SLEEP TIPS FOR

ATHLETIC PERFORMANCE
While sleep is necessary for life & health for the average
person, it is regarded as a crucial tool by world-class
athletes, coaches and doctors to maximise sports
performance. Many top performers in sports give credit to
their sleep routine as the extra edge, from optimising
hormonal environment for recovery & performance to
faster reaction times.

In this E-book, you will be given practical and simple-to-

implement tips that make a world of difference in your
sleep quality & quantity.

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Nick Hedayatpour, aka The Strength Artist has multi-

faceted credentials in strength coaching, nutrition, pre and
post-rehabilitation and sports performance optimization.

He dedicates his time in simplifying the geekiest studies

and methods of fitness while staying on top of research
and most effective methods in strength training & nutrition
from around the globe to help athletes perform at their
best while staying injury free.

Over a decade as a strength coach, he has worked with

athletes in 11 sports who qualified & medalled at
international competition level as well as non-athletic
clients such as an astronaut, actors, executives & general
population clients who need to overcome health issues to
get in better shape.

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 DISCLAIMER

The information in this E-book is not meant to diagnose or

treat any sleep disorders. You should consult your
healthcare practitioner before using the information
provided in this E-book. The reader is 100% responsible
for the risks involved in using the information in this
E-book.

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 SLEEP TIPS FOR
ATHLETIC PERFORMANCE
My goal with this E-book is for
you, the athlete/coach to
understand the spectacular
benefits of developing a sleep
hygiene in a simple and easy-to-
implement manner.
I have done the research,
application and experiments on
sleep so you don't have to.
Instead, use these simple yet
powerful tips and reap the
benefits of a good-night
sleep...so not much
geeky/sciency stuff.
What I'd like to emphasize here
is that even though you'll learn
20 tips on how to improve your
sleep quality & quantity, they are
not meant to be implemented all
at once. Take one habit that is
the low-hanging fruit, the one
that is super easy based on your
lifestyle, do it for a week or two.
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Once you can do that
consistently without much effort,
pick the next easy one until you
fully build your sleep hygiene
routine.
In this guide, I won't be talking
about the benefits of good sleep
because the chances are, if you
follow me, you already
understand the benefits so we'll
jump right into practical stuff to
achieve high quality sleep.
One last thing before we delve
into the bolts & nuts of a good
night's sleep. If, after reading
this guide, you enjoyed the
content, do me a favour and
either give me a shoutout on
social media and/or share it with
a friend. It helps me keep
making content like this so you
can benefit from it so thank you!
 SLEEP TIPS FOR
ATHLETIC PERFORMANCE
Sleep Quality & Quantity
Let's first establish what a good
night's sleep looks like. To put it
simply, when you wake up, you
want to feel well-rested and this
might look slightly different for
each individual.
Roger Federer, the tennis
legend, sleeps 12 hours a night.
He does so intuitively because
his volume of training is way
above the average person so he
needs that much sleep to feel
well-rested. On the other hand,
an average person who hits the
gym 3-4 times a week might
benefit from sleeping only 7-8
hours a night.
When I work with younger
athletes (age 16 and below), I
ask their parents to ensure they
get about 10 hours a night.
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This is because they are in
develomental stages where
structural changes are
happening all over their body,
so they need extra sleep time to
make such processes happen.
Research supports this too.
So for you, a good night sleep
means that you'll fall sleep
within 10-15 mins of laying your
head on the pillow, stay asleep
throughout the night and wake
up feeing well-rested after about
7-10 hours of sleep.
How do you know your sleep
quality has improved? When you
implement the tips I'm about to
share with you and you reach
the points I mentioned above.
Let's dig in.
 SLEEP TIPS FOR
ATHLETIC PERFORMANCE
1 - Establish A Sleep Ritual
As an athlete, there is a high
chance that you have a ritual in
your sport. For example, before
competition, you like a certain
meal. On game day, there is a
special song that puts you in the
zone and etc. Sleep is no
different. There might have
been a time (decades ago)
where we could just go to bed
and get a decent sleep.
However, in this day and age,
just going to bed is not enough.
There are many sleep disruptors
around us that we need to be
aware of so we need to
establish a window of
preparation for sleep to get in
the zone which typically starts
about 2-3 hours before bed.
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2- Stay Away From Blue Light
Blue light blocks off Melatonin,
which is incredibly important for
sleep and immune system.
If I am to give you one tip that
makes a world of difference in
your sleep quality, this is it: stay
away from screens 2-3 hours
before bed.
With so much reliance on our
digital gadgets for work, school
& entertainment, it is a hard task.
I get it. But I have one simple
question for you to answer: Is
finding out what
your neighbour's cat had for
dinner at night in bed on
instagram more important than
your sleep?
 SLEEP TIPS FOR
ATHLETIC PERFORMANCE
I sincerely hope you chose the If your work requires you to do
latter. Now, here are two tips to things online or have those
make this easier to implement. nights where you just gotta get
things done till late, I suggest
Tip 1: If you have the habit of you invest in a glass that
being on your phone in bed till reduces blue light exposure.
you close your eyes to go to
sleep, blocking phone usage 3 I personally use Barner glasses
hours before bed might be a (pictured below) as they are
daunting task. Do this instead: stylish and practical throughout
start with 15 mins. For just 15 the day. You can check them
mins before bed, put your out here:
phone away and instead, do (https://barnerbrand.com/collecti
something that doesn't require ons/blue-light-glasses)
screen time. Every week or so,
add 15 mins until you reach
about 2-3 hours.
I'll tell you how to fill up your
pre-bed time so you don't just
end up staring at the
ceiling...don't you worry.

