

Here’s how:

Focus Formula (The 3-2-1 Sleep Rule)

How to get better sleep tonight.

Say NO to these before bed:

• Food 3 hours

• Water 2 hours 

• Screens 1 hour 

9 bonus tips to sleep better:

• Stretch — spend 5-10 minutes stretching, a simple routine that you can do daily is best.

• Nose strip — use the strips that Hormozi wears, get them cheap at your local department store or Amazon.

• Mouth tape — use paper tape meant for the body, found in the athletic rehab section, or search for mouth tape online.

• Blackout room — make sure to get some blackout curtains or use an eye mask.

• Cool temperature — set your thermostat to 68-71 ℉.

• Evening caffeine — no caffeine 10 hours before bed.

• Alcohol — any amount will affect sleep quality.

• Late workouts — don’t work out too late in the day.

• Limit naptime — don’t take naps longer than 20 minutes.

Why It Works

These 3 processes help your body complete circadian sleep cycles — the most important indicator of sleep quality.

It’s essential for optimal performance and brain function.

Relaxation

A light stretch before bed can help relax your muscles and release tension from the day.

Cool temperatures mimic the natural drop in body heat that occurs during the night.

Eating a heavy meal close to bedtime disrupts sleep quality as your body works overtime to digest food.

Evening caffeine makes your mind and body restless and prevents you from relaxing at night often leading to anxiety.

Same with late workouts. The after-effects of a hard workout increase alertness and hormones like epinephrine and adrenaline.

Melatonin production

Blue light from screens interferes with the production of melatonin, the hormone that gives you that sleepy feeling.

Darkening your bedroom using blackout curtains or an eye mask signals your body to produce melatonin.

Do your best to limit alcohol, a melatonin blocker that contributes to sleep apnea, snoring, and messed up sleep patterns.

Long naps have a similar effect. Any longer than 30 minutes confuses your body triggering your body’s internal clock for deeper sleep states.

Reduce interruptions

Drinking water close to bedtime wakes you up with trips to the bathroom, disrupting your sleep cycle.

Nasal strips help improve airflow through your nose. They reduce snoring and enhance proper breathing during sleep. It pairs well with the next tip.

Mouth tape prevents snoring and your partner from hitting you to shut up. Plus, a lot of other benefits like better breathing and facial aesthetics.

That’s it!

Use at least 2 of these tonight and let me know how you feel tomorrow!

Thanks for reading. See you next week!

P.S. If you’re struggling with sleep or other health-related goals like fitness or nutrition, I’m here to help!

Check out my Week of Clarity to get 100% confidence for YOUR unique path to getting in shape or building better habits.

Talk soon!