Sleep To-Do Basics

As profiled in our post Why Sleep Matters, good sleep is about QQRT per our favorite sleep guru Matt Walker:

QUANITY (Q) 7-8 hours per night for most people (9 for some, a less less for some)

QUALITY (Q) Minimal short disruptions (wakeups; some natural as we hit mid-life)

ROUTINE (R) Go to bed and get up at the same time (+/- 30 minutes, even weekends)

TIMING (T) Aligned with personal Circadian Rhythm (day/night cycle)

If you're already locked in, congratulations! It's not easy in our modern world of 24*7 demands on our time made possible with 24*7 light - which also messes with our natural Circadian Rhythm.

The Good News: QQRT perfection not required. Any improvement on any of these metrics can have a significant positive impact on your immediate and long term well being.  

#1 Sleep Cave - Dark, Cool Room

Turn your sleeping area into a sleep cave!

• Dark: consider black out blinds, covering electrical lights with black stickies, or an eye-mask if needed.

• Cool: ~18C / 64F ambient room temperature (Automate thermostat; help cool our body temp for falling into deep sleep and getting a deeper, more restorative sleep)

Tip from Matt Walker:  Warm up to cool down. The body glow after a warm bath or hot shower is the heat trying to leave our body - it's pulling heat from the core out, effectively cooling our core body temperature.    

#2 Regular Bedtime Preparation

• Calculate time needed in bed to reach your Quantity goal: ex. 7.5 hours + 1/2 hour for wakeups/time to fall asleep.

• Flip the alarm! Set an alarm to prepare for bed!

• Plan to Relax & Decompress 30-60 minutes before bedtime (Warm shower, read, meditate, quiet music, journal...)

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#3 AM Timing Considerations for Quality Sleep

• 10-30 minutes exposure to AM outdoor light

  • within 1 hour of waking up

  • 10-15 minutes (bright sun)

  • 15-30 minutes (cloudy days).

  • Sets your master brain clock which set's the next 24 hour schedule for your body clocks (cells, organs, processes)

  • Example: sets timing for melatonin release to initiate sleep later in the day.

  • Indoor Work-arounds if dark and/or cannot get outside:

    • 10k Lux SAD lights on counter or desk,

    • Max out bright lights

    • Sit close to big window

• Regular breakfast time

  • Next best lever can pull to help set our master brain clock.

  • Help offset regular am light timing challenges like those with jet lag or shift work .

#4 PM Timing Cut-offs for Quality Sleep

Experiment. Everyone will have different levels of need based on genetic pre-disposition or life realities. Perfection not required!

• 1 Hour: Minimize Bright Light Exposure

  • Avoid body clock resets and chemical/hormonal signals dysregulation.

  • Example: Telling the body to stop producing melatonin which triggers sleep.

• 1.5 hours - No Stimulating Exercise

  • For time to lower both heart rate and core body temperature.

  • Required to fall into quality deep non-REM (Slow wave) sleep.

    *Consensual sex proven be OK - this stimulation NOT disruptive but positive!

• 2 to 4 hours - No Food or Drinks to Trigger Digestion

  • Need 2-4 hours to digest your food

  • Digestion hijacks pre-programmed rest & repair schedule

  • Lose time to complete restorative processes scheduled for the early hours of sleep

• 4 to 8 hours - No Alcohol

  • Time to metabolize and clear your system of alcohol.

  • Protect the restorative (depth/electrical) quality of deep slow wave sleep.

  • Stay asleep (wake-ups due to alcohol often not remembered; disrupt REM sleep)

• 8 to 12 hours - No Caffeine 

  • Time to metabolize and clear your system of caffeine

  • Ability to both fall asleep and stay asleep.

Want to understand more about how your sleep works so you can better tailor what's possible in the realities of your life? Check out our Sleep Playbook Portal.

Wishing you well,

Janice

PS. If these basics aren't working for you and/or you have insomnia, consider contacting a certified Cognitive Behavior Therapy for Insomnia (CBT-I) care professional or asking your family doctor for a recommendation.