“You should be sleeping more.” How many times have people told you that?
Sleep is a funny thing however, because by sleeping more, you’re essentially living less, which means giving up the things that you enjoy the most doing. That’s why it’s so hard to convince people that the proverbial juice is worth the squeeze when it comes to getting shut-eye.
Plus, when you live with the amount of responsibilities that many of us do, we often are forced to sacrifice sleep to make sure we accomplish what we need to during the day & night. Although we often fail to realize it, sleep is the easiest high-performance drug we can access. Optimizing our sleep leads to more output which then leads to more free time. Sleep is the key to unlocking the biggest gains in productivity. But how can we get more of it without sacrificing other stuff we love?
Maybe, we should look at it differently and instead optimize the sleep we do get?
Don’t Sleep on Sleep
Our western culture glorifies sleep deprivation in a way that is not healthy. It shouldn’t be worn like a badge, rather a scar. Sleep is the prize after an exhausting day, not a boogeyman to run from.
A recent study found that the brain’s unique method of waste removal is highly active during sleep, clearing away toxins responsible for Alzheimer’s disease and other neurological disorders.
We’ve all experienced waking after just a few hours and feeling like our brain is exhausted. This isn’t a sign of strength, it’s a sign that we haven’t allowed our glymphatic system enough time to do its job. Our brains haven’t cleared the previous day’s waste.
The First Step is Easy, After that You’re on your Own…
The first step toward scientifically optimizing the perfect sleep routine? Make time for sleep, and make time for good sleep. Simple stuff can make a big difference such as:
- Good quality blinds and curtains
- Fans in your room for white noise and heat reduction
- Leaving your phone in another room (this is probably the most important tip)
- Carve out sufficient time, meaning shutting down Netflix 1 episode before you want to
Deep Sleep is Key Sleep
To perform at high levels every day, you need significant amounts of rapid eye movement (REM) sleep, also known as dream sleep. REM sleep is when your body totally relaxes, your brain becomes very unresponsive to external stimuli, and your brain waves become much slower. This isn’t the kind of sleep that occurs in catnaps. To achieve this level of sleep for long periods, try avoiding electronics and calming your brain down before lying down.
Pay Attention to your Body’s Clock
Your circadian rhythm is your body’s internal clock, dictating when you wake and when you sleep. In order to optimize your sleep, you need to learn to work in conjunction with, not against, your circadian rhythm. There are three important factors that drive your circadian rhythm:
- Time
- Light
All 3 of these factors can greatly lengthen or shorten your sleep, as well as improve it or ruin it. In days gone by, natural light was a concern, but nowadays the worry is always artificial. That’s probably the most dangerous light source to avoid around bed time. To optimize our sleep, we need to dramatically cut down on our light exposure at night.
Melatonin and time are much simpler. They work together, as when the time comes melatonin needs to be produced in your body for you toe sleep well. Many of our practices disrupt the production of melatonin, with one of the most common being caffeine consumption.
Try some of these to really bump your sleep to the next level!
- Try to keep your bedroom at 16 degrees at night for optimal sleep.
- Meditate!
- Ban screens from the bedroom
The best contribution you can make to the world is yourself. No one else can do what you do or can offer what you offer. If you fail to sleep sufficiently, you deprive yourself and the world. You are an asset, and as with any asset, you must be protected to truly thrive!
For more information, reach out to us at aidanm@restwell.com. We look forward to hearing from you!
Pure Energy Sleep System™ mattresses are manufactured in Canada by Restwell Sleep Products. Founded in 1990, Restwell Sleep Products is a manufacturer of mattresses and box springs with two factories in Canada. The Restwell brand is known for quality, value, and comfort, and we take pride in the fact that our mattresses are Canadian made, with high quality standards and attention to detail.
