Let me start with a question that might rewire how you think about your energy, mood, and focus: Are you sleep deprived… or functionally drunk? The CDC reports that one in three adults in the U.S. are not getting enough sleep. But it’s not just about feeling tired. Studies show that sleep deprivation mimics having a blood alcohol concentration between 0.05% and 0.1%. In other words, your mental function, reaction time, and decision-making ability mirror those of someone who is legally impaired. That fact shook me when I first heard it.

We’ve built a culture where being groggy, foggy, and emotionally reactive is considered “just part of adulting.” But what if it’s not? What if most of us are unknowingly walking through our lives drunk—not from alcohol, but from a chronic lack of rest? If you're sleeping fewer than seven hours per night regularly, your body is quietly suffering. Your brain isn’t recovering. Your hormones are out of balance. And over time, that adds up to more than just fatigue—it impacts every area of your health. It’s time we treat sleep deprivation as seriously as we treat substance impairment. In this blog post, the YouTube video embedded above (and linked here), and in my new podcast episode (find it here), I share with you exactly how I have overcome my sleep deprivation so you can too.

Why I Had to Rethink Sleep as an Athlete with Asthma

Early in my athletic journey, I believed that training and nutrition were the only levers I needed to pull to get better. I would grind through double-digit mileage weeks, carefully plan my meals, and yet still find myself underperforming and emotionally drained. At first, I chalked it up to my asthma or the altitude here in Colorado. But eventually, I realized the true culprit was my sleep—or lack of it. I was sabotaging my own progress by cutting corners on recovery.

Living with asthma and a PFO (a small hole in my heart), I can't afford to ignore any part of my health puzzle. Once I committed to sleep as a non-negotiable, everything began to change. My inflammation reduced. My breathing improved. My mental clarity sharpened. Sleep became my legal performance enhancer—available to everyone, but underutilized by most. For anyone out there chasing big goals while managing a condition like asthma, trust me: optimizing your sleep is the most underrated form of healing and growth you have access to.

The Sugar and Sleep Disaster

Sugar is sneaky. As an ultrarunner, I consume sugar strategically during races. But outside of that specific context, sugar is one of the fastest ways to disrupt my sleep. If I eat something sweet in the late afternoon or evening—even something seemingly healthy like a protein bar—I feel it later that night. My heart rate is elevated, my body feels restless, and I struggle to fall into the deep sleep cycles that are essential for real recovery. And what's worse, I don’t always recognize it immediately—until I string a few nights together and wonder why I feel off.

Processed sugar hides in nearly everything these days: sauces, takeout, salad dressings, low-fat “healthy” foods. One night, my partner and I had Chinese food—some sesame and sweet and sour chicken—and even though we ate early, I didn’t sleep a wink. My heart was pounding. I wasn’t dreaming. It was like my body was revving while my mind was trying to coast. Even whole grain carbs late in the day, while not as harmful, still elevate my heart rate at night. Over time, I’ve learned to treat sugar and carbs as fuel to be burned, not indulgences to be consumed passively. Sleep demands that kind of intention.

Screens, Blue Light, and Melatonin Disruption

Screens have become our default evening companion—phones, tablets, laptops, and TVs follow us right into bed. But the price we pay for this is steep. Blue light, which is emitted from most screens, suppresses melatonin, the natural hormone that signals to your brain it’s time to sleep. When I used to scroll through social media or check emails in bed, I thought I was “winding down.” In reality, I was kicking my sleep hormones in the gut. And I was doing it night after night.

It’s not just the light—it’s also the stress. Doomscrolling increases cortisol levels, which trigger your brain’s alert state. I’ve had friends say they were up all night scrolling, only to wake up at 3 a.m. and do it again. That was me, too. I now treat screen hygiene the same way I treat race-day nutrition: seriously. My phone goes grayscale during the day, switches to night mode in the evening, and gets shut off an hour before bed. No screens in the bedroom. If I do anything, it’s read, journal, stretch, or just lay there in silence. That shift alone has transformed how I fall—and stay—asleep.

