6 STRATEGIES TO SLEEP SOUNDER

10pm rolls around, and you think to yourself "If I hit the hay now, I'll get a refreshing 8+ hours of sleep, and I'll be up bright and early to hit the gym in the morning!"

But we all know how the story goes...

You end up laying in bed for an hour alternating tagging your buddies in memes about skipping leg day and texting your girlfriend, before throwing your phone aside, staring at the ceiling for another hour, and then eventually drifting off...

Then, before you know it, that bloody iPhone alarm sounds (yes, that one), and you're smashing snooze more relentlessly than Dave Warner smashes 6's in a 20/20.

BUT IT DOESN'T HAVE TO BE THIS WAY.

The entrance to the illusive land of nod does not have to be so dire.

In fact, we've compiled our top 6 tips to help you ride the gains train straight to slumber station, so that you can sleep better, recover faster and be fresh out of excuses to skip leg day (again).

The bright, blue light emitting from your iPad, Laptop and/or phone wreaks havoc on your circadian rhytmn (the body's natural sleep cycle) - especially in the evenings.

While the most obvious solution is to simply forgo checking your phone and staying off Netflix between dinner and bed time, let's be honest here, that's wishful thinking at best.

So let's talk damage control.

For starters, install f.lux on your computer, which will dim and warm your display as the sun goes down, to minimise the disruption to your sleep cycle from your screen.

Cool, huh?

It even works with Netflix! Next, make sure you've got some form of "night-mode" installed on your phone and thirdly, TRY TO, I don't know... read a book instead? Who knows, maybe you'll even learn something!

There's no sure-fire way to ensure a terrible night of sleep than pounding a whole pizza 30 minutes before you hit the hay.

Try to eat dinner at least 2-3 hours before you crash (minimum), to allow ample time for the body to digest and wind down before venturing to snoozeville. Not only will you be able to fall asleep faster, but you'll improve your quality of sleep, so it's a win win!

Pre-workout and coffee are fantastic for just about everything (and we mean EVERYTHING) except falling asleep.

Did you know that the half life of caffeine is a whopping 5.7 hours?

This means that if you consume 200mg of caffeine at 2pm, you'll still have just under 100mg of caffeine (more than an average cup of coffee) in your system by the time 8pm rolls around. That ain't good!

If you're a pre-workout fiend (like most of us), shift your workouts to the early morning to prevent caffeine having a detrimental impact on your rest time.

Or, you know, you COULD train in the afternoon without pre workout... but we all know how that ends up!

Believe it or not, we have not evolved over thousands of years to be cooped up in a room all day, only seeing patches of sunshine in our brief commute from the office to car.

Vitamin D is not only a crucial vitamin for health, mood and hormone production, it's also vital for your body's internal clock to know what's going on!

Try to get as much sunshine as possible during your waking hours, especially first thing in the morning, and you'll be amazed at how much your sleep quality improves, as well as your energy levels during the day.

We're not trying to get too spiritual here, but meditation and mindful breathing is by far the most effective and efficient way to destress and unwind at the end of a hectic day.

Taking 10 minutes (or more!) at the end of every day will increase your brains levels of GABA, the relaxing neurotransmitter which calms and the mind and relaxes the body, and has been proven time and time again to even increase Human Growth Hormone release!

Try incorporating 10 minutes into your evening routine to get rid of the mental chatter as you're drifting into slumber, and you'll reap the positive rewards well into the following day!

Not one for meditation? Try reading a fictional book, or taking a bath (por que no los dos?) to switch that busy mind off and prime yourself for a relaxing evening of ZZZZ's.

If the above aren't getting you the sound sleep you desire, or if you want to step up your sleep game to the next level, we recommend picking up a tub of EHP Labs Oxysleep.

Here's 5 reasons why it kicks some serious ass:

1. EHP Labs made Oxyshred, so you KNOW they know what they're talking about when it comes to supplements that deliver on results


2. Oxysleep is loaded with vitamins, minerals, herbs and amino acids to enhance your sleep without feeling groggy and hungover in the morning. Infact, you'll feel more rested after less sleep as your quality of REM sleep will be greater!


3. Oxysleep also contains non-stimulatory fat burners, to allow you to shred will you're sleeping! Cool huh?


4. Oxysleep contains Phenibut and Alpha HICA to promote a relaxed mental state and increased HGH


5. Oxysleep works in conjunction with your body's natural sleep cycle, rather than over the counter or prescription sleep aids, to aid your body naturally in getting the rest you deserve.

Learn more about Oxysleep here.