How To Sleep: The Definitive Approach
In a world where human potential is encumbered by caffeinated sleep deprivation, habitual stress, and a crippling addiction to social media, sleep quality and total hours spent snoozing have taken a hit.
But what if there was a way to optimize and reduce the hours we sleep per night?
Introducing : The Sleep Cycle.
A sleep cycle lasts about 90 minutes and during that time we move through five stages of sleep.
Stage 1: Light Sleep
Stage 2: Breathing and Heart Rate Slow Down
Stage 3: Deep Sleep Begins
Stage 4: Very Deep Sleep
Stage 5: Rapid Eye Movement (most dreaming occurs here)
A good night’s sleep is composed of 4 to 6 of these 90 minute sleep cycles, with the time spent in each stage varying as the night progresses.
It is important to be mindful and focus on completing as many uninterrupted sleep cycles over the course of the night, since the farther along you are in your sleep cycle, the harder it is to get over that grogginess you sometimes feel when you first wake up (known in the sleep world as sleep inertia).
I like to use sleepyti.me to accurately assess how much sleep I need, by working backwards from the moment I plan on waking up.
Using the website above and setting 6:00 AM as the goal wake-up time, counting backwards in sleep cycles, will yield the following results:
- 9:00 PM
- 10:30 PM
- 12:00 AM
- 01:30 AM
Waking up in the middle of a sleep cycle leaves you feeling tired and groggy, but waking up between cycles wakes you up feeling refreshed and alert.
The average human takes fourteen minutes to fall asleep, so plan accordingly!
When the sun sets and bedtime is rapidly approaching, there must be a system in place to help the body wind down, relax, and get ready for sleep.
No screens an hour before bed.
Digital devices are designed to look like the sun, but when getting ready for bed, the last thing you should be doing is looking at a giant bright fireball.
F.lux changes the colors of your screen’s display to adapt to the time of day. Download it. Now.
Sleep in total darkness.
At night our bodies produce melatonin, which allows us to fall asleep, and stay asleep. We produce this hormone the most between 11 PM and 3 AM, and even the slightest ray of sunlight or artificial light interrupts the secretion of this important hormone.
Less melatonin in the blood causes fatigue, bad mood, anxiety, hormonal imbalance, poor concentration and many other problems.
Turn off all the lights, leave your devices face down, and get blackout curtains if you live in the city.
Limit water intake before bed.
Consuming large amounts of water before bed will force you to wake up many times during the night. Keep the majority of your water intake for the morning, to rehydrate after a good night’s rest.
Go to sleep and wake up at the same time everyday.
This goes without saying, make it a habit to get up at a certain time, and you will make it a habit of getting good sleep!
On Actually Waking Up
Now, how does one actually muster the strength to arise from eternal slumber?
Place your alarm clock/phone as far as possible from your bed.
Getting out of bed is 90% of the battle, this solves that.
“But Apex, I’m still sleepy, and the bed looks so warm!”
Put on your clothes, and jacket and go for a walk. The fresh air will wake you up, and this is a good time for planning your day/reflecting. Don’t think about it, don’t reason the pros and cons of stepping out in the cold. Don’t worry about waking up your other family members. Just go.
Plan your day.
Your mind is clearest and most productive in the mornings, use this time to plan for the long-term and work on any tasks you find difficult. If you work a 9–5 job, waking up at 6:00 AM to journal, exercise, work on a project, learn a new skill, the list goes on.
Implementing these tips will allow for better control over your sleep, which in turn will lead to better control over your day, and ultimately, total control over your life.