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Your IQ isn’t fixed. That’s one of the biggest lies we’ve been told. Over the past 20 years, I raised mine by 20 points—not by being born with an advantage, but by removing the things that lowered it and intentionally training my brain to perform better.

Some of the upgrades were immediate. Others took weeks. But they all stacked together to transform how I think, focus, and solve problems. Here are 37 powerful ways to do it yourself—starting today.

37 Easy Tips That Helped Me Raise My IQ

Quit doom scrolling. Fear-based content keeps your brain in fight-or-flight and shuts down higher thinking.
Hydrate with electrolytes. Plain water doesn’t cut it. Add sea salt for real absorption and mental clarity.
Eat organ meats. Rich in choline and B vitamins for neurotransmitter support (or take a supplement like Organs 101).
Use caffeine wisely. Use it in the morning, not past 2 p.m. Too much will crash your brain and ruin sleep.
Block junk light at night. Blue light wrecks your melatonin and brain recovery. Use red lights or TrueDark.
Avoid chronic cardio. Long sessions spike cortisol and reduce hippocampus size. Walk or try high-intensity intervals instead.
Stop multitasking. Focus deeply on one thing. Task switching kills memory and drains your IQ.
Cut out seed oils. Industrial oils cause inflammation in the brain and body.
Don’t overeat. Overeating junk food stresses your mitochondria—especially processed carbs and fried foods.
Also don’t undereat. Your brain burns 20% of your energy. Starve it, and your IQ tanks.
Reduce toxins. Mold and heavy metals like mercury or lead can slash brain energy and function. (Check out Episode 1036 of The Human Upgrade to learn more.)
Limit alcohol. It impairs neurogenesis and contributes to long-term cognitive decline.
Embrace silence. Ditch constant music or podcasts. Your brain needs time to reset and prune.
Prioritize deep sleep. Without it, your brain can’t detox, repair, or consolidate memories.
Avoid overworking. Cognitive load builds stress and leads to poor decision-making.
Try intermittent fasting. It boosts BDNF, autophagy, and mental clarity.
Use red/infrared light therapy. It repairs brain cells and boosts mitochondrial function.
Cold exposure. Cold plunges or showers enhance attention and neuroprotection.
Get morning sunlight. It sets your circadian rhythm and boosts serotonin and sleep quality.
Train your brainwaves. Use binaural beats to access peak brain states and improve focus.
21. Subscribe to Dave’s channel. Yes, really—it’s a treasure trove of hacks.
Use adaptogens. Ashwagandha and others help your body regulate stress.
Try nootropics. Supplements like citicoline, alpha-GPC, and ginkgo support brain function. (Try Brain 101.)
Drink hydrogen water. A powerful antioxidant that protects and energizes brain cells.
Practice active meditation. Walking, yoga, tai chi—all of it improves neural connectivity.
Avoid passive entertainment. Binge-watching reduces neuroplasticity. Fiction books or audiobooks train your brain better.
Do dual n-back training. This one alone raised my IQ by 12 points in 20 days. It’s free. It’s hard. It works.
Use a standing/walking desk. Alternating positions throughout the day boosts alertness and blood flow.
Play strategy video games. Games like StarCraft improve decision-making speed and memory.
Socialize regularly. Oxytocin from human connection drives neurogenesis and resilience.
Learn new skills. Myelination (nerve insulation) increases IQ. Bonus: eat choline-rich foods to support this.
Go gluten-free. Even if you’re not celiac, gluten can inflame your brain.
Use C8 MCT oil. It generates ketones—your brain’s preferred fuel. (Try it in your Danger Coffee.)
Increase BDNF. Through fasting, exercise, sleep—and even legal psychedelics like ketamine (in a clinical setting).
Use neurofeedback. This advanced brain training shows your brain how to rewire itself in real time.
Practice breathwork. Conscious breathing improves focus, calm, and cognitive control.
Stop believing your IQ is fixed. Neuroplasticity is real. You can upgrade your brain—at any age.

Conclusion: Smarter Starts Now

Your brain is changeable. That’s the real takeaway here. I didn’t raise my IQ by 20 points with luck—I did it by stacking smart habits and cutting out what held me back.

You don’t need to do all 37 tips at once. Start with one. Build from there. The more you support your brain, the more it will support you—with focus, clarity, creativity, and resilience.

Smarter isn’t something you’re born with. It’s something you build. Starting now.

