The Secret to a Great Morning? Your Night Before

Everyone wants better mornings.

But they’re fighting the battle in the wrong place.

It’s not about waking up harder.

It’s about setting up the win the night before.

If your sleep is garbage, your cortisol is misfiring, your brain feels like porridge, and you’re using caffeine just to function… no amount of breathwork or gratitude journaling is going to save you.

At Jon Nardinochi Performance, we say it all the time:

Your morning starts the night before.

Let’s break down what that really means—and how to build a night routine that actually supports your energy, recovery, and focus.

🌙 Why Your Evenings Set the Tone

Your circadian rhythm—the internal body clock that controls your sleep, energy, digestion, and hormone function—needs predictable signals.

If you’re:

• eating late

• training late

• doom-scrolling in bed

• blasting your brain with blue light and stress

  …your body won’t know it’s time to wind down.

That messes with sleep quality, morning energy, and your ability to recover.

And the cycle repeats.

🧠 What an Optimised Evening Does

Done right, your evening routine:

• Lowers cortisol and nervous system arousal

• Preps your body for deeper sleep

• Sets your brain up for next-day focus

• Builds in recovery without needing to “take a break”

This isn’t self-care fluff.

It’s physiological performance hygiene.

🌘 Your Core Evening Routine – 5 Key Moves

1. Cut Stimulation (90 mins out)

• Dim lights

• Power down screens or use blue light filters

• Avoid intense convos, work, or news

2. Wind Down Movement

• 5–10 minutes of mobility or light stretching

• Try: legs-up-the-wall, forward fold, cat-cow, neck rolls

3. Body Temperature Drop

• Warm shower, then cool room

• Avoid overheating (affects deep sleep)

4. Light Snack (if needed)

• Protein + fat or carb for those who wake up at night hungry

• Avoid alcohol, big meals, or sugar before bed

5. Mental Signal to Shut Down

• Journal: “What’s one thing I’ll do tomorrow?”

• Breathing: 4-7-8 or humming exhale

• Read fiction or listen to low-stimulation audio

✅ Next-Day Performance Starts Here

Want better mornings?

Then:

• Protect your wind-down window

• Build an energy-matching evening menu

• Stop trying to solve sleep and stress with just morning hacks

Ready to Run the Full Cycle?

👇 Download our Evening Reset Cheatsheet + 5-Min Wind-Down Flow:

[Grab the PDF]

Or join the next Optimise Your Routine Workshop—where we help you build your 24-hour rhythm for energy, clarity, and performance:

[Apply or Book In