Why sleep is the #1 health pillar and how you can get more of it!
“Sleep is the tide that raises all the other health boats.”
Sleep…it’s the elixir of life. If you don’t eat well or exercise tomorrow, it’s unlikely to have a significant impact on your performance. But if you sleep poorly tonight, the research* shows your performance will be significantly impinged the next day.
Sleep is one of the most fundamental and critical behaviours we do as humans, so why don’t more people prioritise it?
This article aims to give readers, like you, the latest research on sleep, surprising sleep facts and 6 powerful hacks to improve the quality and quantity of your sleep. But first, I’d like to tell you my experience of sleep deprivation and the life lessons that I’ve taken from it.
How my most valuable asset became my greatest challenge
As a high-performing athlete, sleep was at the top of my agenda. For as long as I can remember, I have prioritised sleep, understood its value, and used it as a resource to optimise my performance. However, at the end of 2021 and the start of 2022, everything changed.
In close succession, three life-changing events occurred, which led to my gradual sleep decline. I developed a physical injury which resulted in chest pain whenever I lay down. I contracted Covid which had a huge impact on my levels of fatigue. And I was battling emotional turmoil after an upsetting health diagnosis of a family member.
The culmination of these three life events triggered a perfect physical and emotional storm that led to severe insomnia for 6-8 weeks.
As a self-mastery and whole leadership strategist, I have an array of tools in my wellbeing kit. But the strategies I learnt over my life didn’t seem to work in this instance. I was lost.
It was then that my greatest lesson was revealed. I turned to others for help. With the assistance of physios, medical professionals and even a sleep doctor, my sleep slowly improved, and I returned to full health. This experience taught me two vital life lessons.
There are times when you can’t do it alone. You need others to survive and thrive.
Sleep is one of, if not the most fundamental pillar of health, and should be prioritised in life.
Through the experience of sleep deprivation, I’ve become fascinated with the science of sleep, and how I (and others) can sleep well each night.
Read on to discover the latest sleep research, insights, and hacks from one of the world’s most prominent sleep researchers.
Surprising sleep facts from the world’s #1 sleep expert
Matthew Walker is a neuroscientist, best selling author and world-leading researcher in sleep science. He’s on a mission to address today’s global sleep epidemic, driven by our modern world.
Here are some quick sleep facts that my surprise you:
Sleep is essential at the basic biological level and has a range of primal health benefits such as blood-sugar and hormone regulation, memory fixation, anxiety de-escalation just to name a few*
The shorter you sleep at night over a long period of time, the shorter your life*
People who sleep 6 hours or less, have unchecked insomnia, or long-term sleep aponia, are more likely to develop Alzheimer’s Disease*
Under slept individuals eat 300-400 extra calories at each meal and crave more bread, pasta, sweets, chocolate and salty food, increasing their likelihood of obesity*
One third* of all couples cite sleep difficulties as a contributing factor to their break-up due to a mismatch in chronotype (e.g. morning or evening type)
Insufficient sleep costs most nations around $11 billion* in lost productivity annually or approximately 2% of their GDP
One third* of most modern civilisations are failing to get the recommended nightly allocation of 7-9 hours of sleep per night
Insufficient sleep is the precursor to suicide*
Sleep is the single most effective thing you can do for your brain and body health*.
The business of sleep
We wear sleep deprivation as a badge of honour in the workplace. This is fuelled by the mentality that less sleep equals more productivity. This is simply not true.
A lack of sleep is severely detrimental for both the individual’s health and organisation’s bottom-line. According to Matt Walker, under slept employees:
Take 11 more sick days throughout the year
Have more health problems including increased rates of cardiovascular disease, obesity, diabetes and mental health conditions
Choose less challenging work problems, and of the problems they do take on, they will produce fewer creative solutions
Slack-off more in teams (social loafing) and ride on the coattails of other employees leading to cultural issues
Are more deviant, with an increased likelihood to fudge data or falsely claim inappropriate reimbursement.
So, if sleep is such a critical element in the effective functioning of our modern society, why aren’t we talking more about sleep and the great sleep depression that’s running rife? And why aren’t organisations helping their employees to increase their sleep instead of depriving them with long-hours, high-stress workplaces, and unachievable expectations?
The answer…because until now, the business case for sleep hasn’t been clearly articulated. So, let’s say it plainly. Research* shows that well slept employees are more productive, resulting in a significant increase in business revenue and profitability.
I encourage you to promote sleep as a key workplace message and inspire your employees to prioritise it in their life.
6 life-changing sleep hacks you wish you’d known earlier
How can we increase quality shut eye to lead happier and healthier lives? These sleep hacks will have you snoozing in no time!
Sleep hack #1: Can’t sleep? Get up, meditate, listen to a sleep story, take a mental walk, accept your reality and remove all clock faces from your room
We’ve all had nights where we lie in bed, wide awake. Matt Walker has five powerful strategies to help you sleep on those difficult nights.
After 30 minutes of feeling wide awake, get up and do something else (e.g. listen to a podcast, meditate, stretch, read etc. No television or phone scrolling is permitted). Only return to your bed when you’re feeling sleepy. By doing so, you can break any associations that your brain has about your bed and time awake.
