The Sleep Journal with Chris Williamson

A typical day for you ?

A typical day for me starts at 7am, I get up, have coffee & breakfast, meditate, do yoga, cook for the day, maybe have another coffee and then leave for the gym. Most of my afternoon is spent in the office working before I head back to the gym on an evening. I'm a club promoter so on weekends my "working day" can sometimes begin at 8pm and finish at 6 in the morning!!

What is your night time routine ?

My night time routine used to be very chaotic. As a club promoter with late finishes it can be difficult to develop consistency on an evening. Recently I've started doing a "digital sunset" where my phone gets put away and I don't use it for the remainder of the evening; usually about 2 hours before I'm due to go to bed. I like to do a little stretching on an evening too as I find it helps relax my body ready and improves my sleep posture.

How much sleep do you get a night?  

I've tracked my sleep using the Sleep Cycle app for nearly 4 years now - so I've got a lot of data!! My average time in bed is 6 hours 40. Probably not optimal, but I can operate pretty effectively on that much.

What stops you from sleeping at night?

The worst influence on my sleep is my phone. If I miss my Digital Sunset and have my phone in bed up until I go to sleep, my sleep quality gets massively reduced.

What helps you to sleep when you can’t sleep?

I use ZMA tablets and 5-HTP most nights as I find my sleep quality worsens when I don't. I also have some Melatonin for resetting my circadian rhythm if it's been thrown out of line with a late night or early morning working. Cooling down my bedroom and putting Olbas Oil under my pillow also helps as it makes me feel more fresh rather than uncomfortable and overheated!

What was your experience with Homebody?

I’m absolutely loving the Pj’s - if you release more colours let me know!!

Chris Williamson Director at Voodoo Events and Host of the Modern Wisdom Podcast