Tip 2: Invest in a glass that

blocks/reduces exposure to
blue light.

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 SLEEP TIPS FOR
ATHLETIC PERFORMANCE
Another type which is a stronger
one would be True Dark
glasses. Not as stylish but
powerful. Check them out here:
(https://truedark.com/product-
category/glasses/twilights/)
***I do not make any money
from recommending these
brands.
3-Reduce Stress With Reishi &
Chamomile
The way I consume reishi
mushrooms is through a hot
chocolate mix by Four Sigmatic.
You can check them out here:
(https://us.foursigmatic.com/pro
ducts/calm-organic-cacao-
multiserve)
These are super tasty and tastes
like a rich hot-chocolate.
Imagine sipping on this by the
fire place during cold nights...oh
so good!

These are two of my favourite

drinks to make before bed. I
love the smell of Chamomile tea
and it is a zero calorie drink with
calming effects, making it great
before bed time.

Another favourite of mine is

Reishi mushrooms. Reishi has
been used in traditional Chinese ****Once again, I don't make
medicine for thousands of years money from recommending
to reduce stress. these products.

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 SLEEP TIPS FOR
ATHLETIC PERFORMANCE
4- Avoid Stress-Inducing Arguments (Sometimes this
Activities is hard to avoid in a
household but sleep
This might sound like a no window needs to be
brainer. However, it is very respected for it to work)
common for athletes to look
past this. In your sleep Paying bills (yikesss.)
preparation window, you want
to avoid pretty much anything Eating very spicy food (you
that can sabotage your sleep if can't relax with an upset
they are likely to elevate your stomach)
stress levels.
Eating too close to bed time
Such activities may include but (you can't fully rest if your
not limited to: digestive system has lots of
work to do) I recommend to
Caffeine Consumption (keep have your last main meal no
your caffeine consumption less than 3 hours before
before 2pm) bed.

