Better sleep was all Dan was after. Just a month into his new regime, he felt very different and the results had gone way beyond better sleep.
In Part 1 of this Fitness Insights, PerformancePro director, Dan Boulle shared the impact his lack of sleep was having. In Part 2, Tackling Insomnia, he identified that the one big change he needed was made up of eight small changes.
In this part, we look at the significant impact of these changes in helping Dan achieve better sleep.
Better sleep – eight small changes
Here’s a quick recap of the eight small changes Dan hoped would make the big change in tackling insomnia.
- No coffee after 1200 and only 2 cups per day
- No alcohol – all bar one day per week
- Omega 3 supplementation
- A pro – biotic (Symprove) every morning
- Prebiotic every evening
- Vitamin D supplement
- No screen time for 45 minutes before lights out
- Reading every night for 30mins
Beyond better sleep
Dan is an honest down to earth guy, so steers clear of hyperbole. So when he describes the impact of his eight small changes as ‘transformative’ it’s worth paying attention. Just a month into his new regime, he felt very different and the results had gone way beyond better sleep…
Dream to sleep
First and foremost,
“My sleep is much improved, I still wake early but I sleep deeply, I’ve actually started to dream again, it’s been a long time since that happened. My sleep is instant when I turn my light out and I sleep through to about 0500 every morning. I feel energised and generally more able to cope with everything life throws at me.”
Surprise surprise
The big surprise for Dan is how his body has been feeling. The aches and pains have attenuated,
“I’m doing work outs that just a short month ago would have left me in pieces for days…I’m deadlifting again, something I haven’t done since I had my hip replaced. As for decrepit knee, its far from perfect but the day to day pain is so much less, I can even do steady lunges. My back is giving me less and less referred pain down my legs and all round I feel much stronger.
“Obviously, the more you train with a descent load, inevitably you will see improvements in various back conditions and the stronger the supporting structures around a joint, the less pain you are likely to feel, so things do become somewhat self perpetuating. That said you need to be able to start somewhere and previously I was in too much discomfort to do a lot of what I know is necessary to start the cascade of events that lead to a stronger more robust physique. I’ve been training in a gym environments for over 30 years so I need quite a stimulus to effect change. It now seems I can do that again”.
Dan’s motivation is now so much better; he works hard to do the mobilisation and prehab work he knows makes a massive difference in keeping him as pain free as possible. He now trains every day, knowing that he can now once again do some of the hard core stuff that motivates him to keep it going.
Leaner not meaner
Inevitably Dan’s also leaner.
“I feel better and look a little better as well. Not that Mrs B has noticed, she’s too busy being annoyed about having to have her glass of wine on her own! Joking aside, family time with my kids is so much better for all of us.”
The master builder’s house
Now Dan is a health and fitness professional with a Masters Degree in Strength and Conditioning, so why didn’t he know all this?
“Well the shock news is that just like all the clients I work with I’m human and I guess I’m not the best at practising what I preach! It’s like the master builder whose house is in a perpetual state of disrepair. Anyway, I will now be following my own advice far more closely!”
So, what might be the scientific explanation behind these seeming innocuous changes and the big impact Dan has experienced?
In the final part of the Insomnia Insights series, we consider the science between Dan’s eight steps and suggest a way forward for your own health and fitness.
Ready to take your first step and make some changes? Book your free consultation with PerformancePro today >>