Shark Tank's Kevin O'Leary reveals the surprising sleep hack he says changed everything
Canadian businessman and star of Shark Tank, Kevin O’Leary, has revealed the surprising sleep hack which he claims could change everything.
The TV personality who is also nicknamed Mr Wonderful has shared a top tip he believes could solve sleeping issues for many, although it has divided opinion.
Last year, O’Leary appeared on an episode of the Young and Profiting podcast where he spoke to host Hala Taha about the harsh realities of entrepreneurship.
It was during this chat that the 71-year-old shared how protecting sleep has become one of the biggest priorities in his daily routine, especially when it comes to maintaining energy, focus and decision-making abilities in business.
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And while he admitted he loves wine, he also warned that drinking alcohol too close to bedtime can completely wreck the body’s most restorative stage of sleep.
In the clip, O’Leary explained: “If you drink wine three hours before you go to bed, you don't get any REM sleep. It really messes up your sleep. So the strategy you got to go to is drink at breakfast.”
While this appeared to be a joke about the extreme solutions to alcohol impacting sleep, there appears to be science which backs up these claims.
O’Leary went on to say: “You want REM sleep, that’s your brain being cleansed for the next day. Unfortunately, sleep doesn’t work with alcohol.”
REM sleep, which is also known as rapid eye movement sleep, is considered to be one of the most important phases of the sleep cycle and is the stage linked to dreaming, memory processing, learning and emotional recovery.
Experts have long warned that alcohol can interfere with it and studies have shown that drinking before bed may help people fall asleep faster initially, but it often leads to disrupted sleep later in the night as the alcohol begins to metabolize.
However, while drinking alcohol in the morning might be one bizarre method to prioritizing sleep, the entrepreneur has a more practical solution.
He shared some of the personal rules he follows himself, including eating high amounts of protein and staying active through cycling and daily walks instead of relying solely on gym workouts.
O’Leary also claimed that the combination of better sleep, regular exercise and a disciplined diet can completely transform how a person feels day to day.
He added: “About ten weeks of just following this protocol, your energy level goes through the roof. It’s unreal how good you feel.”