You meticulously biohack every aspect of your day – from your morning routine to your targeted supplements, exercise, and diet. You chase peak performance, cognitive clarity, and extended longevity. But what about the 8 hours you spend in bed? The truth is, the most powerful biohack isn’t a new supplement or a complex therapy; it’s the truly restorative sleep you might not be getting. And if you’re not optimizing for the foundational pillar of recovery, you might be leaving your ultimate potential on the nightstand.

Many brands offer individual solutions for sleep: a cooling pillow, a pressure-relieving mattress, or a blackout curtain. While each can offer a marginal improvement, true sleep optimization – what we call “sleep hacking” – comes from a synergistic stacking of scientifically validated elements. This isn’t just about comfort; it’s about creating an environment engineered to systematically eliminate the unseen saboteurs that hijack your ability to enter and maintain the crucial REM and deep sleep stages. This is where a new paradigm in sleep technology emerges, distinguishing between a mere mattress and a genuine sleep performance tool.

Beyond the Obvious: Unmasking the Unseen Sleep Saboteurs

Our modern world is a silent battlefield for sleep, riddled with subtle yet powerful disruptors that can undermine your recovery. These “stimulants” – often imperceptible – are actively preventing your body from reaching its deepest, most restorative sleep cycles.

Consider the pervasive influence of electromagnetic fields (EMFs). While often invisible, research suggests that prolonged exposure to certain frequencies can disrupt cellular function, interfere with melatonin production (a critical hormone for regulating sleep), and impact sleep architecture [1]. Many of us sleep surrounded by electronic devices, unknowingly bathing in a soup of electromagnetic radiation that can keep our nervous systems on high alert. Mitigating this exposure becomes a vital step in creating a truly restorative sleep environment.

Then there’s the critical role of thermal regulation. Our bodies naturally cool down as we prepare for sleep, and maintaining a lower core body temperature throughout the night is essential for reaching and sustaining deep sleep [2]. Traditional mattresses, especially those made with memory foam or synthetic materials, can trap heat, leading to restless nights, night sweats, and fragmented sleep cycles. This seemingly minor discomfort can significantly impede your body’s natural sleep processes, pulling you out of those vital deep and REM cycles.

And what about the insidious threat of mold? Often hidden within our homes, mold spores can trigger allergic reactions, inflammation, and respiratory issues, all of which directly interfere with sleep quality [3,4]. A sleep environment that doesn’t actively defend against mold could be a continuous source of irritation, preventing your body from fully relaxing and repairing itself.

Beyond these environmental factors, the subtle impacts of motion transfer and inconsistent support also contribute to fragmented sleep. Each micro-awakening, whether from a partner shifting or simply an uncomfortable pressure point, pulls you away from the profound cellular repair and cognitive consolidation that occurs during uninterrupted rest. These often-ignored factors are powerful sleep saboteurs, silently diminishing your restorative capacity.

The Science of Stacking: Essentia’s Patented Approach to Hacking Deeper Sleep

Imagine a sleep system engineered to proactively address these sleep disruptors, stacking multiple performance-enhancing features into a single, cohesive solution. This is the core principle behind Essentia’s patented technology: a science-backed method for creating the ultimate sleep environment by integrating multiple key elements that work in synergy.

Essentia’s approach is rooted in understanding the intricate dance of biological processes that govern sleep. Unlike other brands that might excel in one or two areas, Essentia focuses on a comprehensive stacking of benefits to create a truly restorative sanctuary. This unique synergy is what differentiates a mere mattress from a genuine sleep performance tool, allowing you to unlock deeper, more efficient sleep.

At the heart of this innovation is the commitment to a non-toxic, allergen-free composition. The materials used in Essentia mattresses are rigorously tested to ensure they are free from harmful chemicals, off-gassing, and common allergens, which can all contribute to respiratory irritation and disrupt sleep [5]. By eliminating these environmental stressors, the body can focus its energy on repair and regeneration.

Perhaps one of the most groundbreaking elements is Essentia’s ability to provide active cooling. Their Beyond Latex organic foam is designed to dissipate heat actively, maintaining an ideal sleep surface temperature throughout the night [6]. This is a significant departure from conventional foams that trap heat, ensuring your body can achieve and maintain the lower core temperature crucial for deep sleep without relying on external cooling devices.

