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Maintain a regular sleep routine. Once your body gets used to a set bedtime routine, you will have less problems falling asleep and eventually you will not need an alarm clock to wake up.

Make the bedroom conducive to sleep. Do this by turning off all electronics, making the room slightly cooler and getting rid of anything that could make noise at night.

Reduce the amount of lighting exposure in your bedroom as it will increase your natural melatonin production which helps you sleep.

In terms of your diet and sleep, first don’t eat a heavy meal before going to sleep. Second, stop drinking fluids 2-3 hours before bedtime so you don’t have to wake up to pee. Finally, avoid caffeine after 12 noon because it takes 6 hours to eliminate half of what is taken. So if you consume an energy drink with 400mg caffeine, 200 mg will still be available in your body 6 hours later.

There are some supplements which will help you fall asleep and maximize the anabolic potential of your sleep time. ZMA is a blend of zinc, magnesium and vitamin B6 all critical in bodybuilding. Zinc is especially important for its role in testosterone production. Being deficient in both magnesium and zinc has been linked to slower muscle growth. Melatonin is a hormone your body produces and adding this supplement will help improve sleep if needed as well. GABA is a neurotransmitter that reduces nerve activity. The only way you can get a supplement to bind to neuroreceptors is to take a GABA analogue to produce the effects.

Sleep can potentially be the most anabolic period of your day. Maximizing your anabolic potential of sleep can be achieved by making your sleep environment conducive to high quality sleep and using supplements that will help you fall asleep quicker, sleep through the night, and maximize anabolic conditions during this vital time of repair.