Alcohol: One Drink, 40% Less Deep Sleep

I know this one might sting. Alcohol feels like a ritual, a social lubricant, and even a sedative. But here’s the truth: even one drink can reduce your deep sleep by up to 40%. And it’s not just me saying that—this is backed by peer-reviewed research. I’ve tested it on myself. After a single beer or glass of wine in the evening, I’ll fall asleep faster, sure. But the quality of that sleep is garbage. I wake up groggy, inflamed, and foggy. That isn’t recovery. That’s sedation.

What’s worse is that alcohol almost always contains sugar or simple carbs. Combine that with the cultural norm of drinking post-dinner—after your body has already begun slowing down—and you’re just layering gasoline on the sleep-deprivation fire. I haven’t had a drink in over 10 months, partly because I’m in peak training mode, and partly because I just feel better without it. When I stopped drinking, my sleep improved dramatically. If you care about your energy, focus, and long-term health, reconsider the role of alcohol in your life. Especially at night.

Caffeine’s Sneaky Role in the Sleep Crisis

Caffeine feels like a necessity for most people. I get it. I used to be the same way—coffee in the morning, maybe another one in the afternoon, and the occasional pre-workout. But here’s the issue: caffeine’s half-life is 6 to 8 hours. That means half the caffeine in your 1 p.m. cup is still in your bloodstream at 9 p.m. Even if you fall asleep, your brain doesn’t rest as deeply. You don’t recover. And you start the next day needing… more caffeine.

It’s a trap. You’re tired, so you drink caffeine. That caffeine messes with your sleep, so you wake up tired again. I’ve broken this cycle by limiting caffeine to the morning only—and even then, I’m careful with how much. Now that I sleep deeply, I no longer need caffeine. I enjoy it occasionally, but it’s no longer my crutch. You don’t need caffeine to be awake. You need sleep.

My Real-World Sleep Optimization Routine

So what do I do now? I treat sleep like my job. That means I cut out the biggest offenders—sugar, alcohol, and caffeine. I eat dinner early, usually before 7 p.m., and I’ve even set alarms on my phone to remind myself to stop eating. I move my body early in the day and expose myself to natural light as soon as I wake up. That light exposure regulates my circadian rhythm and helps me fall asleep naturally in the evening.

My training schedule revolves around this. If I know I’ll be eating heavier or consuming more carbs, I plan a workout afterward. Fuel in, fuel out. I also lean into natural rhythm adjustments—I get up with the sun and go to bed soon after it sets. This might not work for everyone, but it works for me. The body wants to rest. It just needs the conditions to do so.

Natural Sleep Aids That Actually Work

I often wind down with chamomile tea or “sleepy time” blends. I take magnesium for muscle recovery and general relaxation—it helps with digestion and overall nervous system regulation. When I need it, I use 100% pure CBD, free of THC. Even small amounts of THC can disrupt my sleep, so purity matters. These aren’t magic bullets, but they are useful tools in my sleep toolkit.

Still, the biggest wins come from behavior. The more I protect my evenings—by limiting stimulation, setting a sleep-friendly environment, and honoring my body’s signals—the less I need supplements at all. Sleep becomes a natural response to how I live, not something I have to chase or hack.

Your Free Guide: The 3 Pillars of Healthy Living

If you’re ready to stop being sleep deprived—and start feeling like yourself again—I want to give you the exact framework I use. It’s my Healthy Living Guide, and it’s 100% free. Inside, I outline the three pillars that changed my life: Movement, Tracking, and Accountability. These are simple, science-backed tools that anyone can implement.

Movement doesn’t mean hours at the gym. It means walking, stretching, breathing—something daily and intentional. Tracking gives you insight into what’s actually working, and accountability keeps you moving forward even when motivation dips. It’s not overwhelming. In fact, it’s freeing. You can grab the guide at athletewithasthma.com/healthy-living-guide and start making meaningful changes today. You’ll feel the difference within a week.