The Hustle Culture Sucks At Sleep.

When we're not sleeping well, our brain suffers dramatically.

Sleep is one of the most important things that we can do for our health. Not just our mental health, but also our brain health, our relationships, for our work, and for our emotional health. When we're not sleeping well, our brain suffers dramatically. Our body needs rest. Our brain needs rest if we're to function well and when these things get depleted, everything gets depleted. But not everybody finds it easy to sleep.?

There are many factors that can inhibit our ability to not only get the amount of sleep we need, but to get the quality of sleep we need. Stress, anxiety, worry, rumination all get in the way of sleep. Excitement can also get in the way of our sleep. Technology gets in the way of our sleep too. We all have this thing called circadian rhythm. The circadian rhythms are? like our internal clocks. They help with digestion and temperature control. They help us know when to sleep and wake up. The circadian rhythms are not only dictated by what's going on inside of us, but going on around us, like the light exposure.?

Sometimes our ability to sleep is impacted by our physical health. When I weighed too much, I had a lot of fat around my throat and it would obstruct my airways and I couldn't breathe. That inability to breathe while I was sleeping would wake me up. This is called sleep apnea. As you can see, there are many reasons why people may not be sleeping well. And you may be suffering from these.?

In regards to my health journey, once my sleep got better, I was able to attend to my physical health. Then I was able to have clarity around my emotions and process them and take ownership of my mental health. Then my relationships got better. My work performance improved. So, sleep is personal to me. It should be to you as well.

The hustle culture loses when people don't get sleep.

Early on in my career I neglected sleep because there's this hustle culture that says, you have got to sacrifice to succeed. So sacrifice your sleep so you can spend more time hustling. When you sacrifice your sleep, there's something else that happens - your brain becomes inflamed, because you're not giving it rest. It becomes agitated, irritated, and inflamed because it's not receiving the rest it requires. When your brain becomes inflamed, specifically the frontal cortex, your executive decision making is impaired, you're not making good choices. You're not reacting to life's unpredictable moments like a car accident or someone cutting you off in traffic, or a sick child. You're not being able to problem solve well, You're not able to deploy creativity. The hustle culture loses when people don't get sleep. Entrepreneurs lose out on opportunity and potential when they don't get sleep. If you are a business owner and executive, a new employee and you want to perform well do not sacrifice your sleep.?

I want to provide some tips on how you can improve your sleep. There are three categories. The order of categories is important. But the tips within each category are not listed in any preferential order.??

Behavioral

If you can influence your sleep by your lifestyle and your behaviors, that is best. These are true changes that tap into the most impactful and lasting changes, that give you quantity and quality sleep the way we are designed to receive it.?

1. Stop eating 2-3 hours before bed time. This gives your body time to digest everything and begin to rest.?
2. No screen time at bed or 1-2 hours before bed time. Artificial light throws off our circadian rhythms. Our body needs to wind down. The artificial lighting does not allow for natural release of melatonin.
3. Lose excess body weight. This helps prevent sleep apnea in many people.
4. Journaling. Those who keep a journal at night find it easier to wind down. Those who ruminate and/ or experience anxiety find it extremely helpful to be write down their thoughts and feelings before going to bed because it helps them get everything out and process what is going on inside their minds.
5. Breathing exercises. I often will take 30-60 seconds to do some deep breathing. This activates relaxation responses. It slows my heart rate down and calms my emotions.?
6. Prayer and meditation. Much like journaling, prayer and meditation both offer opportunities to channel our minds, give space to feeling that need resolution, and organize our thoughts. It helps bring closure to the day and acts a signal to our brain that it’s OK to shut down.
7. Read a book. Reading is similar to prayer,meditation, and journaling in that we are finding a way to relax and wind down. For many people, reading is calming. If it is invigorating and exciting for you, maybe do this earlier in the evening, or when you wake in the morning.
8. Automated lighting. Those with smart lights or smart light switches can use that technology to create dimming schedules. By slowly dimming your house lights before bed time, you mimic the sun setting and communicate to your circadian rhythms that will then naturally release melatonin, and help you fall asleep much more naturally and easier.?
9. Brainwave manipulation. Our brains are very responsive to sound. Many sound waves can activate energy, focus, being alert, and even sleep. There are many phone apps that create sounds that activate these brainwaves. That app that I use is called, BrainWave. (Not a paid endorsement.)

Natural Remedies and Supplements

1. Herbal Teas and Drinks. There are many drinks available that have natural and healthy ingredients that calm us and activate the release of our natural melatonin. Chamomile, lavender, and lemon balm are all popular herbal teas for better sleep. There are some brands that also make great nighttime drinks. I currently use one by UMZU called ZuSleep. I have also heard great things about a product called, Night Time Relax from Just Ingredients. (Neither of these mentions are paid endorsements.)
2. Magnesium. Magnesium is a mineral that impacts so much of our health. Unfortunately, everyone is short on magnesium, and everyone should be taking a magnesium supplement. Magnesium helps you sleep better because it lowers your cortisol levels. If you are finding it difficult to sleep because of stress, this may be a place that you start.
3. Epsom salt baths. I am a bath guy. I love warm baths. I often change the color of the lights in my bathroom to a cool blue, and add epsom salt to the water. The color, the salt, the warm water all put me at ease and make it easier to fall asleep.?
4. Melatonin tablets. There is a bit of controversy over supplements in general. The arguments against them is that we should not supplement our bodies with something our body naturally produces. When we do, our body stops producing it, and eventually, stops trying, making us dependent. That being said, I do recommend it when your other options are not working.??

Prescriptive Medications / Procedures / Assistance

I am not going to outline what the options are. You need to try everything else first. Also, if you are in this category, you really need to see a medical doctor and discuss all your options there with them.?

I do not want to give medical advice as I am not trained or qualified to.?

But I will say this - the less invasive, the less synthetic medication - the better off you are.?

Western medicine is about treating symptoms and not causes.?

Sometimes these are necessary to help us get back onto the path of good sleep and give our bodies the rest we need so we can function while we make lifestyle changes. But in no way should any item in this category ever become a substitute for healthy living.?

Conclusion

When we prioritize sleep, we are prioritizing every category of health.?

Sleep is no less important than eating and drinking. Without it, our bodies will deteriorate. Sometimes in ways we don’t notice, sometimes slowly and unrecognizable. That is how it was for me. Then one day, it becomes apparent that we are broken with a lot of fixing required.?

The average human needs seven to nine hours of sleep at night. There's always outliers. But as a whole we're all going to fall within seven and nine. If you need nine Don't be ashamed of that. If you're waking up every morning with just seven hours, don't worry about it. That's how you're wired right? But you need at least seven to nine hours asleep. Budget your time and energy around that.?

If you want to be a better spouse.

If you want to be a better parent or child.

If you want to be a better boss or employee.

If you want to be a better student.

If you want to be a better leader.

If you want to be a better athlete. If you want to be a better critical thinker.

If you want to enjoy your hobbies more.

If you want to improve all your relationships.

If you want your exercise to go further.

If you want to curb emotional eating.

If you want a better hold on your emotional resilience.

If you want to improve your mental health.

If you want to be better at creating.

If you want to be better at anything…

Get better sleep. I promise when you focus on better sleep, everything else gets better too.