Research scientists and sleep medicine doctors share with Yahoo! Health the counsel they give to the fittest bodies.

1. Do a 3-week early bedtime trial.

“There is no way to cheat sleep and still pursue optimal athletic performance. There will be a price to be paid. I’d challenge people to prioritize sleep for three weeks. Go to bed when you feel tired—there’s no rule about any bedtime being too early. Listen to your body. High-performance athletes are used to doing this. See how you feel during day and how you perform athletically. What happens is, people realize how powerful sleep can be, then they gladly elevate sleep on their list of priorities.” — Nathaniel F. Watson, M.D., President of the American Academy of Sleep Medicine (AASM), and board-certified in sleep medicine and neurology