EP 09: Unlock Your Sleep Potential: A CEO's 30-Day Guide to Better Rest with Steve Adams

Are you a high-achieving professional, CEO, or entrepreneur who's been burning the candle at both ends? Do you find yourself tossing and turning at night, unable to get the rest you desperately need? If so, you're not alone.

In this post, we'll explore how to improve your sleep in just 30 days, drawing from the experiences of Steve Adams, host of Optimal Health Weekly and founder of Tiger Medical Institute.

"I'll sleep when I'm dead."

How many times have you heard (or even said) this phrase? It's a badge of honor in our hustle culture, but it's also a dangerous misconception. Steve Adams, who struggled with poor sleep for a decade, shares a sobering truth:

"When you don't sleep well and you have constant sleep deprivation, it's like driving with alcohol impairment. You're setting yourself up for cognitive disease, and you're also going to make yourself overweight, potentially, because when you don't sleep well, you crave the wrong foods, sugars and carbs, and it contributes to all kinds of problems."

For high-achieving professionals, the consequences of poor sleep extend beyond health. It impacts your performance, decision-making abilities, and ultimately, your bottom line. It's time to redefine your relationship with sleep.

Let's face it: you can't perform at your best when you're running on fumes. Sleep deprivation is like a silent thief, robbing you of:

1. Cognitive function

2. Emotional stability

3. Physical health

4. Productivity

5. Long-term well-being

Steve emphasizes the gravity of the situation:

"You're not going to be very good at what you do, and so it's going to cost you money."

But here's the good news: it's never too late to turn things around. Steve went from getting just 2-3 hours of actual sleep per night to consistently achieving 7.5-8.5 hours of quality rest. If he could do it, so can you.

Are you hitting these targets? If not, you're leaving untapped potential on the table every single day.

But here's the kicker: improving your sleep isn't just about feeling better in the short term. It's about investing in your long-term health and longevity. Steve shares a fascinating insight:

"There's a correlation between maintaining your REM and your deep sleep and longevity. On average, a person's sleep starts to deteriorate at age 55 and gets worse as they get older. If you can change that narrative and maintain your deep and REM sleep well beyond age 55, what can happen is that correlates with living 80 to 100 years old, according to this research."

In other words, optimizing your sleep now could quite literally add years to your life.

While completely overhauling your sleep patterns might take longer than a month, you can make significant strides in just 30 days. Here's what you can achieve:

1. Establish a consistent sleep routine

2. Improve your sleep environment

3. Reduce sleep latency (time to fall asleep)

4. Increase overall sleep quality

5. Wake up feeling more refreshed and energized

Steve emphasizes that while 30 days might not fix everything, it's enough time to see noticeable improvements and gain the motivation to continue your sleep optimization journey.

Ready to reclaim your nights and supercharge your days? Follow this comprehensive plan to kickstart your sleep transformation:

1. Commit to 8 hours in bed: Make a non-negotiable commitment to spend at least 8 hours in bed each night. This might mean adjusting your schedule, but remember – sleep is an investment in your performance and longevity.

2. Establish a sleep routine: Set consistent bedtime and wake-up times, even on weekends. Your body thrives on routine.

3. Create a sleep sanctuary: Transform your bedroom into a sleep-inducing environment:

• Install blackout curtains
• Remove all electronics (yes, that includes your TV)
• Lower the temperature to 68-72°F (20-22°C)

4. Begin a digital sunset: Start powering down devices 1 hour before bed. If you must use screens, invest in blue light blocking glasses.

5. Implement diaphragmatic breathing: Spend 10 minutes each evening practicing deep, diaphragmatic breathing. This simple technique can significantly reduce stress and prepare your body for sleep.

6. Introduce a 3-hour pre-bed fast: Stop eating at least 3 hours before bedtime. As Steve explains:

"When you go to bed, you're not digesting. Your body can actually go to do the work that it's supposed to do, cleaning out the trash in your brain, you know, restoring your physical, your muscles, and all of that kind of stuff."

7. Experiment with natural sleep aids: Visit a reputable health food store and explore natural sleep supplements. Steve recommends looking for blends that contain multiple sleep-supporting compounds.

8. Track your sleep: Start using a sleep tracking device or app to gather data on your sleep patterns. Look for improvements in total sleep time, sleep efficiency, and time spent in deep and REM sleep.

9. Adjust your exercise timing: If you're exercising late in the day, try moving your workouts to the morning or early afternoon to see if it improves your sleep quality.

10. Manage stress proactively: Incorporate stress-reduction techniques throughout your day, such as meditation, yoga, or journaling.

11. Review your progress: Look back at your sleep data and subjective experiences. What's working well? What needs adjustment?

12. Seek professional guidance: Consider taking the Optimal Health Assessment offered by Tiger Medical Institute. As Steve explains:

"What this optimal health test will do is going to measure 73 markers. It's going to give our doctors a very good overview of where you are from a health standpoint."

13. Plan for long-term success: Based on your 30-day experience, create a sustainable sleep optimization plan that you can stick to in the long run.

Remember, transforming your sleep is a journey, not a destination. Be patient with yourself and celebrate small victories along the way.

Improving your sleep is one of the most powerful ways to enhance your performance, health, and overall quality of life. As Steve Adams reminds us:

"Nobody can guarantee that and extend out that aging curve. You know, the normal curve is you hit mid-fifties and go straight down and the average person is dying in the mid-seventies. The research shows that if you get ahead of this stuff and you're proactive in your approach, you can flatten that aging curve out and stabilize your health and it does not decline."

By following this 30-day plan, you're not just working towards better nights – you're investing in more productive days, improved health, and potentially even a longer, more vibrant life. It's time to stop viewing sleep as a luxury and start treating it as the cornerstone of your success.

Are you ready to unlock your sleep potential and become the best version of yourself? Your journey to optimal sleep – and optimal living – starts tonight.