You should set your alarm clock not only to wake up in the morning, but also to go to bed at night. It’s beneficial to go to sleep and wake up at the same time every day. This will help set your “body clock” to function optimally, which will improve your energy levels, your recovery from training, and ultimately your health.

Now let’s be realistic, you can’t always go to bed at the same time. You may have an event one night that causes you to stay up later than usual. If that happens, make sure that you still wake up at the same time as normal, and then try to catch a nap that day. Keep your naps short (under an hour) to avoid going into rapid eye movement (REM) stage of sleep, which could adversely affect your sleep that night.

Your sleep-wake cycle should reflect the daily cycle of sunlight and darkness: that is, you should wake up when the sun rises, and you should go to bed when the sun sets. It’s that simple! To learn more about how this process affects your circadian rhythm and your ability to build muscle, see page 28 of Mass Explosion.

Today’s Tip: Set your alarm clock for 10 p.m. No matter what you’re doing at that time, stop doing it, and go to bed (whatever you’re doing can wait til the next day). Then, set your alarm clock for 6 a.m. and make sure you get up and out of bed when it goes off. A good idea is to keep your alarm on your dresser or in your bathroom so that you’re forced to get up. Eventually your internal clock will tell you to go to bed at 10 p.m. and wake up at 6 a.m. without the aid of an alarm clock.

By the way, if you have problems falling asleep at night, I’ll reveal a potent sleep elixir on Thursday that will knock you out in no time!