Watching the news (nothing Decongestants like Sudafed

relaxing ever makes it to (the active ingredient is
CNN) pseudoepinephrine which
sabotages sleep. Ask your
doctor for an alternative)

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 SLEEP TIPS FOR
ATHLETIC PERFORMANCE
5- Cold Bedroom
The colder the room, the better.
I personally sleep in a room that
is 16 degrees celcius. (For my
confused American readers, that
is 60 Fahrenheit).
If you are not used to a cold
bedroom, start by making your
room gradually colder each
night until you find the right
temperature for you.
& if you and your partner have
different temperature
preferences, then look into this
device called Chilli Pad (pictured
below) It can save relationships
& marriages.
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6- Strip Down
Sleeping with minimal clothing
(underwear/panties) can help
keep your skin/body cooler and
feels more comfortable overall
which makes falling and staying
asleep easier.
7- Avoid Electromagnetic
Pollution
Keep your electronic devices
out of the bedroom and turn off
the wifi router at night. Such
devices can interfere with your
sleep.
8- Bat Cave
Your room should be like a bat
cave. Invest in a curtain or good
blinds to keep light out of the
bedroom. No light should be in
your room when you sleep.
 SLEEP TIPS FOR
ATHLETIC PERFORMANCE
9- Get Sunlight
This does not fall in the sleep
preparation window but it is
crucial. Your body has an
internal clock called the
Circadian Rhythm. In order for
this cycle to function properly,
you need to expose yourself to
sunlight first thing in the
morning to start secretion of
stress hormones to go after your
day. At night, melatonin will
naturally be secreted optimally
when you expose yourself to
sunlight during the day...even
during colder months, get out
and do it.
10- Magnesium
Magnesium (Mg) is an essential
supplement for my athletes. Just
about every athlete I have
coached was magnesium
deficient when we started
training.
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It is an incredibly important
supplement as it is involved in
600+ enzymatic reactions in the
body.
Some magnesium deficiency
symptoms could include:
Trouble falling asleep
Slow recovery
Brain fog
Fatigue
etc.
Athletes, due to the volume of
their training, are more
susceptible to being magnesium
deficient. The best way to test if
you are Mg deficient is to do a
red blood cell Mg test through a
functional medicine practitioner.
Don't test serum levels as it
wont tell you the whole picture.
Testing allows you to find the
right dose to replenish your
levels.
 SLEEP TIPS FOR
ATHLETIC PERFORMANCE
Once you consult your
healthcare practitioner and
ready to supplement with
magnesium, make sure you get
the right type.
Firstly, forget about magnesium
oxide. It is a cheap form of Mg
that does nothing. What I
recommend is to look for a
brand that uses Mg forms such
as Threonate, Glycinate, Taurate
and Malate.
The one I personally use is from
ATP Lab. You can check it out
here: https://rb.gy/ba2s1
***Enter the code "strengthartist"
to receive 10% off. They ship
globally.
Bonus Tip: Mixing Mg with L-
theanine & Inositol makes for a
powerful sleep cocktail.
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11- The Grateful Log
I first learned about this practice
through my teacher, Charles
Poliquin. This simple habit
before bed is astonishingly
powerful.
Here is what to do: have a little
notebook and name it "The
Grateful Log". Every night before
bed, write 3 things you are
grateful for that day. For
example:
I'm grateful for Jason to give
me a ride to hockey practice
I'm grateful for the barista
who gave me an extra shot
of espresso free of charge
I'm grateful for doing a
snatch PR at the gym today
 SLEEP TIPS FOR
ATHLETIC PERFORMANCE
Whether you have an incredible
or bad day, always strive to find
3 things you are grateful for.
The only rule is that you gotta
find 3 new things every day to
be grateful for. You cannot write
things like I'm grateful for my
mom or having a house. You
should already be grateful for
those things. So make sure
everyday, you have 3 new
things to be grateful for.
Otherwise, you gotta be more
observant with your day and
question your views....there is
always something to be grateful
for.
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12- Tape Your Mouth
This might sound like a kink but
it's not (ok...maybe for some of
you kinky people it is) but mouth
taping allows for a better night
sleep. This is mainly due to the
nasal breathing it promotes
(which can keep your teeth and
oral development healthier in
the long-run too)
Watch this video which shows
you what tape to get and how to
do it:
https://www.youtube.com/watch
?v=XsTKwOqcc_k
13- Classical Music
I love heavy metal & rock. But I
