More years in good health, part 6: sleep more rather than less

The average human spends 1/3 of their life sleeping.

Are you getting enough sleep? Why should you? What can you do about it?

If there was one secret to living a longer, healthier life, it would be spending a larger proportion of our days enjoying high quality sleep. Don’t believe what you read in the news about the high performing CEOs who trade their sleep for extra hours of productivity; they succeed in spite of sleep deprivation, not because of it.

The equation for sleep performance is simple: quality (how restorative our sleep is) x quantity (how long we spend asleep). One factor can to some degree compensate for the absence of the other. However, in an ideal world, we optimise for both. This piece covers practical tips on how to do just that.

Before we dive into tangible tips, I want to reiterate some key concepts surrounding sleep and to introduce the fascinating concept of “revenge procrastination” (source unclear).

To understand how we sleep, we must understand these key concepts:

• The optimal window for sleep is most commonly between 6 and 8 hours. Some people need more, others need less. This will also vary depending on age.
• As we sleep, our body cycles through stages from a lighter to a deeper sleep. Our bodies cycle through these stages throughout the night. Every stage plays a different role in restoring us.
• REM/lighter sleep is mentally regenerative. It consolidates shorter-term memories into longer-term memories, and gives us an opportunity to emotionally process our day.
• Deep/slow wave sleep is physically restorative owing to the higher rate of production of human growth hormone (HGH). HGH promotes muscle repair following physical exertion.

‘Revenge procrastination’ describes the inclination to delay/postpone activities that are inherently good for us, and which we are in full control of, to protest other activities which we are frustrated by and not in total control of. People commonly protest an unsatisfying job and other external stressors. Applied to sleep, this might look like a disillusioned business executive, stuck in an unfulfilling, yet demanding job, who decides to remain awake late into the night in pursuit of a thrill/autonomy that is absent from most of their waking hours. Albeit understandable, sleep-deprivation is clearly a counterproductive, ill-advised behavioural tendency that erodes quality of life and health. The first step to getting on track is to recognise these tendencies in your own decision making and to reflect on how realistic an evolution is.

How to boost sleep quality

1. Low room temperature. Colder environments are proven to promote deep sleep and enhance melatonin production (our sleep promoting hormone).
2. Dark room. Invest in blackout blinds or eye masks to reduce your exposure to light. Exposure to light when you’re trying to sleep confuses your circadian rhythm, the body’s 24-hour internal clock that regulates sleep patterns.
3. No food or strenuous exercise 2 hours prior to sleeping. As with anything that stimulates our body, it is unlikely to promote sleep. Food can boost metabolic activity that can intervene with our body’s natural wind down rhythms.
4. Sleep at consistent times. Consider sleeping and waking at similar times each day (have fun on the weekend but minimise large deviations). Your body can function more efficiently on a regular schedule.
5. Leave your phone at the door (as far as possible). “Blue light” emitted from electronic screens interferes with the body’s natural production of melatonin (the hormone that makes us sleepy). Blue light blocking lenses can help here also.

How to boost sleep quantity

1. Form a sleep pact. Partners can be a source of sleep disruption. When you combine two people’s inclination to practice ‘revenge procrastination’ you can often find yourself skipping on critical sleep hours to comfort a loved one. I'm not suggesting being unsupportive of your partner’s workday stress, but I encourage you to agree on the importance of sleep.
2. Extreme temperature exposure. In days where a good night’s sleep is non-negotiable, do your best to practice a cold (cold water dipping or cold showers) or heat (steam/sauna or jacuzzi) protocol. Extreme temperatures induce your body to expend significant energy to regulate your core body temperature. This can induce a sensation of calmness and boost sleepiness.
3. Practice breathing protocols. Practicing breathing exercises (box breathing, cyclic sighs) to wind down from a busy day or to fall back asleep after involuntary wake ups. If you cannot fall asleep after waking involuntarily, try reading in another room until sleepiness strikes again.
4. Make your bedroom a sleep sanctuary. Do not confuse downtime for sleep time. Commit to sleeping when you are in your bedroom and have a mechanism to roughly track the amount of time you spend sleeping (wearables, alarms, journals). Invest in candles, playlists, or white noise machines that accelerate the process of falling asleep. ?
5. Sunlight exposure early in the day. Amongst other things, sunlight sets into motion our body’s natural clocks, and inspires the release of melatonin (our sleep hormone) later in the day.

I hope these tips provide some value and direction. I am conscious that sleep, like nutrition can be one of those things people fret about not doing appropriately, or sufficiently. Oftentimes, lengthy prescriptions can feel intimidating and amp up our anxieties, thereby reduce sleep performance.

My parting thought is only that you take onboard as much as you can. If nothing else, remember to spend more time in bed rather than less. Whilst more hours in bed does not necessarily equate to higher quality sleep, it certainly boosts the odds of recuperating effectively.

#ageingpopulation #livinghealthy #sleephealth #caregiversupport