the wee hours. (Who isn’t guilty of the occasional Netflix
marathon? I certainly am.) But diet may play a significant
role here as well: two studies, one published in the Lancet
and the other in Nutritional Neuroscience, both showed that
after just two days of a high-carbohydrate, low-fat diet,
healthy, normal-weight male subjects spent less time in
slow-wave sleep, compared to those on a low-carbohydrate,
high-fat diet.^7 Observational research in both men and
women has confirmed that higher consumption of sugar and
carbohydrates is associated with less time spent in slow-
wave sleep. Certain nutrients, on the other hand, may
increase sleep quality—higher fiber consumption seems to
promote deeper, more cleansing sleep.^8
If keeping your brain plaque-free wasn’t a compelling
enough reason for you to reconsider your sleep habits, let
me break some more news to you: quality sleep is a
precondition for having the willpower to change your other
habits, causing hormonal changes that will supercharge your
results. Sleep is a keystone for the implementation of all the
other changes you’re going to make in the Genius Plan.
SLEEP OPTIMIZATION CHEAT SHEET
Keep your bedroom cool. The body likes cooler
temperatures to sleep.
Take a warm shower or bath before bed. The drop
in body temperature once you step out should signal
to your body that it’s time to sleep.