Sleep: What Is It Good For? Absolutely Everything
A simple guide to sleep and 5 ways to get better sleep.
Humans sleep for around a third of their lifetime. We know it is critical to our survival yet so many avoid it. I first became interested in the science of sleep and the importance of it when reading Why We Sleep by Matthew Walker. The book covers everything from the science of dreaming to fundamentals you can apply to get better sleep. There was one line in the book that really (ironically) opened my eyes.
Sadly, human beings are in fact the only species that will deliberately deprive themselves of sleep without legitimate gain.
Why do we do this? Is it the pressure of modern society and hustle culture? Or is it that we simply don’t fully understand sleep? It is fair to say that the way we sleep has drastically changed over the course of our evolution as a species.
Sleep Facts
According to a Fitbit report from 2017, the average time asleep of its users is 6 hours and 38 minutes. This is lower than the recommended 7 hours from the CDC. The NHS actually says adults need between 6 and 9 hours. Sleeping less than 5 hours deprives the body of deep sleep — needed for processes such as cell regeneration and human growth hormone secretion. I would be interested to know if and by how much the average sleep time has changed since the report came out.
If you wake up earlier than usual, you miss out on the stage called Rapid Eye Movement (REM). This is responsible for short-term memory, cell regeneration and mood. You also dream during this phase of sleep. This is where the weird dreams happen.
Sleep is when recovery happens. If you’re an athlete, or moderately interested in fitness, this is the time where your body repairs itself. Better sleep means quicker recovery. If you're aiming to build muscle then this is really where it happens.
Exposure to light early in the morning after waking up is also linked to sleep improvement. This has been found to increase alertness. Additionally, this causes a reduction in stress and depression which can improve sleep. This is compared to those who were not able to get early morning light exposure.
How To Get Better Sleep
Most of us probably have a set morning routine but do we have a nighttime routine? By getting your body ready for getting a night of good sleep, you’ll likely feel fresher the next day.
Sleep Schedule
Aim to go to bed and wake up and the same time every day. Sleeping in later on the weekends does not make up for a lack of sleep during the week. Adjusting your schedule for 2 days before adjusting back to your weekday schedule will make it harder for your body to change. Keeping the same schedule throughout the week, including weekends, allows your body to stay in sync.
A simple trick is to set an alarm when it's time to go to bed.
The Hour Before Bed
The hour on either side of sleep is vital. What you do in the first 30–60 minutes after waking sets the tone for the day ahead. We are going to focus on the hour prior to sleeping here.
To allow your brain enough time to unwind and be ready for bed, put your phone down and turn off screens. This removes the blue light keeping your brain active which reduces the quality and quantity of sleep. Kindles that don't emit blue light are fine, according to researchers.
Now the brain is taken care of, its now time to think about the body. Try to avoid exercise late in the evening as this raises the body temperature. During sleep, however, the core body temperature decreases. To kickstart this process, take a hot bath or shower. Let’s be real, no one feels anything other than relaxed after a bath!
Avoid Alcohol Before Bed
This may well help you relax however it does, unfortunately, take away from your Rapid Eye Movement (REM) period of sleeping, keeping you in lighter stages of sleep. This will, ultimately, decrease the quality of your sleep.
Breathing can also be adversely affected by a large alcohol intake.
Set A Cutoff Time For Caffeine
Caffeine is a great supplement when used correctly and in the right conditions. Unlike alcohol, it is a stimulant. It is fairly intuitive before bed is not an ideal time to consume a large coffee or energy drink. Setting a cutoff time, such as 12 pm, allows your body adequate time to remove most, if not all of the caffeine from your system prior to going to sleep.
Don’t Nap Too Late In The Day
I know the feeling of coming in from work feeling tired and being tempted to lie down and shut my eyes for a bit. There are, however, consequences to this though. When you try to go to sleep, later on, it’ll be more difficult to fall asleep.
This doesn’t take away the power of naps. Athletes such as LeBron James and Usain Bolt have advocated naps in the past — especially before big performances.
Sleep is vitally important to our overall health. Do you get enough sleep? Have you, like me, tried to improve sleep hygiene? If so, what were your results like?
It’s becoming even harder to prioritise our sleep as responsibilities stack up and the pace of life increases. We often focus on the time spent sleeping as opposed to the quality. The tips I’ve listed above have helped to improve the quality of my slumber and my well-being. What other tips and tricks have you used to get a better night’s sleep?
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Have a great day,
Josh