Master Your Sleep for Peak Performance: Optimize Your Brain and Body with Diet and Habits

“I haven’t been sleeping well lately…” “It’s so hard to wake up in the morning…”

Many business people in modern society have such problems. But have you given up on them as “something that can’t be helped”?

In fact, the quality of your sleep can be dramatically improved with a few minor adjustments to your diet and lifestyle.

Why is “Sleep” Essential to Your Performance?

Sleep is not just about rest. It is a vital process of restoring the brain and body from a hard day’s work, organizing information, and recharging your energy for the next day’s activities.

For business people in particular, sleep has a direct impact on factors that affect intellectual productivity, such as concentration, judgment, and creativity. Lack of sleep is like doing heavy work on a low-spec PC. You are not able to perform at your best, which can lead to mistakes and inefficient decisions.

So how can you get “quality sleep”? The key is hidden in our most familiar habit: “diet.”

The “Strategic Eating” That Will Dramatically Change the Quality of Your Sleep

Breakfast: A good night’s sleep begins in the “morning”

It may come as a surprise, but the preparation for a good night’s sleep begins with breakfast. The key is an amino acid called tryptophan.

Tryptophan is a building block for the hormones serotonin, which stabilizes the mind, and melatonin, which promotes sleep. When you take tryptophan in the morning, serotonin is produced during the day, which then turns into melatonin at night, inducing a natural sleep.

• What should you eat?
  • High-protein foods: fish (salmon, tuna), meat (chicken breast), eggs, soy products (natto, tofu), dairy products (yogurt)
  • With vitamin B6: Combining with bananas, avocados, and brown rice will help your body produce serotonin from tryptophan efficiently.
  • Recommended breakfast examples: Salmon set meal (rice, salmon, miso soup, natto), whole wheat bread egg sandwich, Greek yogurt and banana

Dinner: “What” and “when” you eat is important

Dinner has a direct impact on the quality of your sleep. The basic rule is to eat a moderate amount of easily digestible food 2-3 hours before bedtime.

• What should you eat?
  • Magnesium-rich foods: Magnesium, also known as a “natural tranquilizer,” has a relaxing effect on the mind and body.
    • Specific examples: Leafy greens such as spinach, seaweed, nuts (almonds), and beans
  • GABA and glycine are also noteworthy: Recently, amino acids such as GABA and glycine have also been noted for their relaxing and sleep-smoothing effects. They can be found in brown rice, tomatoes, and some supplements.

The “Golden Morning Routine” for the Best Awakening

If you can wake up refreshed in the morning, your productivity for the day will change dramatically.

1. Get some sunlight (most important): Open the curtains as soon as you wake up and get 5-15 minutes of sunlight. This will reset your body clock and start preparing you for a natural night’s sleep.
2. Drink a glass of water: Replenish the water you lost during sleep and wake up your body from the inside out.
3. Get some light exercise: Promote blood flow with a walk or stretch to switch on your brain and body.

“Strategic Evening Habits” to Cool Down Your Brain

For quality sleep, it is essential to calm the brain’s excitement and switch to a relaxed mode before going to bed.

1. Take a bath 1-2 hours before bedtime: Soaking in lukewarm water at 38-40°C will raise your core body temperature once, and the subsequent drop in temperature will induce a natural sleepiness.
2. Digital Detox: Stop looking at your phone or PC screen an hour before bedtime. Blue light suppresses the secretion of melatonin, the sleep hormone.
3. Create a relaxing environment:
   • Lighting: Switch the room’s lighting to warm-colored indirect lighting.
   • Music: Listen to quiet healing music or the sounds of nature.
   • Reading: Read a book with calm content in a paper book.