Howdy- I’m Keith, the new guy on the content team.

I’m also a new Zeo user and I love the data I get from it.

I will admit though, that part of this love affair might come from the fact that, every morning, Zeo tells me that I have great sleep.  I didn’t pop a pill or let my body “catch up” after short-changing it. I did this all through simple, easy to follow actions–and I’m going to share my formula with you.

Let’s face it, no one should have to just “deal” with poor sleep and part of my job here at Zeo is to help you all get that better night’s sleep. Let me make one thing clear: This great sleep is the result of small habits and behavior changes done repeatedly for years. True, the steps are easy but if you cheat on them, you’ll pay for it with your sleep.

Step One: Make a (standing) date with your Bed

I go to bed every night at exactly the same time. I mean, okay, it might not always be exactly the same time, but it’s awfully close. I usually start getting ready for bed around 9:15pm and it’s lights out not too long after. My girlfriend’s not crazy about that, but I make a point of reassuring her that it’s me who needs to go to bed that early, not her. 

A steady bedtime--though like most, I too, was guilty of "shifting bed time" one weekend

To help keep that bedtime, I don’t drink caffeine and I rarely drink alcohol–maybe a beer or two on the weekend but that’s it. I do go to parties, but I’m more a fan of the afternoon affairs so that I can keep my bedtime. Again, 9:15pm is certainly early for some, but keeping the same bedtime and risetime–even on the weekends–goes a long way towards sleep improvement.

Step Two: Turn your Bedroom into a Cave

Years ago, I discovered two wonderful things that help me get great sleep: light-blocking curtains and a fan. The light-blocking curtains keep the room as dark as possible, allowing my melatonin to kick in and sending me off to dreamland. The fan, on the other hand, has two purposes: to keep things nice and cool – even in the winter - to cancel out all other noise. Basically, I turn my bedroom into a sensory deprivation chamber every night and it works like a dream. I hardly ever wake up during the night, except to use the bathroom.

Step Three: Add an Exercise Routine to the Mix

For almost 7 years now, I’ve been exercising for about an hour and a half to 2 hours a day, 5 to 6 days a week. I’m pretty convinced that it’s the world’s greatest–and most overlooked–sleeping pill. As soon as I get up in the morning, boom, I go to the gym. Even better? A recent study shows that exercising during the morning leads to better sleep than exercising at night.

Step Four: Shake, Strain, then Serve Night after Night

Okay, I can hear you rolling your eyes over there. So what’s the payoff for all of this?

An average ZQ of 97. A recent “bad” night for me was less than 8 hours long and got me a ZQ of 94. Andi@Zeo said that was sick, but I think she’s just jealous. (Editor’s note: Dang right I am!)

What this means is that, night after night, I can count on:

• 1 1/2 -2 hours of Deep sleep
• 2-3 hours of REM sleep
• 3-4 hours of Light sleep
• less than 2 wake-ups each night

I do everything in my power to ensure that I sleep like a (32 year old) baby–and it’s great to see that it pays off.

My question to you is, now that you know some of my secrets, what are you going to do differently tonight and tomorrow?