Consider meditating or listening to a sleep story (either in bed or out). Check out Calm’s range of sleep stories here. Sleep stories help the mind to focus on something different, allowing sleep to come back naturally.
Take yourself on a guided mental walk. Close your eyes and think about a beautiful stroll that you’ve recently taken. The key is to vividly imagine the experience in great detail, rousing all of your senses. Research* shows that a mental walk can help people fall asleep in 50% less time, and that counting sheep never works!
If you’re struggling to sleep, simply accept that you won’t get much shuteye, and focus on rest instead. When we stop focussing on trying to get to sleep, and accept that it may not happen, the pressure is suddenly lifted. The brain is more relaxed, you’re less anxious, and sleep can happen more easily.
Remove all clock faces from the room. There is no benefit in watching time tick away. It just promotes anxiety which is the enemy of sleep.
Takeaway: Try these five sleep hacks the next time you’re struggling to sleep – get up, meditate, listen to a sleep story, take a mental walk, accept your reality, remove all clock faces from your room - and see which strategy works best for you!
Sleep hack #2: Know when to drink coffee and consider decaf as an alternative to the real thing
There are four reasons why caffeine may be affecting your sleep.
For most people, caffeine stays in your system for a long time. It has a half-life of 5-6 hours and a ¼ life of 10-12 hours. So, if you have a coffee at 12 noon, ¼ of the caffeine is still in your system at midnight, making it more difficult for you to sleep.
Caffeine is a stimulant and makes you more alert and awake. This occurs when caffeine latches onto your sleep receptors and masks them. You are, in fact, feeling more and more tired, but the caffeine blocks the signal of sleepiness. When it eventually wears off, you get hit with a tsunami of lethargy – the ‘caffeine crash’.
Caffeine can create anxiety which is one of the greatest enemies of sleep. Caffeine can amp up your system causing the ‘tired and wired’ phenomenon.
Caffeine can block deep REM sleep by 15-30% which is essential to regulate cardiovascular health and cleanse brain and metabolic toxins, especially those related to Alzheimer’s Disease. Over a long period of time, this can be problematic.
However, there are undeniable health benefits to coffee. The humble coffee bean contains a whopping dose of antioxidants, which is fantastic for your health. Decaffeinated coffee also has the same dose of antioxidants and the same health benefits. Best of all, it won’t hurt your sleep.
Takeaway: With coffee, dose and timing make the poison. Consider limiting coffee to 2-3 cups per day, preferably in the morning. Alternatively, switch to decaf and enjoy your coffee anytime!
Sleep hack #3: Napping can be your superpower (but not for too long)
Research* shows that napping promotes wonderful health benefits including improved cardiovascular function, lower blood pressure and improved learning and memory.
However, napping comes with a caveat. According to sleep expert, Matt Walker, limit your nap to no more than 20-minutes at a time. At this duration, you’ll receive health benefits, but any longer (e.g. an hour) can put you into deeper sleep stages, including REM sleep. This can make you feel groggy and potentially worse upon waking.
Matt also recommends that you don’t nap after 3pm in the afternoon, and if you struggle with sleep at night, cut out naps altogether.
Takeaway: Short 20-minute naps have excellent brain and body benefits. Try a short nap to boost your learning, memory and performance during the day.
Sleep hack #4: Keep regular sleeping patterns and ensure your room is dark and cool
According to Matt Walker, the brain likes regularity, especially when it comes to sleep. If you go to bed at the same time, and wake up at the same time, the quality and quantity of sleep will improve over time.
Furthermore, a cooler ambient room temperature (around 18-19 degrees Celsius) promotes better sleep, as does dim light. Low lighting can be a strong behavioural trigger, signalling to the brain that it’s time for sleep.
Takeaway: Consider dimming the lights in your home in the last hour before bed and ensure your room temperature is fairly cool (18-19 degrees C). You can still use a hot water bottle or electric blanket if you’re so inclined.
Sleep hack #5: Don’t use any devices before bed
Research shows that blue light from screens has an impact on your sleep. Not only does reading or scrolling on a phone or iPad significantly delay your sleep time, but it reduces the total quantity of your sleep, decreases deep REM sleep, and diminishes the sleep hormone melatonin.
But it’s not just the blue light that’s the problem. Devices, including television, are designed to capture our attention and stimulate the brain making sleep more difficult.
Takeaway: Don’t watch TV or use devices for at least an hour before bed – not even on dark mode.
Sleep hack #6: Consider a sleep divorce to get a better night’s shuteye
Couples who have a different sleep chronotype (e.g. being a night or morning person) usually sleep worse in the same bed together. A sleep divorce – or sleeping in different locations – can significantly assist with quality sleep as well as improved intimacy, communication and rapport.
Takeaway: Explore sleeping in different locations for a week to 10-days and see whether your sleep and relationship dynamic improves.
Are you ready for more leadership, wellbeing and performance insights? I’d love to share my knowledge with you. Contact me here.
*The Diary of a CEO with Steven Bartlett. Episode #228: Matthew Walker: The World’s No.1 Sleep Expert.