CXO Podcast

John Salmon

Hello and welcome to the CXO Podcast, I am your host Johnny Salmon and I am building a movement of strong and disciplined individuals.

  1. 8 APR

    E59 - The Dinner Mistake That's Destroying Your Sleep (and your performance)

    You've cut carbs at dinner. You've optimised your morning routine. You're doing everything right — so why are you still waking up exhausted and running on cortisol by 10am? Here's what nobody told you: for high-performing executives, the biggest threat to your sleep isn't your screen time or your stress levels. It's what you're not eating at dinner. In this episode, Johnny Salmon breaks down the science of carbohydrate timing and why strategically placed carbs in the evening could be the missing lever in your performance stack. This isn't bro-science. It's backed by circadian biology, and it's the exact opposite of what most high performers are currently doing. You'll learn why your body's master clock responds directly to when you eat carbs and not just how many. You'll understand how eating carbs too close to bed can suppress melatonin by up to 50%, and how to time them to work for you instead. Johnny breaks down the difference between high GI and low GI carbs and which one to eat at night if you want to fall asleep faster. He also covers why removing carbs from dinner is one of the most common mistakes he sees in high-performing clients, and what happens when they add them back. And if you think your afternoon coffee isn't affecting your sleep, this episode will change your mind. If you're sleeping 6 to 7 hours and still waking up foggy, not recovering between sessions, or watching your decision-making deteriorate by mid-afternoon, your nutrition timing is almost certainly part of the problem. The 7-day challenge: Don't cut carbs at dinner. Shift them strategically. The results might surprise you. 📚 Research referenced in this episode: Dietary Carbohydrates & Nocturnal Sleep — Frontiers in Public Health (2022) Carbohydrate & Sleep Mechanisms — PMC/NIH Effects of Diet on Sleep Quality — ScienceDirect Food & Circadian Rhythm Review — Wiley eFood (2025) Evening vs Morning Carbohydrate Meal Timing — PubMed Cortisol, Carbs & Sleep — Dr Christianson 📅 Ready to fix your performance from the inside out? Book a call with Johnny

    19 min

About

Hello and welcome to the CXO Podcast, I am your host Johnny Salmon and I am building a movement of strong and disciplined individuals.