25 Jul 2022 · 6 min
Brendon Burchard argues that six hours of sleep isn't enough: meta-studies show adults need seven to eight hours for cognitive performance and memory. He outlines his routine: three hours before bed no food, two hours no work, one hour no screens, then reading or walking. His sleep environment is 66-67°F, completely dark, with a silk eye mask.
Questions this episode answers
Seven to eight hours per night.
Three hours before bed ("No Food Zone").
Two hours before bed ("no work").
One hour before bed ("no screens").
About 66–67 degrees Fahrenheit.
Chapters
You got a morning routine? Do you have a sleep routine? Sleep routine. Listen, it is unbelievable how many people actually believe they can get by on six hours of sleep in our modern culture. And 50 years of completely inarguable conclusive meta studies in sleep. For all adults worldwide, there is zero exception. All adults worldwide, zero exception, need seven to eight hours to optimize their performance at a bare minimum. And people say, oh, Navy SEALs only sleep four hours a night. Babe, you ain't a Navy SEAL. I work with them and I promise you aren't one. So a, it doesn't apply. And talk to an actual Navy SEAL or any high level performer in the military, they will tell you, well that's not normal. Normal. We're, we're on patrol, we're on a life and death situation. We are servicing our country. We don't do that all year. Like we have these things that we go do and we recover. And they are elite. Oh my dad, 22 years in the US Marines, three tours in Vietnam. I'm deeply passionate for military and a lot of people don't understand like that's elite stuff.
I mean.
You can't say the word military without thinking sacrifice. So don't compare a daily life person to the sacrifices they are making for our country because it is extraordinary what they do. And so none of this, oh well, the military only sleeps as much and their studies on them. There is training and regimen and routine and structure that is very different. And every military person can tell you that because when they left the military, when sometimes that training and that regimen, that structure was lost, it was hard to keep it together. They couldn't stay on that same level of performance. Those things aren't normal. Those things are super extraordinary. And so, but people say, well that's what they use the example of. Or they say, but I get by fine on six hours. And then we give them cognitive tests and you take someone who's had six hours of sleep versus seven or eight and they are 30% less proficient or effective in almost every measure we can do. Whether it is your memory, whether it is your long term happiness, whether it is your ability to complete a task. So I know you don't need this lecture, but I'm here to say if you don't have your A game on sleep, you need to. Some of you have been here before when I bring my friend up, Arianna Huffington and she wrote a great book called the Sleep Revolution. Please read it. Sleep Revolution. It's so important to understand sleep. For me here's how it goes. Three hours before bed, I never eat. No Food Zone. Three. Three hours before bed, no Food Zone. Three hours before bed. Two hours before bed, no work. Two hours before bed, no Work. One hour before bed, no screens.
That's my three. Two, one. Three, two, one.
Three hours before bed, no food. Two hours before bed, no workplace. One hour before bed, no screens. What do you do with that hour before bed? Ain't none of your business. People up in here.
What do you.
Do with your last hour? Ma, I don't have time for intimacy. No, you have too much screen time. No, you're working. No, you. No, I don't have time for that. No, no, you have the time. You're not making that time happen. And so I always tell people, you don't need more time. You need more reasons to leverage your time well, you don't need more time. You need more reasons to leverage your time well. Three, two, one. No food. Three hours. Two hours.
Two. Powerful.
Stop working.
One.
Ah. No screenshot. Read a book. Take a walk. Talk to the person you're going to sleep with. Talk. Try that. It will change everything. Then for me, lights out. Temperature set 67 or 66 degrees, depending on the climate I'm in. 67 or 66 degrees. It's cold in that room. There are no lights anywhere. It is pitch dark out. And if not, I put that silk mask thingy on your face. No sound. It's out. If it's a loud place, noise canceling's out. If it's super loud, noise cancelers and a meditation or a sleep music, boom, going, I'm out. And it's how I have energy that sustains because I'm not stealing from sleep.
Okay, my friend, I hope you enjoyed this episode of the Brendon Show. Tell some people about this episode. It's on each of us to spread positivity and empowerment and during these times of chaos and negativity. Right? So I'm asking you to be the dealer of hope and personal growth and education in your tribe. So take a screenshot right now and share the screenshot and this link to this episode with three of your friends today. Post it on social media. Use the hashtag growthday. That's growthday, because that's the name of my company and we're always giving away prizes to our community. If you'd like to help me personally, then please rate and review the podcasts on Apple Podcasts. Give us some stars, cheer us on, Leave a review. Because believe it or not, that stuff actually really does help and I read all of them. So my last thought for today Please remember you are stronger than you think and the future holds good things for you. Tomorrow can be an inspired day. Every new morning is a second chance and every day is a great day to grow.
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Sam.