Sleep, Rest and Recovery - The Other Side of The Equation
Everywhere you look it seems that someone is giving out advice on how to perform better, be more productive, go further, get faster, do this but not that, so on and so on. In all of our efforts to do more in less time, it seems that we have forgotten one of the most important factors for our performance; sleep.
There are still many social media influencers who brag about how much work they do, and how they do it all on very little, if any sleep. Many people listen to this, see a person they wish to emulate and think to themselves "Well if I just sleep less and do more while I'm awake, then surely I'll be great." But is this really the answer? At what point does all this "doing" become our "undoing"?
Answer: We're tired.
Most of us see sleep as "lost time", something we do because we have to, and not something that is of the utmost importance to our overall health and wellbeing. I'm sure everyone reading this can relate to just how terrible a day can be following a night of lost or interrupted sleep. The next day you have trouble thinking, your patience is almost non-existent. Your temper might flare more easily. You'll have less desire to do the things you know you should be doing. Fast foods and take out seem like a much better option than spending more energy fixing a wholesome, nutritious meal that will fuel your body properly. Job performance goes way down. You'll be more apt to veg out in front of a screen, neglect your household duties, or even interact with those around you in a genuine way . Beyond that, you'll spend the entire day just feeling tired; and that sucks. I mean seriously sucks. In short, your life becomes a shadow of what it can be.
Why is sleep so important? Even now in 2021, scientists still aren't completely sure why most biological lifeforms need to sleep but we do know a few things. During sleep your mind does a "cleanup". This is where events from the day are processed; sometimes resulting in dreams that mirror the events from waking life. Certain concepts and ideas are integrated, providing clarity or a sense of understanding. Other things are forgotten, thrown into the recycling bin of your mind and cleared out. The body during sleep does a whole host of marvellous things as well. Your digestive system is given a chance to fully process the foods you've eaten without being hampered by having to divert energy to moving and thinking. Muscles that you've wrecked during that day's workout are given an opportunity to heal, build and store energy. Toxins and other hazardous elements are processed and sent to their proper detox zones for removal (think sweat, urine, feces). I get it though. There are only 24 hours in a day and you need 28 of them just to stay on top of life's demands. When it's 8:30pm and you're exhausted but still haven't had a second to yourself, that episode of The Mandalorian seems much more appealing than simply vanishing into a black hole of nothingness for a few hours. But I'm going to tell you why you shouldn't fight that urge telling you to shut down. Because the signal is there for a reason. You need to sleep.
It's that simple.
Now I'm no sleep expert, but I did bring myself back from the brink of suicide because of a tangle with chronic fatigue syndrome that left me going through life like an extra in The Walking Dead, except I didn't go around biting other people- except when they asked me to. Below you will find a list of very useful tips on how to prime your body for an awesome night's sleep, and hopefully wake up the next day ready to pursue your version of excellence.
Power down your electronics and household lights a minimum of 1 hour before bedtime. That blue light frying your retinas is keeping you awake by telling your body that it's still day time. Humans, like Blade, are day walkers and night sleepers. Those lights delay the production of melatonin, the chemical compound that makes your body wind down and actually fall asleep. Not only that, but those screens are keeping your brain active even when your body isn't moving, as well as filling your mind with more things that will need to be processed before you can rest deeply.
Limit exposure to emotionally stirring news, especially right before bed. That bout of anxiety you get every time you hear about another Covid case or what Donald Trump said on Twitter, yea, that's elevating your heart rate, turning the wheels of your mind and keeping you awake longer as your body gets a flood of stress hormones designed to keep you awake until you're safe. If you don't know how to turn off your thoughts, skip the news for a bit. Let the world churn on until a few hours after you wake up
Change your body temperature. For some strange reason, our bodies get primed to sleep by sudden changes in temperature. Many experts recommend keeping your room cool, taking a cold or hot shower/ bath, or anything that creates a sudden change in temperature for yourself. Dress warmly, or strip of all your clothes and go Commando. Oohrah.
Keep your room as dark as possible. Even the glow from your alarm clock or light from the street lamp can penetrate your eyelids and signal your brain that it's day time, thus keeping you up. Remember, when human beings magically appeared on earth, there weren't (as far as we know) lights on 24/7. Blackout curtains are magical, especially on weekends when you need the extra sleep. Pointing your alarm clock away from your face or turning it face down is another great option.
Keep your phone out of your room. It’s not only FOMO. The signals constantly emitted from your phone have been shown to disrupt brain patterns and keep you from getting into deep sleep states. We won't even talk about what happens when your client decides that 2:30am is the ideal time to send a text and you decide that 2:31am is the best time to respond.
Find time to reflect on your day's events before you sleep. For some this can be as simple as journalling, talking to someone, or simply going through your day in your mind to see just how you did for the day. If you're the type of person who lays down super tired, only to be suddenly wired when your mind explodes with mental checklists and worries, this one's for you. Get it done early, and watch as your mind quiets down.
Limit water intake before bed. Waking up 5 times a night to pee is probably a good sign you drink too much water before bed. But hey, at least you're hydrated...right?
Go to bed early. Seems like a simple no-brainer, but this one requires the utmost discipline. You have to make sleep a priority in your life and know just what isn't as important. When you go to bed early and wake up feeling like you could wrestle the Kraken (and win), you'll have found your sweet spot.
Sleep well my friends, and may your dreams be full of awesome adventures.