Out-Sleep the Competition: Part 2

The 80/20 of Elite Sleep

If Part 1 woke you up to the power of sleep, Part 2 is your prescription.
This is the minimal effective dose. The highest return on investment. The 20% that delivers 80% of the benefit.

The Pareto Principle for peak performance.

You don’t need 100 sleep hacks. You need the vital few that unlock the high-performance many. Done consistently. Anchored with intention. Because sleep is not passive—it’s a daily, non-negotiable state of flow for your biology.

Let’s rebuild your sleep from the ground up.

The Top ten tips to attain the 80/20 of elite sleep

1. Timing is Everything – consistency wins

Lock in your wake-up time. Back-calculate 8–8.5 hours.
You don’t “catch up” on sleep. It’s not a bank.
Sleep loss is cumulative—and its effects are exponential.
Think of it like memory: an all-or-none process. Miss the final REM cycles, and you miss the payoff.

2. Track to Win – what gets measured gets improved

Use a wearable. Oura. Whoop. Apple Watch. Don’t overanalyze—just look for trends.
Aim for >85% sleep efficiency.
If you’re a Type A running on Type Zzz… it’s time to course correct.

3. Cool the Cave

18.3°C is your superpower.
Your core temp needs to drop by ~1°C to initiate sleep.
Crack a window. Use a fan. Consider a ChiliPad or cold plunge before bed.
Even a warm bath can help—it pulls blood to the skin and helps cool your core.

4. Lights Out, Literally – darkness is a drug

Light suppresses melatonin. Even 8–10 lux delays sleep.
Block blue light 2 hours before bed. Use red or tungsten bulbs
Install blackout blinds. Ditch the bedside clock – starring at the time doesn’t help you sleep
Still struggling? Use a sleep mask.

Your pineal gland is solar-powered.
Protect the dark.

5. Food is Timing – stop eating 2-3 hours before sleep

Late meals spike insulin, which delays melatonin.
Night-time snacking? Expect poor glucose control, fragmented sleep, and disrupted REM.
Let your gut—and brain—rest.

6. Power Down the Mind – slash cognitive load

Create a pre-sleep ritual. Journaling. Stretching. Breathing. If you wake in the night, repeat this ritual as a mental cue.
Turn screens off 60–90 minutes before bed. Use apps like Freedom or f.lux if you can’t.
And please… stop checking your inbox in bed.

Sleep is an active state of repair. Don’t bring your to-do list under the covers.

7. Hydration Strategy – cut fluids 90 mins before bed

Yes, even your herbal tea. Midnight wake-ups destroy deep sleep.
Hydrate early in the day. Front-load. Don’t play bladder roulette at 2 AM.

8. Soundscaping – silence isn’t always golden

Try white noise, brown noise, or binaural beats. I use brainFM.
They mask random spikes in environmental sound. Earplugs or sleep headphones can help if you’re sharing space.

9. Move Earlier – exercise is rocket fuel – for sleep

But not right before bed. Ideally 3–6 hours before sleep onset.
Resistance training enhances deep sleep.
Cardio helps with REM.
Sedentary = sluggish sleep.

10. Substances Are Saboteurs

Caffeine’s half-life = 5–7 hours.
So your 3 PM coffee? Still active at 10 PM.
Nicotine = stimulant.
Alcohol = sedation, not sleep.
It fragments your cycles and obliterates REM. Alcohol prevents REM sleep due to the production of aldehyde. It also blocks learning by 40-50%, even drinking 3 nights after a learning session – this might explain my university grades.

Want to sleep like a beast?
Cut out caffeine, nicotine, and alcohol at least 10 hours before bed.

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CHASING THE LONG TAIL

Want to go deeper?
These won’t be the 80%, but they might give you that edge:

• Get sunlight in your eyes within 30 minutes of waking.
  It locks your circadian rhythm and sets a countdown clock for melatonin release.
• Ventilate your bedroom.
  Stale air = low oxygen, high CO₂. Fresh air = deeper sleep.
• Invest in your bed.
  Invest in an amazing mattress and high quality sheets. Weighted blanket. 100% cotton sheets. Your sleep gear should outperform your work gear.
• Consider mouth taping (if you’re a mouth breather).
  It can reduce snoring and increase nasal nitric oxide levels for better oxygenation. I remain skeptical, but some people report a benefit.
• Hot bath before bed. Cold shower in the morning.
  Reset your system like a performance switch.
• Don’t lie in bed awake.
  Get up. Do something quiet. Then return when sleepy.
  Train your brain: bed = sleep.
• Try CBT-I (Cognitive Behavioural Therapy for Insomnia).
  It beats pills. Every. Time.
  It’s the only first-line therapy backed by NIH and AASM.

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SLEEP IS THE META-SKILL

The world doesn’t need another sleep hack.
It needs a sleep culture.

• Out-sleep your competition.
• Outperform your former self.
• Outlive your bad habits.

Because sleep is the foundation.
Without it, you’re building performance on sand.

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Final Thought

If sleep were a new drug, it would be the most powerful nootropic on the market.

Improved memory.
Enhanced creativity.
More attractive.
Lean muscle mass.
Stronger immunity.
Better sex.
Longer life.

All you have to do is close your eyes.

Sleep is not the reward. It’s the requirement.

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References

The sole academic reference to these sleep posts comes from Dr Matthew Walker from his book Why We Sleep. If you have the time, it’s a must read, and he doesn’t mind if it puts you to sleep!

• Dr Matthew Walker: Why We sleep – unlocking the power of sleep and dreams. 2018
• The Matt Walker podcast

Sleep Series

• Out-Sleep the Competition: Part 1. Sleep as a Peak Performance State
• Out-Sleep the Competition: Part 2. The 80/20 of Elite Sleep
• Out-Sleep the Competition: Part 3. The 80/20 Guide to Owning the Night