You cannot underestimate the value of an incredible night's sleep.

On the rare occasion I awake from 8 hours of dead to the world slumber, everything is better. I am more present, alert and productive. The quality of my interactions with family and friends is significantly enhanced. Colors are brighter. My mood is sunnier. And physically, I feel amazing. So I can't help but wonder:

what would my life be like if I could sleep that well every night?

Intellectually, we all know sleep is super important. But most — including myself — fail to acknowledge just how crucial sleep is to every aspect of our daily lives. Traditionally, sleep is the first thing I compromise when I get busy.

Sleep is for whimps!

But I've completely changed my tune on this issue. As I age, achieving optimal sleep quality has become increasingly elusive. And I have become more attuned to the extent to which my day is negatively impacted by sub-optimal sleep. So I have recently committed to experimenting with a number of techniques and strategies (some obvious, some not) to improve what I now understand and appreciate is absolutely essential to living a balanced, healthy and optimally productive life.

I'm happy to say it's working.

This is a long way of saying that I have been thinking alot about sleep lately. So I'm excited to share this conversation on the subject with sleep expert Shawn Stevenson. A wellness evangelist and host of the Model Health Show podcast, Shawn also recently authored Sleep Smarter: 21 Essential Strategies to Sleep Your Way to A Better Body, Better Health, and Bigger Success*.

I had a great time on Shawn's podcast about a year ago (click here to listen), so it was fun to explore his compelling personal journey with wellness and dive deep into the subject of sleep. Specific topics include:

* Shawn's struggles with health & depression

* hitting rock bottom as a catalyst for change

* environmental epigenetics

* strategies to combat preventable illnesses

* the effects of sleep on your daily life

* sleep as a force multiplier

* the relationship between cortisol & melatonin

* the benefits of early morning activities on cortisol levels

* sleep & temperature regulation

* optimizing cortisol rhythm through light therapy

* sex & sleep

* the health impact of sleep deprivation

* magnesium & melatonin supplements

* addressing chronic insomnia

Shawn is a great guy with a velvety voice custom made for podcasting. But more importantly, this conversation is packed with practical advice, powerful tools and helpful information that will enhance your appreciation for sleep and just might impact your daily life experience profoundly. So pay attention. Take notes. And enjoy.

Peace + Plants,

Rich