The No-Sleep Protocol

For those days where sleep has forsaken you.

A few weeks ago I shared one of my many morning thots on instagram. I shared a protocol i’ve been doing for the past few years on the days following sleepless nights. Throughout my life there I’ve navigated periods of these sleepless nights caused by a variety of factors. Sometimes it was digestion related, or persistent work into late hours or basic, pure stress. These factors could all lead into experiencing acute bouts of insomnia.

The protocol below serves as an immediate response to the symptoms of sleep deprivation…specifically to help you get through the next 24 hours of your day, especially through work, school or other things you would rather not be doing on very little sleep. This protocol is by no means a fix-it-all for your sleep problems. Or something you should do for any great length of time. Fixing your sleep issues should be your number one health goal if you’re struggling to sleep and wake up feeling refreshed. 

I’ll also say that most of what I share with you below came by way of countless hours of research and development. I’ve spoken and worked with neuroscientists, naturopaths and integrative doctors in my quest to perfect my sleep. Plus I have days and days of personal anecdotal evidence. A crucial understanding of this is that there is no one size fits all approach to getting your sleep right. 

Sleep is the cornerstone of your health 

According to the American Sleep Foundation Between 10% and 30% of younger adults struggle with chronic insomnia and between 30% and 48% of older adults experience insomnia. 

I hate reading headlines like this, especially when i’m not sleeping well. It can counterintuitively create added stress when you explore the tolls of an acute or chronic sleep disorder. However, it needs to be said in the hope that you begin to consider sleep as an absolute priority. 

*If your sleep continues to be disturbed it’s worthwhile seeing a doctor or specialist. Prolonged usage of some of the below mentioned interventions (specifically the time caffeine use) can have detrimental effects on sleep, so tread cautiously. 

So here it is: The I didn’t sleep last night protocol

• Start your day with a short, moderate burst of exercise.

If you have to get up for work or any other activity the first thing to do is to move your body. This can sound counterintuitive to what your body needs at that moment (rest) but beginning the day with 5-10minutes of moderate excercise can have energy sustaining benefits. With this, aim for a short time frame, sub 10 minutes of aerobic excercises that elevate your heart rate but that don’t burn you out. Try - Shaking, jumping jacks, high knees or tissue flossing. The first three work wonderfully to move lymph in your body and increase your metabolic rate. Tissue flossing creates space within tissues and joints that feel stiff from a sleepless night. Remember that you don’t want to burn all of your energy in the first part of your day, so keep this under 10 minutes.

• Get outside and get as much sunlight in your eyes as possible

Getting sunlight in your eyes first thing in the morning is vital to overall health. There’s a growing body of scientific literature that argues it’s perhaps the most important thing that any of us can do to promote metabolic well-being and the positive function of our hormonal system. It’s especially important on those sleepless days because it triggers the timed release of cortisol (our primary stress hormone) into your system in a healthy way, which acts as a wake-up for our mind and body and promotes an immediate sense of alertness. It’ also critical to help us with our sleep later in the day as it starts a timer for the onset of melatonin production. Extra points if you can combine your 5-10 minutes of exercise outdoors facing the sun.

• Intelligent hydration 

Your body could feel naturally dehydrated from the lack of sleep. And you will likely be drinking caffeine throughout this day, so, make sure you balance that our with adequate water consumption. Don’t over-drink (which is a thing) but regularly sip on water throughout your day. Aim for a minimum of half a gallon. I like to start these sorts of days with an electrolyte drink, not Gatorade or your gas station drinks but something a little healthier. LMNT is a new drink I have no affiliation with that’s worked for me, it’s also a great coffee replacement, personally. If you’re not down to pay the high price for expensive salt, you can make your own electrolyte drink by adding a quarter teaspoon of salt to your filtered water with a teaspoon of honey. Sodium is an important electrolyte in your body. It plays a vital role in the functioning of your muscle and nerve cells. It also helps to regulate the fluid balance in your body. Low levels of sodium are dangerous for the body and can result in muscle cramps, lightheadedness, headaches and nausea. Strategically drinking salt water 1-2 times a day can help replenish your body’s sodium levels and level out your blood pressure.

• Breathwork > Meditation?

Ok, here’s the kicker. On days where you continuously don’t get sleep, meditation can be hard. It’s already hard for many of us without a groggy, wandering mind. But, my mentor recently reminded me that meditation is great training for our final days. After all we’re not guaranteed a clear mind as we approach the end of our life we’ll have to likely navigate a whole host of mental and physical ailments. It pays to work with your struggles, even if it’s for short sharp bursts. But if your mind simply cannot focus and you want a burst of energy, clarity and presence…enter breathwork. There are many forms but the two practices I like are the Wim Hof method or Circular breathing technique and the 2 x 2 energizing pranayam. 

The first technique is a simple inhalation (I like breathing through my nose for this) followed by a shorter exhalation, repeated for 30 rounds, then hold on your inhalation for 60 seconds. You can repeat this three times if you have the time but it’s a great way to clear the cobwebs in the mind and prime you for the task ahead. Namely, surviving the next 24 hours. 

Another incredible and shorter practice that was taught to me by a legendary pranayam teacher; here we take two quick short sharp breaths in through the nose followed by two quick short sharp exhalations out through the mouth with a “ha” sound. You will feel like you just had a double espresso on this one! A reminder, this is super activating for the nervous system so I advise you to tread cautiously, and definitely see a doctor before attempting this if you have a pre-existing heart condition, epilepsy or sever anxiety, and if you’re pregnant I would advise against this technique. 

