Serving up Sleep [Self-Love Letter]
Hi Byte Wellness Fam!
How are you feeling?
I feel like I need a nap.
LOL, but for real: I could go back to sleep right this moment.
In fact, I just made a silent pact with myself to close my eyes for at least 20 minutes after I finish writing this letter to you. It’s easier for me to justify napping after our #PhyteWellWednesday conversation this week, when Dr. Bridgette explained how important it is to listen to our bodies when they tell us to sleep- if only for a 15-minute nap.
When we talk about getting enough sleep, we’re talking quality AND quantity.
How do we know if we’ve have high-quality sleep?
Feeling sleepy (not well-rested) when we awaken is one way to know that sleep didn’t do it’s job.
How do we know if we’ve had a good quantity of sleep?
The CDC recommends adults get at least 7 hours of high-quality sleep in one sitting.
But sleep needs vary from person to person. Some folks who are short sleepers might feel well-rested after fewer than 7 hours of sleep. But, consistently sleeping fewer than 6 hours might pose a health problem (even if we feel fine in the morning).
Make sure to watch the recording below to see whether you’re sleeping enough and to hear Dr. Bridgette’s explanation for yourself. If you’re not getting invites to the weekly #PWW Workshops, you can join the Daily Wellness Text Thread by texting TEXT to 1(866)717-1919.
Sleep is Our Power-Wash
Dr. Bridgette explained how length of sleep is important for brain maintenance (in addition to the health benefits we see in the body).
Here’s how it works. During sleep, we cycle through 5 different stages multiple times per night. Most of our regeneration happens during the REM stage. But, we don’t spend much time in this stage in the first half of the night. Most of the regeneration happens in the middle and last half of our sleep.
That’s when the brain goes through a “power wash” to remove waste (like tau proteins that eventually form neurofibrillary tangles). That waste can increase our chances of developing dementia (think Alzheimer’s) if it builds up on a consistent basis.
So what’s the magic number for how much sleep is needed to get through the brain’s power wash and to lower the risk of physical chronic diseases like heart disease and stroke? 6 hours.
How many of us get at least 6 hours of sleep every night AND feel well-rested in the morning?
If you answered “not me” to that question, make sure to scroll down and ponder the discussion question for a bit more insight into why you’re not sleeping longer or feeling better rested.
Discussion Question
Discussion Question:
Think about how much priority you place on sleep. How do your habits help you make sleep a priority? How do they hurt?
Sleep Hygiene Checklist
Some of us do get enough high-quality sleep, and some of us are still working on it. I’m in that latter group because I have a hard time shutting down work and/or family time in order to make space sleep.
Which of these reasons for not getting good enough sleep applies to you?
We don’t think we need to sleep
We know sleep is important, but we don’t make time or space for sleep
We know sleep is important, and we make time and space for sleep, but for some reason, it isn’t restful.
We addressed the first reason for poor sleep last week. That’s mindset. And we’ll address the last reason next week. Those are medical issues.
This week, we focused on the second reason for not getting good enough sleep: habits
Sleep hygiene principles are a group of sleep habits we can use to set ourselves up for good sleep.
Here are the basics:
1) Train your brain. Save the bedroom for sleep and sex. That means: no TV, exercising, etc in bedroom.
2) Be strategic with substances. Avoid alcohol and nicotine within 4-6 hours before bed to avoid sleep disruptions. Limit caffeine within 6-8 hours of bedtime.
3) Get Regular. Follow a bedtime ritual (tea, journaling, etc) to wind down for bed at the same time every day.
* Also, Keep In Touch. Talk with your healthcare provider to troubleshoot your sleep problems
Scheduling Sleep
Check out the image above for a checklist of sleep hygiene principles. If this checklist seems too ambitious for you, here’s a super simple place to start: schedule sleep.
Here’s what scheduling sleep looks like:
1) Use your calendar (phone or paper) and find your 7-9 hour sleep period and block it out.
2) Then, add a half hour before your sleep time and a half hour after. Block out that sleep prep window.
3) Then set your alarm for whenever the sleep prep window starts.
For example: If your sleep window is from 10pm-6am (8 hours), then your sleep prep alarm should go off at 9:30pm.
That’s your cue to shut down the TV, work, chores, kids.
That’s when you get the house (and yourself) prepared for sleep.
**Here’s the tricky part. Once you block out your sleep window, don’t schedule ANYTHING during your sleep and sleep prep window. Work isn’t allowed. Chores aren’t allowed. That 9:30pm-6:30 am period is your hallowed sleep time.
After all, if we don’t carve out time to take care of ourselves (and protect it fiercely) who else will?
Are you practicing any of the sleep habits on the sleep hygiene checklist? Any that you’re can add to your sleep routine? Would love to hear what does and doesn’t work for you.
Happy Healthy Living,
Dr. Wuse