Your Personal Sleep Protocol

You now understand: ✅ Why sleep is the master recovery variable ✅ How your circadian clock works and what sets it ✅ What happens in each sleep stage and why it matters ✅ How alcohol, caffeine, temperature and light disrupt architecture ✅ HRV as a recovery metric ✅ Evidence-based supplements and their proper dosing ✅ How to optimise sleep specifically during recovery The goal isn't perfection — it's a sustainable baseline. The person who gets 7.5 hours of consistent, quality sleep every night outperforms the person who gets 6 hours most nights but occasionally catches up.

Choose 3 non-negotiables — things you commit to regardless of schedule: EXAMPLE SET: 1. In bed by 10:30pm on weekdays (allows 7 hours before 6am wake) 2. No phone after 10pm (not in bedroom at all) 3. Morning light within 30 minutes of waking STARTING STACK: • Magnesium glycinate 300mg, 60 min before bed (immediate) • Bedroom at 18-19°C (immediate) • Consistent wake time, even weekends (3-week habit) TRACKING: Any wearable + a weekly note on subjective energy (1-10). Review monthly. The goal is trend, not perfection. WHEN IT BREAKS DOWN: Travel, stress, illness — these will disrupt your sleep. The protocol is what you return to, not a standard you fail against. Recovery from disrupted sleep takes 1-3 nights, not weeks.