Sleep, sleeeeeeeep . . .

Sleep is arguably one of the most important activities we do in terms of health and well being. Both our body and brain need sleep; our body repairs damage and replenishes used energy stores while our brain organizes and stores thoughts and other information from our waking hours. Yet many people neglect their sleep habits, operating under the premise of "sleep is for the weak" or "I'll sleep when I'm dead." People get poor sleep and wonder why they feel tired, have headaches and generally perform less well. Instead of assessing their sleep habits, many people turn to external sleep aids, such as drugs (Ambien, alcohol, etc.). For many who have years or decades of poor sleep habits, the negative effects of poor sleep might not even register as abnormal. Chronic sleep deprivation is a way of life for many. You may not put that much thought into sleeping, but we spend roughly 1/3 of our lives asleep. So don't you want it to be the best sleep possible?

You might be thinking, "I get plenty of sleep and feel fine." That may be true, but you may not be operating at 100%. Here are a few questions to ask yourself about the quality of your sleep;

1. What is my sleep environment? Do I fall asleep with the TV on? The lights? Music? These kind of noise and light producers activate part of the brain, telling your body that you should be awake. The result is a longer wait to fall asleep and less restful, less deep sleep. What's more, studies have shows that seeing a multitude of faces (i.e. TV) triggers a part of the brain that encourages social interaction, which discourages falling asleep and restful sleep. The fix? Remove the TV from your bedroom, black out your windows and turn all the lights off at least 30 minutes before going to bed. I turn all lights out before I brush my teeth, which gives me a few minutes of total dark before going to bed. If you like/need some noise to fall asleep, try a fan and/or a noise machine. Nothing like the sound of rain on a window to lull me to sleep.
2. What do I do before going to bed? Is my nightly routine stressful? Do I fall asleep every night on the sofa watching Sportscenter, only to wake up at 2:00 am and relocate to bed? Do I eat dinner right before bed? Any combination of these or other factors can make it harder to go to sleep, even if you feel tired. I try to taper my activity level down as my target bed time approaches. I also avoid eating a big dinner or a late dinner in favor of an afternoon snack and a small dinner at least 3 hours before going to sleep. I've also found that a cold shower before bed puts me out like a light (especially if it's hot).
3. When do I go to bed? Many people go to bed at varying hours throughout the week. Some people sacrifice sleep during the week, planning on playing catch up on the weekend. Your body doesn't work that way. You can't "play catch up" or "bank" sleep for later. What you're doing is essentially jet-lagging yourself on a weekly basis. Not good. I try to go to sleep at the same time every night, including weekends, to establish a strong circadian rhythm.
4. Do I count sheep? The age old remedy for restlessness is actually rooted in a meditation technique. Instead of counting sheep, I count my breaths. Each inhale/exhale counts as one. I rarely get to ten with out either falling asleep or letting my mind wander.

While you may feel like you get good sleep, I'd wager all of us can improve our sleep quality at least 1%. Being well-rested equals better performance in all aspects of your life. So examine your evening and bedtime habits. Maybe cut out the bedtime snack and definitely get that TV out! (When I stay in a hotel, I can never go to sleep because I can't help but have the TV on. It knocks at least 2 hours off a good night's sleep). Get to work constructing your cave of slumber and enjoy the benefits of deep, restful sleep.

Sleep tight,

Jack