• Cold Shower

This is a no-brainer and a staple in my day for the last four years. A cold shower in the morning sends electrical impulses to your brain that jolt your system to increase wakefulness, alertness, and energy levels. One study found that immersion in cold water — 57 degrees, to be exact — raised people’s blood levels of the neurotransmitters noradrenaline (by 530 percent) and dopamine (by 250 percent). Suffice to say that this effect leads to feelings of well-being and optimism. If you’ve never done cold showers before you’re in for a treat. For maximum benefit I start and end on cold, and if you’re new to the process , you can ease into it by trying a few minutes on warm, then switch to cold for 30 seconds and then back again. Gradually try to build your resilience to get to a full cold shower - thank me later. 

• Strategic use of caffeine 

It’s important to call out how much of a powerful psychoactive caffeine really is, I remember listening to an NPR episode that shared the story of a college kid who died taking 10 grams of caffeine. Died. That’s crazy. So play with caffeine cautiously — additionally,  too much caffeine can mess with your sleep the following night. As a general rule, I prefer to wait 60-90 minutes after waking up to drink my first coffee. If you can wait that long, you will get prolonged benefits from your caffeine consumption. The reason being is that cortisol and adrenaline are naturally released by your body in the morning and cause your blood glucose to rise, fuelling you for the day. Consider that you’re already getting morning sunlight, active breathwork and cold exposure in. If you add to this natural energy rush with the one that you get from caffeine, the two stimulants may actually clash and make you feel more jittery than usual, according to Steven Gundry, M.D. 

Depending on what tasks I have in the day I like to strategically consume caffeine in different ways. If I have high cognitive tasks first up, i’ll take a coffee with some lions mane extract. Preclinical studies suggest that Lion's mane may reduce inflammation, the biological markers of Alzheimer's and improve cognition. If my cognitive heavy tasks are later in the day, I’ll start with a matcha, mct oil, cordycepts (Research here has shown increased oxygen uptake in the brain helps to increase blood flow to brain cells and fight mental fatigue) and ashwaganda extract. You can google the benefits of this for yourself but I switch up which beverage I take depending on the task at hand. Coffee is much stronger so I take that before the most intensive part of my day, matcha for everything else. I rarely go over this level of caffeine intake a day, and on those rare occasions I do, I suffer. Over the years the over-intake of caffeine has resulted in intense acid reflux, prolonged sleep disturbance and acute anxiety. So drink responsibly!

• Effective wind down 

This for me begins as soon as my work is done. I try to put off anything too mentally and physically taxing until the following day, unless it’s critical. If it is critical, I grind as long as I can. I try to nap. Napping is counterintuitive to much of the sleep research out there as it can be a sleep disruptor in the evening. Personal anecdotal evidence suggests that a nap of under 30minutes before 5pm won’t disrupt sleep to the point you can’t sleep that night. After I wake up from my nap, i’ll attend to those tasks I may have missed during the day, eat dinner around 6-6.30pm and begin an evening supplement protocol. 

By 9pm I’ll take Magnesium Threonate, this is a specific formulation from magnesium developed at MIT that specifically increases the concentration of magnesium in the brain. Magnesium Threonate reportedly improves memory, and reverses cognitive impairment. Magnesium threonate is also one of the few magnesiums that cross the blood brain barrier and is more readily absorbed. Again, i’m not a functional doctor so you can do your own research here or ask someone who is! I stack this with l-theanine and the amino acid glutamine. L-theanine promotes relaxation and the glutamine which I take every night is important for removing excess ammonia (a common waste product in the body). Glutamine also helps your immune system function effectively and helps with your digestion — which I take to combat the caffeine I take throughout the day. 

• Don’t trust the quality of your thoughts all day

I’m not even joking with this. When you’re tired, highly caffeinated, likely a little stressed your mind cannot be trusted. If you have to make big life or work decisions, put them off. Thinking of asking for a raise - wait till tomorrow! About to have a serious conversation with your partner about life planning- wait until tomorrow! Your mind won’t be clear and you’ll likely revert to acting out from your reptilian brain; being defensive, not communicating effectively and being easily triggered and reactive. It may seem like a good idea at the time but I urge you to not ruin the next 24-48hours of your life by saying and doing something that you may regret. You may also notice a increased craving for dopamine generating activities such online shopping or doom scrolling on TikTok or Instagram. Again, try not to be sucked into this as it’s a slippery slope - you’ll never get enough dopamine so ease up. Go for plenty of walks, maybe even have a second cold shower and be non-judgemental of your thought patters. 

Notes—

These are a few things that have worked for me and a few people I’ve shared it with over the years. Some important points to support this protocol. Watch how much sugar you consume throughout the day, your glucose will spike when you eat it and just as quickly (if not quicker given lack of sleep) it will crash. I’m not averse to carefully-timed sugar but know the consequences. A lack of sleep causes the hunger-stimulating hormone ghrelin to increase, which causes you to crave more sugary treats. It also decreases levels of the appetite-suppressing hormone leptin. You may crave comfort, easy, fast food. Again, do you, but know you’ll likely have less energy afterwards. 

Finally…

That’s everything I’ve tried and tested and that has saved me so far. I hope this helps and can also save you on those days when you’re reeling from the lack of sleep.

Let me know your thots. If you liked this post, consider sharing it with someone you like.