don't want my heart rate racing
and my head banging before
going to bed. So I switch to
slower beats and more calming
music as the night approaches.
 SLEEP TIPS FOR
ATHLETIC PERFORMANCE
Classical music is one of them.
Ideally, a song with 60 bpm
would be ideal. Choose songs
that relax you rather than
provoke an emotional feeling
like sad & slow songs/lyrics.
14- Fixed Sleep Schedule
One of the most powerful tips in
this E-book is this tip: go to bed
and wake at the same time
every single day...including
weekends.
As mentioned before, your body
has an internal clock. Sleeping
and going to bed
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at the same time ensures that
your body's circadian rhythm
allows for a routine to work
around the clock.
Make it a priority to sleep before
midnight. Some of the most
successful doctors I know say
that 1 hour of sleep before
midnight = 2 hours past
midnight and this is so true.
I have compared sleeping 8
hours from 1 am to 9 am to 10
pm to 6 am and the latter always
feels much more well-rested
even though the quantity is the
same, the quality is a world of
difference.
15- Stretching
I am not a fan of stretching right
after a workout. I don't find it
effective at all. Instead, I get
athletes to stretch before bed.
 SLEEP TIPS FOR
ATHLETIC PERFORMANCE
Not only will it relax you, but
also put you in a
parasympathetic state (state of
calmness) which is what you
need before bed.
It is also an easy way to stay
away from your phone because
if you stretch properly, you can't
use your phone.
16- Box Breathing
When you are in bed, do box
breathing. It's a simple method
to calm your mind and make you
aware of breathing.
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Here is how you do it: lie down
in bed with your eyes closed
and bend your knees 90
degrees. Put one hand on your
belly and the other on your
chest. 2/3 of your breathing
should come from belly area
and about 1/3 from chest.
Breathe in for 4 seconds, hold
for 4s, breathe out for 4s and
hold 4s before breathing in
again. You can gradually go up
to 5s, 6s or more.
It is truly amazing how this
simple technique can put us in a
calm state to make falling
asleep easier.
17- Sleeping Position
When you wake up, you should
not experience any
back/neck/shoulder pain.
 SLEEP TIPS FOR
ATHLETIC PERFORMANCE
It is not normal. if you
experience any, it might have to
do with your sleeping position.
here are some things I
recommend:
Don't sleep on your stomach
(you have no choice but to
rotate your neck which
causes neck/shoulder
issues)
If you sleep on your back,
put a pillow under your
knees to avoid the gap
under them. This will help to
keep your back in a good
position so you don't feel a
discomfort when you wake
up.
If you sleep on you side, put
a mini pillow between your
knees. This will reduce
movement in pelvis/hips.
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18 - Mattess & Pillow
The material of your mattress
and pillows are a personal
choice. As a rule of thumb, they
should be comfortable, not-too-
soft and not-too-rigid. It should
allow for some level of
movement but not so soft that
you sink in. My favourite brand
is Stearns & Foster. They are not
cheap but a great investment.
Ask around for more affordable
alternatives.
19- Carbs In The Evening
Carbs have a calming effect.
When you consume carbs, you
secrete insulin to control your
blood sugar. Insulin and cortisol
(stress hormone) are like a see-
saw. When one is up, the other
one is down.
 SLEEP TIPS FOR
ATHLETIC PERFORMANCE
So you can save the majority of
your carbs in the evening to
take advantage of this.

20- Have Sex Before Bed

Not much to talk about here but

it is far more beneficial to have
sex with a partner than doing it
alone for health purposes.
Doing it alone might require
screen time (Unagi!) so stay
away from that.

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 SLEEP TIPS FOR
ATHLETIC PERFORMANCE
We have come to the end of this E-book. I want to remind you one last
time that even though I provided all these tips for you to improve your
sleep, they are not meant to be done all at the same time. Pick the
easiest one you can do, do it for a week or two, then pick the next
easy tip and keep going until you develop your personal sleep
routine.

I am going to leave you with a quote from Aristotle:

"We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence,

therefore, is not an act but a habit"

One last thing. If you enjoyed reading this E-book, please give me a
shoutout on social media and tag me @thestrengthartist. It'll help me
keep making more guides like this.

Also, feel free to send this to your friends/athletes/clients so pay it

forward.

Sleep well!

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