Sweet Dreams

“The number of people who can survive on 6 hrs of sleep or less, without showing any impairment, rounded to a whole number and expressed as a percent of the population is zero.” - Mathew Walker

What if someone told you that they knew the secret to improving every aspect of your life; literally everything…and that it would cost you nothing; not one cent, that there would never be so much as a hint of tradeoff; no downside and that all of this was backed up with an irrefutable mountain of data?  Too good to be true…impossible even?  The truth is that it’s not only possible…but it’s not a very well kept secret.  The “secret” is sleep and like it or not, if you’re not already taking advantage of it, you’ve been significantly handicapping your own potential…intentionally or not.

I’ll preface this article by saying that there are exceptions to everything but let’s not write off the majority by citing the exception.  The reality is that approximately 10% of adults suffer from some type of sleep disorder so saying “What about [insert exception here]?” is statistically ignorant.  Further to that though, even the minority who do suffer from sleep disorders would benefit from everything we’ll cover here today.  Again, there’s no downside…no tradeoff.  Also, we’re talking about your norms here.  Everyone has a bad night's sleep from time to time; everyone gets sick; everyone stays up late with friends; etc.  Focus on what you do the majority of the time.

So what does good sleep look like?  Let’s cover the basics.  Good sleep consists of 5 main components.  Amount of sleep, when you sleep, consistency, environment or “sleep hygiene” and pre-bed routine.

The amount of sleep you should get is dependent on the duration of your own individual sleep cycles.  Put simply, a sleep cycle is the natural progression during sleep of moving from a light sleep into a deep sleep, and then back into a light sleep…and so on, and so on, and so on.  The science behind why that sequence is so important is an article (or probably a book) onto itself but we needn’t worry about it because it happens naturally and starts shortly after we fall asleep.  This cycle then repeats throughout the night and optimally we want to wake up at the end of a cycle.  This allows us to wake up gently, feeling refreshed and awake whereas waking from a deep sleep results in a groggy, tired feeling that takes time to pass.  The duration of a sleep cycle varies slightly by person but in the interest of simplicity, we can safely say that most people sit between 1 hr 20 mins and 1 hr 40 mins.  So if we use an average of 1 hr 30 mins, the simple math tells us that 7 hrs 30 mins is a good goal.  The body needs a minimum number of cycles…more is better, less isn’t.  If you can get 9 hrs, good for you.  If you’re only getting 6, you need to reprioritize.

Next to how much you sleep, “when” that sleep occurs is arguably the most important factor to achieving quality sleep.  The general rule is that sleep that occurs before midnight is more beneficial than sleep occurring after midnight.  In other words, even if you’re getting 7 hrs 30 mins sleep…if it’s from 1:00 AM to 8:30 AM, that’s going to be far less beneficial than if it’s from 10:30 PM to 6:00 AM.  This has to do with our bodies deeply embedded makeup (physical, chemical/hormonal and mental) that adapted to waking and going to sleep with the rise and fall of the sun.  I’ve heard it argued that we as humans don’t live that way any more but here’s the reality.  Evolution and adaptation take a LONG time and the lives we live today and which we’ve maintained since the industrial revolution make up only a small fraction of the 300,000 years or so since the first Homo sapiens (anatomically modern humans) arose alongside our other hominid relatives.  Like it or not, you’re still wired that way.  The other argument goes something like this…”I’ve got too much to do.  I have to stay up late to get it all done.”  Maybe you do have laundry to fold, emails to read/reply to, etc. but for most people it’s got more to do with social media, Netflix, etc.  Either way, I’ll promise you that whatever it is you’re doing after 10:00 PM isn’t time sensitive and can be done in the morning without issue…assuming it’s something that ACTUALLY needs to be done.  Shift your sleep to begin and end earlier.  Outside of shift workers and exceptions like caring for a newborn baby, I’ve never heard or read an argument that justifies a “late to bed, late to rise” existence.

When it comes to consistency, there are really 2 aspects of consistency that play into the benefits of quality sleep.  First is the fact that consistency leads to habit forming and anything that is habitual is easier to maintain than something that is not.  The second factor lies in the fact that the benefits of quality sleep are compounded…get a good night's sleep and you’ll likely feel the benefits the following day.  String together 10, 20, 40 nights of good sleep and you’ll not only feel those immediate benefits but your body will have begun to change in ways that compared to the day prior may be indistinguishable but when compounded over time, are exceptional.  We’ll get to some of those changes later in this article.

Your sleep environment or “sleep hygiene” is something that seems obvious but is often overlooked in the interest of convenience, habit or both.  Essentially science tells us that with VERY few exceptions, humans sleep best when their surroundings have good air flow, are dark, cool (not cold but not warm) and quiet.  These are all fairly easy to accomplish but don’t disregard their importance.  If you can’t check all these boxes, just check the ones you can.  Everything helps.

Lastly (or perhaps firstly) comes your pre bed routine.  Our bodies and minds are exceptional at subconsciously recognizing and adapting to “when this, then that” scenarios and preemptively preparing us for what’s about to happen.  Scared or challenged?...your heart rate increases and your pupils dilate to prepare for “fight or flight”.  Smell or even imagine your favorite food?...you begin to salivate, preparing you to more easily break food down into smaller bits so it's easier to swallow and digest.  Normally check your socials or watch TV in bed before going to sleep…the body releases dopamine, which inhibits sleep.  Like to eat late in the evening or exercise…the body releases cortisol, which also inhibits sleep.  Even without hormonal factors, your mind and body recognize these patterns and maintain the alertness needed.  Use this to your advantage.  Every night about an hr before getting into bed, maintain a consistent routine.  Limit the intake of foods and liquids, especially alcohol and caffeine but even water…I’m a middle aged man so this one rings true for me. Turn off all screens so that you’re not subjecting yourself to blue light, which suppresses production of natural melatonin, the hormone that helps us fall asleep and stay there.  Straighten up the kitchen or fold the laundry…declutter.  Prep meals and set out your clothes for the following day…prep.  Reflect on the day and plan/prioritize how you’ll approach the following day.  Brush your teeth, wash your face, moisturize…all good things.  Then settle in and clear the mind with some deep breathing and reading.  You’ll be surprised at how quickly your body and mind will adapt and not only fall asleep faster but achieve a more restful sleep.

The benefits of improved sleep are substantial and extremely well documented. Simply put, consistent high quality sleep has been proven…not shown, not “suspected” to but proven…to significantly improve memory, reduce depression and anxiety, increase self control and the ability to focus, improve cardiovascular health, improve muscle and joint recovery/function, regulate blood sugar levels, strengthen the immune system and maintain healthy weight.

For or something that costs nothing, is accessible to almost everyone, can be put in place immediately with the capacity to improve every aspect of our lives from personal health and wellbeing, productivity in our business and personal lives, and most importantly our relationships…it’s almost incomprehensible that human beings are the only species that deliberately deprive ourselves of sleep for no apparent gain and in some cases even take some sort of twisted pride in it.

Again, improving your sleep will improve every aspect of your life and although the benefits are immediate, they compound over time.  It will cost you nothing and there’s no downside, not so much as a hint of tradeoff…start today, you’ll be glad you did.

Sweet dreams!