There are two really powerful hacks that you can use to get more sleep the night before a competition or the night before an important event.

And I’m about to share those with you because what’s interesting is these are two techniques I never hear about, um, other than listening to myself talk about it.

Um, they’re super simple, but once you use them and wake up the next day and see how powerful they are, they almost become an addiction.

So let me explain. Two things. Number one, imagine your brain. Your mind is like, for lack of a better analogy, imagine you’re marinating some four chicken breasts in a fantastic barbecue marinade, right? So when you fall asleep, your brain marries in your final thought and vibe.

So let’s talk about the thought first.

So, if you are thinking about things you’ve got to do or didn’t get done on your to-do list, your brain will marinate with those thoughts.

And oftentimes, you’ll have dreams as a result of it. You might even wake up, and the first thing you think about is somehow related, you know, to what your final thought of the evening was.

Pair that with emotions. If you go to sleep with anger, you go to sleep with disappointment, regret, frustration, worry, stress, and anxiety. Trust me, that emotion will marinate as well.

So it’s not just the thoughts that marinate in your mind, but also that final vibe, that emotional state that you fall asleep in, that marinates within you.

And so here are the things that you want to do. One, think about what time you go to bed on average, and then an hour before that, what you want to do is almost create a ResSleep routine, and it’s super simple, so don’t overthink it. So all that. Composes of is obviously not eating is one of them.

Um, so keep that in mind, but more importantly, manage the last couple of thoughts that you’re having.

Whether it’s reading a good book or listening to an upbeat show, you know, if you want to do dramatic shows, which trust me, I’ve watched some of them too. I’ve watched the Kardashians, I. Real Housewives. I’ve watched everything, but I’m not going to watch an hour before you go to sleep.

You want to really manage that last hour.

That’s where the marinade is created. So, um, if you want to watch something that’s a horror film or something that’s not, Uh, the best vibe to fall asleep with. Do that, but make sure in, you know, you’re doing it, uh, more significant than an hour before you go to sleep.

Less than an hour. Really manage the media you consume, the vibe it gives, and the thoughts it provokes.

That’s number one. Number two. , you want to manage your final emotional state constantly. This is critical. Um, you go to bed stressed and anxious and wake up stressed and anxious. So what you want to do instead is use the best emotion available, the receiving emotion of gratitude. You want to express gratitude.

And so one of the best ways to do this is to be grateful for a bit of experience throughout your day because what it does, allows you to reflect on yourself. And to imagine what made it great, what was the highlight? And don’t just think about it; feel it, right? So many times, people will state the things they’re grateful for.

They will state what they’re grateful for, but those are words, which, don’t get me wrong, are powerful, but there is nothing more powerful than feeling emotion. Feel the emotion of the event. Don’t just say, you know, like, let’s say, for example, you’re like, oh, I was grateful for this really fantastic conversation I had with you.

I don’t know a woman at Starbucks or my coach or one of my family members. Okay, so don’t just state that, but go back in your mind and replay it so crystal clear that you feel it. You feel gratitude. You feel the emotional. State that brought you the joy that was within that conversation. This is the emotional signature you want to fall asleep with.

Use these two tips and trust me, things will absolutely change. Now, join the Beast Bulletin if you’re interested in more tips like these and receiving them every Monday. The Beast Bulletin is where you get all the information you need weekly. Every Monday morning that maps out a five-day game.

For How do you, for you, blah, blah. That’s what it does to help you be a mental beast. Probably not talk better on a microphone, but it will help you become a mental beast on the court and off in the field, on the field. Whatever your discipline is, it’s for all athletes, all disciplines. You’re going to love it.

Check it out. My name is Dr. Jay Cavanaugh, and I am a mental performance coach. Thank you for joining us.