We all know that sleep is important. However, most of us don’t realize just how essential it is to our physical, emotional, and mental well-being.
Sleep is when your body repairs, your brain stores memories, and your hormones reset. Poor sleep isn’t just about feeling tired — it’s linked to hundreds of chronic health issues, including:
- Low energy and poor focus
- Mood swings, anxiety, and low motivation
- Weight gain and blood sugar issues
- Immune system dysfunction
- Heart disease and high blood pressure
The good news? You can dramatically improve your sleep by focusing on two key areas:
1. Nutrition (specifically the 90 essential nutrients)
2. Daily sleep discipline and routine
Let’s break it down.
The Hidden Link Between Nutrients and Sleep
Your body doesn’t just “shut down” at night — it enters an incredibly complex, restorative state. But it needs the right materials to do that. Without them, sleep can be shallow, fragmented, or just hard to come by.
That’s where the 90 essential nutrients come in:
- 60 Minerals – support hormone production, detoxification, and muscle relaxation
- 16 Vitamins – help regulate your nervous system, energy metabolism, and melatonin levels
- 12 Amino Acids – build neurotransmitters like serotonin and GABA that calm the brain
- 2 Essential Fatty Acids – reduce inflammation and support brain repair during sleep
Without this full spectrum of nutrition, your body can’t make the neurotransmitters and hormones needed for restful, restorative sleep.
Key Sleep Nutrients Include:
- Magnesium – calms the nervous system and relaxes muscles
- Calcium – supports melatonin production
- Zinc – helps regulate sleep cycles and immune repair
- B vitamins – essential for neurotransmitter balance
- Omega-3s – reduce inflammation and stabilize brain function
- Glycine & Tryptophan – amino acids involved in deep sleep and serotonin production
Even if you think you’re eating well, modern food often lacks the mineral density of generations past. This makes full-spectrum supplementation worth considering.
Quality Sleep vs. Quantity: Why 8 Hours Isn’t Always Enough
You’ve probably heard that you need 7–8 hours of sleep each night. That’s true — but it’s only part of the picture.
What really matters is what happens during those hours.
Sleep isn’t one long block of rest. It moves through different stages — and each one plays a different role in healing and brain function:
The 3 Main Stages of Sleep:
- Light Sleep
- Makes up about 50% of the night
- Prepares the body for deeper sleep
- Easily disrupted
- REM Sleep (Rapid Eye Movement)
- Supports memory, learning, and emotional regulation
- This is when you dream
- Deep Sleep (Slow Wave Sleep)
- This is the healing phase
- The body repairs tissue, strengthens the immune system, and balances hormones
- Hardest to achieve — and most easily disrupted by stress, noise, blood sugar crashes, and poor breathing
You can lie in bed for 8 hours and still wake up exhausted if you’re not getting enough deep sleep.
Signs of Poor Sleep Quality:
- You wake up tired, foggy, or irritable
- You need caffeine to function
- You wake up often during the night
- You don’t dream (lack of REM) or you dream vividly but still feel tired (lack of deep sleep)
Improving deep sleep is just as important as hitting your 7–8 hour target.
That means:
- Supporting your body with the 90 essential nutrients
- Blocking light, noise, and interruptions
- Stabilizing blood sugar before bed
- Ensuring proper nasal breathing
- Avoiding stimulants, heavy meals, and electronics before bed
Discipline: The Other Half of Sleep Success
Nutrition provides the building blocks, but discipline sets the rhythm.
Your body runs on a 24-hour internal clock called the circadian rhythm. When your habits are chaotic, that clock gets confused — and sleep suffers.
Here are 7 simple, science-backed habits that will train your body to sleep better naturally:
Stick to a Strict Sleep Schedule
Go to bed and wake up at the same time every day — even weekends. This strengthens your circadian rhythm and improves sleep quality over time.
No Caffeine After 12 p.m.
Caffeine has a half-life of 5–7 hours. Even one afternoon cup can sabotage your ability to fall asleep or stay asleep.
Stop Eating 3 Hours Before Bed
Digestion activates your system. Late-night meals keep your body busy when it should be entering repair mode.
No Intense Exercise 2 Hours Before Bed
Vigorous activity raises cortisol and body temperature, making it harder to wind down.
No Electronics 30 Minutes Before Bed
Blue light from phones and TVs blocks melatonin — the hormone that tells your body it’s time to sleep.
Cool, Dark Room
A room temperature around 65–68°F and complete darkness promote deeper sleep.
Nasal Breathing (Mouth Tape May Help)
Mouth breathing leads to poor oxygen exchange and restless sleep. Nasal breathing encourages nitric oxide production and a more relaxed nervous system.
Get 7–8 Hours of Actual Sleep
Most people need 7–8 hours of true sleep (not just time in bed) for full recovery and repair.
Why You Can’t “Hack” Your Way Out of Poor Sleep
Supplements, sleep trackers, and fancy gadgets are fine — but they’re not the answer if the foundations are missing.
- If your body doesn’t have the nutrients, it can’t generate healthy sleep hormones.
- If your routine is inconsistent and chaotic, your brain won’t know when to rest.
Quality sleep is built on consistency, simplicity, and full-body nourishment.
Final Thoughts: Build Sleep from the Inside Out
If you want better sleep, you don’t need another expensive pillow or high-tech app. You need to:
- Feed your body the 90 essential nutrients every cell depends on
- Create daily habits that support and protect your sleep window
- Focus on deep, high-quality sleep — not just time in bed
Start simple. Track your sleep. Watch your energy rise.
Click here for more information on the supplements I use.
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