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[@RenaissancePeriodization] This Evening Routine Is WAY More Important Than Morning Routines

· 7 min read
[@RenaissancePeriodization] Summarizer
Video Bot

@RenaissancePeriodization - "This Evening Routine Is WAY More Important Than Morning Routines"

Link: https://youtu.be/Vv28M0q_ANc

Short Summary​

Here's a summary and the most important takeaway based on the transcript:

Number One Takeaway: Prioritize a consistent 2-3 hour evening wind-down routine, free from intense work, stressful news, or stimulating activities, to promote relaxation and better sleep quality.

Executive Summary: The video emphasizes the importance of a dedicated evening wind-down routine for improved sleep, stress management, and overall well-being. This routine should consist of 2-3 hours of relaxing activities like light cardio, socializing, or hobbies, while avoiding work, news, and stimulating content. Optimizing the evening through these strategies leads to deeper relaxation, priming the body and mind for restful sleep and a more productive next day.

Key Quotes​

Here are five quotes from the transcript that I found particularly insightful, interesting, or surprising:

  1. "Affection and orgasm is a thing that can really prepare you for better sleep. It works the best when you have someone to do it with. And good news, Scott, for us, very good news, it works in the direction of good. Still better than nothing if you're doing it by yourself." (This quote is interesting due to its direct discussion of a topic often avoided in health discussions, and its somewhat humorous yet pragmatic take.)

  2. "If you screw up your evening routine, it costs you relaxation, which drops fatigue for your whole week a ton, keeps you sane and effective and smarter and better recovered for training. And then sleep is like maybe the most important thing you do all day other than your day of being alive and doing anything at all." (This emphasizes the profound impact of a proper evening routine and quality sleep, going beyond the typical benefits.)

  3. "The news has almost nothing to do with summarizing a logical structure of world events that you should be availed to. It has almost everything to do with just poking on your cords of fear, fear, fear, panic, panic, panic. Everything's going to hell. And that tends to do what? Fight or flight. And then it's bad for your sleep." (This quote is a strong critique of the modern news cycle and its negative impact on mental well-being and sleep.)

  4. "A lot of people, they'll kind of work and rest and work and rest through the day. And there's not a damn thing wrong with that. But if you can manage to stack a bit more of your work earlier in the middle of the day so that you can free up more time towards the end, you get this natural rhythm towards the day or throughout the entire day where stuff is really hard and then you finish your hard stuff and then you do easy stuff and that easy stuff is a nice long block which allows for a deeper total relaxation which is just better." (This is valuable insight into time management and restructuring your day for optimal relaxation and better sleep preparation.)

  5. "Every organism on this planet that doesn't live like in a cave or under the sea has a daytime and nighttime light cycle that it responds to. And so nowadays, cuz we have giant projector lights like the three of them I'm staring at right now in the studio, it's weird to your nervous system because it can be 10:00 at night, almost ready to go to bed, and your eyes detection wise are like, "It is still 100 p.m. in the daytime as far as I'm concerned." (This is a great insight on how our modern day light systems impact our sleep patterns.)

Detailed Summary​

Here's a detailed summary of the YouTube video transcript, broken down into bullet points:

Key Topics and Arguments:

  • Evening Wind-Down Routine is Crucial: The video emphasizes the importance of a well-structured evening routine for relaxation, stress management, and quality sleep. It argues that it's often more important than a morning routine.
  • Morning Routines Overrated: Morning routines are seen as a social media trend that is often impractical and abandoned.
  • Benefits of Good Sleep: Good sleep is essential for physical and mental well-being, including muscle growth, fat loss, productivity, and mood.
  • Goal: Get Rid of BS, Add the Good Stuff: The speaker intends to cut out unhealthy habits, and incorporate healthy habits to help prepare for bed.

Structuring Your Evening (General and Activity-Based):

  • Clock Out from "Big Brain" Work: Stop mentally demanding tasks (work, serious concerns, hard cardio/lifting) 2-3 hours before bedtime. The point isn't just to prep for sleep, but to relax.
  • Easy Cardio is Okay: Light activities like walking the dog are fine up to an hour before bed.
  • Prioritize a Large Relaxation Block: Aim to stack relaxation time at the end of the day, rather than spreading it throughout, for deeper relaxation and better sleep preparation.
  • Chill Convo: low stakes conversations with friends or family is okay before bed. Face to face interactions are preffered.

Nutrition and Hydration in the Evening:

  • Time your eating around your day: If you work out later, eat a carb heavy meal a couple hours before bed.
  • Last Meal Strategy:
    • Eat 2-3 hours before sleep.
    • High in protein (may even increase protein intake slightly).
    • Moderate to low carbs and fats.
    • Avoid high calories, high carbs, and high fats right before bed as they elevate heart rate and body temperature.
  • Limit Fluids: Reduce fluid intake in the hours leading up to bed to avoid waking up to pee.

What to Avoid Before Bed (The "Stay Away From" List):

  • Twitter/Social Media Battles: These are too stimulating and trigger "fight or flight" responses.
  • Reading/Watching the News: The news is often fear-based and can increase anxiety.
  • Political Podcasts: Can be overly stimulating and upsetting.
  • Work Emails/Slacks: Create a boundary and inform colleagues you are unavailable after a certain hour.
  • Competitive/Adrenaline-Spiking Activities: Avoid video games, especially if they involve anger or frustration.

What to Do (or Try) Before Bed:

  • Chill Conversation: low stakes conversation with family.
  • Casual Reading: non-stressful
  • Hobby Tinkering: relaxing hobbies
  • Slow-Paced TV: watch cat videos, stuff that makes you laugh.
  • Brain Dump Journaling: Write down thoughts, accomplishments, and to-do lists to clear your mind.
  • Mini Meditation/Breathing Exercises/Stretching: If you find them relaxing.
  • "Dim the Cave Lighting Protocol": Dim lights in the house (halfway) 3 hours before bed.
  • Strategic Warm/Hot Shower: Raises body temperature, then the subsequent cool-down can induce sleepiness.
  • Gratitude Reflection: Think about things you're grateful for.
  • Prime the Next Day: Lay out clothes, confirm to-do list and calendar.
  • Affection and Orgasm: "With a partner or alone".

Other Considerations:

  • Sauna/Hot Bath: 90-120 minutes before bed (expensive option).
  • Red Light Therapy: (expensive option).
  • Magnesium Glycinate/L-Theanine Supplements: 30 minutes before bed (cheaper option, may not work for everyone).
  • Screen Time: Use nighttime mode (reduce blue light) 60-90 minutes before bed. Scroll though calming and serotonin boosting video's only.
  • Set alarms for the next day.

Sleep Hygiene Basics:

  • Dark Room: as dark as possible.
  • Quiet Room: use earplugs or white noise app if needed.
  • Cool Room: target is 60-67 degrees Fahrenheit.
  • Comfy Bed: Make the bed as comfortable as possible.
  • Clean/Neat Room: Avoid clutter, which can be distracting.

The Speaker's Personal Evening Routine:

  • Cuddling with wife and dog while watching TV.
  • Walking around the backyard or neighborhood.
  • Wife falls asleep, speaker switches to "nerd shit" (dogfight shows).
  • VR headset time (fapping).
  • Hot shower.
  • PM supplements (growth hormone).
  • Checks to-do list and prepares for the next day.
  • Joins wife and dog in bed and goes to sleep.