The Sleep Coach Who Teaches You How To Get The Best Sleep

You don't know his name... but you know the names he's taught how to sleep well- David Beckham, Ryan Giggs, Cristiano Ronaldo and Britain’s Olympic cyclists.

Nick Littlehales is all about what we crave... a good night’s sleep.

According to news.com.au, one of the first things he advises athletes he works with who date models and popstars is to sleep alone in the lead up to a big game.

The man who used to sell beds for a living has become a self-taught sleep expert who scoffs at urban myths about the sleep-inducing properties of warm milk, ocean sounds and essential oils.

Sleep is a much more scientific process for Littlehales, who says the temperature of your room should be 16 degrees, you shouldn’t use a pillow, and if you miss your normal bedtime you should wait 90 minutes before attempting sleep.

And he says the edict that you need eight hours’ sleep every night is rubbish- what you don’t get at night can be made up with naps during two natural siesta times during the day.

Littlehales says we’re never taught how to sleep and modern life and electronic devices have so completely disrupted our natural sleep rhythms we’re no longer getting enough to maximise mental and physical recovery.

“The side effects of poor sleep can affect reaction times and decision making. You need to recover so you are physically and mentally alert,” he says.

LITTLEHALES' THE SECRET OF A GOOD NIGHT’S SLEEP

1. Wake at sunrise sleep when it is dark and cooler
2. Work out if you perform better in the morning or afternoon prepare to compensate
3. Aim for five 90 minute cycles of sleep, nap if you can’t get it in one continuous stream
4. Learn to regulate your exposure to sunlight in the morning and cut out bright light at night
5. Wind down 90 minutes before you want to sleep
6. Get the right bed, sleep without a pillow
7. Keep you bedroom at a temperature between 16-18 degrees

For more head over to News.com.au