Furthermore, Essentia addresses the pervasive issue of EMF protection. Their specialized foam formulations are engineered to reduce and repel electromagnetic fields, creating a cleaner, more harmonious sleeping environment [7]. This innovative feature aims to mitigate the unseen energetic burden on the body, allowing for more profound cellular rest and repair.

And crucially, Essentia offers advanced mold protection. Their patented foam formulation is designed to be inhospitable to mold growth, preventing the accumulation of spores that can trigger allergies and respiratory distress, ensuring a cleaner, healthier sleep environment for years to come [8].

Beyond these crucial environmental factors, Essentia’s patented organic foams also excel in providing optimized support and pressure relief. The unique density and elasticity of the material adapt precisely to your body’s contours, eliminating pressure points and promoting proper spinal alignment. This minimizes tossing and turning, leading to fewer micro-awakenings and a more continuous sleep cycle. The foam’s ability to absorb motion also ensures that partner movement won’t disrupt your sleep, a common complaint with traditional mattresses.

The result of this deliberate stacking of elements is a sleep experience that goes beyond comfort; it becomes a powerful bio-hack for enhancing recovery, boosting cognitive function, and extending longevity. A double-blind sleep study conducted on Essentia mattresses yielded remarkable results: participants spent 20% to 60% longer in their vital REM and deep sleep cycles [9]. This translates directly to more profound cellular repair, enhanced memory consolidation, improved mood, reduced pain, and significantly enhanced athletic performance. This scientific validation underscores the efficacy of their stacked approach.

The Dave Asprey Upgrade by Essentia: Your Longevity Sleep Solution

The pursuit of optimal performance and longevity necessitates an unwavering commitment to quality sleep. The Dave Asprey Upgrade by Essentia is not just a mattress; it’s a meticulously engineered sleep system designed to support and enhance your body’s natural restorative processes.

This upgrade embodies the very essence of biohacking sleep by addressing multiple critical factors simultaneously. It’s about creating an environment that actively eliminates the stimulants hindering your REM and deep sleep cycles, allowing your body and mind to fully recover and regenerate. By integrating active cooling, EMF protection, advanced mold protection, unparalleled pressure relief, and a completely allergen-free environment, Essentia offers a holistic solution for those serious about optimizing their sleep and, by extension, their overall well-being and longevity.

Imagine waking up consistently feeling genuinely refreshed, mentally sharp, and physically recovered. This isn’t just a dream; it’s the tangible benefit of a sleep system built on the science of stacking for ultimate performance.

Citations:

[1] Havas, M. (2019). When technologies harm: The health effects of electromagnetic radiation. Environmental Research, 173, 138-143. (Note: While some studies suggest a link, the exact mechanisms and extent of harm are still under debate in the scientific community. This citation reflects general scientific discussion on the topic.)

[2] Okamoto-Mizuno, K., & Mizuno, K. (2012). Effects of thermal environment on sleep and circadian rhythm. Journal of Physiological Anthropology, 31(1), 14.

[3] Institute of Medicine (US) Committee on Damp Indoor Spaces and Health. (2004). Damp Indoor Spaces and Health. National Academies Press (US).

[4] Bush, R. K., & Portnoy, J. M. (2001). The role of environmental allergens in allergic rhinitis and asthma. Current Allergy and Asthma Reports, 1(4), 312-321.

[5] My Essentia. (n.d.). Essentia Organic Mattress: Eight Key Elements Performance Sleep. Retrieved from https://myessentia.com/pages/essentia-organic-mattress-eight-key-elements-performance-sleep

[6] My Essentia. (n.d.). Biohacking Your Sleep: Active Cooling, Sleep Deeper, Live Longer. Retrieved from https://myessentia.com/blogs/mattress-101/biohacking-your-sleep-active-cooling-sleep-deeper-live-longer

[7] My Essentia. (n.d.). Sleep Deeper, Live Longer: Biohacking Your Sleep Part 8 – EMF Protection Foam Science. Retrieved from https://myessentia.com/blogs/mattress-101/sleep-deeper-live-longer-biohacking-your-sleep-part-8

[8] My Essentia. (n.d.). Biohacking Your Sleep Part 11: Mold Protection. Retrieved from https://myessentia.com/blogs/mattress-101/biohacking-your-sleep-part-11-mold-protection

[9] My Essentia. (n.d.). The Results of Biohacking Your Sleep. Retrieved from https://myessentia.com/blogs/mattress-101/the-results-of-biohacking-your-sleep

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