Listen up!
Whether you’re hitting a PR or just trying to survive a Monday, how you sleep and how you hydrate are the two biggest levers you can pull. Most of you wake up feeling like garbage and blame the coffee machine for not working fast enough.
The truth? You’re dehydrated.
But there’s a massive difference between “I haven’t had water in 8 hours” dehydrated and “I didn’t sleep and now my brain is broken” dehydrated.
As a Holistic Health Practitioner and your Head Coach, I’m giving you the playbook on why sleep and hydration are a package deal.
THE PLAYBOOK: Two Ways to Dry Out
1. The “Good Sleep” Dry-Out
When you actually listen to me and get 7–9 hours of shut-eye, your body is still working. You’re breathing, you’re sweating (hopefully not too much), and you’re metabolic-processing your way to recovery. But you aren’t drinking.
The Receipt: You wake up with a dry mouth and a slight “fog.”
The Fix: This is a 10% battery drop. One glass of water and you’re back in the fight.
2. The “Trash Sleep” Dehydration (The Danger Zone)
This is where it gets ugly. When you skip sleep, you rob your brain of the Glymphatic System—that’s the “Nightly Cleaning Crew.” This system flushes out metabolic waste and balances brain fluids while you’re out cold.
The Receipt: If you don’t sleep, the cleaning crew never shows up. You get functional dehydration in the brain.
The Bottom Line: This isn’t just thirst. This is brain fog, zero focus, and a mental tax that no amount of caffeine can pay off. Chronic lack of sleep leads to high blood pressure, weight gain, and a weak-sauce immune system.
Stop stumbling to the coffee pot first thing. If you want to perform like a BOSS, you have to prep like one. Here is your 3-step morning play:
Pound the Water: Drink 16 oz (500ml) of water immediately. No excuses.
Pay the Salt Tax: Add a pinch of high-quality sea salt or electrolytes, available everyday at the CrossFit Alanis Store. Sodium is the transport vehicle that actually gets water into your cells instead of just sending it straight to your bladder.
Chase the Sun: Get outside for 5-10 minutes of sunlight. It resets your internal clock so you don’t repeat the “Trash Sleep” cycle tonight.
HEAD COACH’S PRO TIP: Don’t Be a Midnight Camel
I see people trying to “catch up” on hydration by chugging a gallon at 9:00 PM. All that does is ensure you’re waking up at 2:00 AM to pee, which kills your Glymphatic cleaning cycle.
The Play: Hydrate consistently throughout the day. Shut down the heavy fluid intake 2 hours before bed.
THE BOTTOM LINE:
Bad sleep makes you stupid and dehydrated. Good sleep makes you slightly thirsty but ready to crush. Choose the latter.
Now, grab some electrolytes, get your water in, and let’s get to work. No more excuses.
If you’d like a more specific plan that will help you accomplish your specific goals faster, we can do that! Click HERE to
book a free consultation with one of our expert coaches today!
