There's too many people out there who don't actually know how performance is linked with sleep. We live in a society that tends to think of sleeping eight full hours a night as a luxury, rather than an absolute necessity for performing at our best—and that is simply a mistake. Here's what you need to know about how to optimize your sleep to maximize performance.
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Is sleep actually that important for performance?
Let's get one thing crystal clear first. All too often, people believe that they can get away with sleeping just a few hours every night and still perform at optimal (or near-optimal) levels. Heck, many employers and other members of society actually applaud those who are willing to sacrifice sleep in order to get things done. But, as it turns out, that's one of the worst things you could possibly do—one which will certainly come back to bite you in the butt and take its toll before long.
Sleep is important for both body and mind. Your brain needs sleep to recover and allow its glymphatic system to clear the previous day's waste. According to a study by the University of Rochester, for example:
"the brain’s unique method of waste removal – dubbed the glymphatic system – is highly active during sleep, clearing away toxins responsible for Alzheimer’s disease and other neurological disorders. Furthermore, the researchers found that during sleep the brain’s cells reduce in size, allowing waste to be removed more effectively."
Sleep is alsokey in keeping your metabolic system functioning as it should. Lack of sleep means fewer calories burned and far more muscle loss, and it can eventually lead to serious metabolic conditions. Our whole body is basically "designed" to sleep. The more nights you spend sleeping fewer than 8 hours, the more cognitive decline increases and the faster you might end up suffering from brain-related issues such as dementia or Alzheimer's. So, we should stop idolizing sleepless nights as productive: they're outright dangerous. Definitely nothing to be proud about.
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There's strong evidence that pretty much all of us need at least a good eight hours' sleep. Anything less than that will immediately affect your cognition and your overall performance—even if you don't notice it. In fact, most people are seriously unaware how sleep deprivation (even just getting 6 hours per night) affects them.They don't feel it, they convince themselves that they're one of those lucky ones who can actually get away with sleeping 6 hours. But that's almost certainly not the case.
As a matter of fact, only around 1% of the population can actually function well with only 4 or 6 hours of sleep. It's very unlikely you're among that 1%, and far more probable that you're simply not aware of your performance deficit. But it's there: and it's probably accumulating. In other words, even if you think you're working properly by sleeping only a few hours per night, odds are you're far below your actual performance levels.If you get into the habit of sleeping 8 hours every night, you'll likely see the difference.
But beside the amount of hours you spend sleeping every night, there's other things you can do to optimize your time in bed. It's not only about quantity; it's also about quality. Here are some important tips to consider.
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Turn the lights off
Obvious, right? But not quite. Most people don't really know why it's difficult for us to sleep with the lights on—or what kinds of light makes it all worse. Remember we come from a long, long line (in fact, millions-of-years kind of long line) of animals that adapted their bodies around the day-night cycle, with everything that implies. Corresponding that is our very own sleep cycle, which is regulated by what is known as the circadian rhythm—a kind of biological clock built into our whole bodies. And the circadian rhythm uses, among other things, light cues to understand what's happening around us.
As you might imagine, daylight keeps us up, while darkness (or faint moonlight) tells our body it's time to sleep. That worked well for millions of generations before us—until artificial light entered the picture. Now, we have lightbulbs, electricity, screens and monitors all around. We use our cellphones or watch TV even (perhaps especially) at night, and that throws our circadian rhythm off balance.Our bodies interpret all this light input as a signal that the day is still going, which keeps us up.
That's why reading on your smartphone or keeping the TV on at night is so bad for you. You won't really get a good night's rest as long as that amount of light—particularly blue light—is present. If you, for some reason, absolutely must use a screen during nighttime, make sure to at least turn its blue light filter on, or wear glasses equipped with such a filter. Otherwise, simply turn any source of blue light off at least one hour before bedtime. This will help keep your circadian rhythm balanced.
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Keep your room free of electronics
As a matter of fact, keeping your entire bedroom free of electronics would be the way to go. You see, electronic devices send all kinds of signals even when turned off, and might interfere with your body's natural processes, preventing you to fully rest.
One of the most important things about sleeping optimally is reaching all the relevant sleep stages. The Rapid Eye Movement phase (or REM sleep), that period where you dream, is crucial, as well as the deep sleep stage.Both these stages are not something you achieve during a quick power nap, and keeping electronics around can potentially threaten your ability to properly reach them.
While some small devices might have a negligible effect, it's always better to be safe than sorry.
Stop it with the caffeine
Caffeine disrupts your body's production of melatonin, which is key to your circadian rhythm. The closer you get to bed time, the more melatonin your body will produce. Unless you drink coffee, that is.
Keep your whole afternoon free of caffeine so your body can increasingly generate this crucial substance throughout. That means no coffee or any other source of caffeine after 2pm.
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Stick to a nighttime routine
We're all creatures of habit, one way or another, and our bodies benefit from setting routines that can inform it what to do and when to do it. Thus, keeping to a nighttime routine can prove pivotal, especially if you suffer from insomnia. This routine should involve allowing your body to slowly prepare for sleeping as you decrease your physical and mental activity, and minimize your light input and any other distractions that might suddenly activate your brain.
For example, you could set a specific time to wash your face and teeth, after which you can play some relaxing meditation music and/or nature sounds as you lie down, take deep breaths, and slowly drift off to dreamland. Eating lettuce or drinking herbal tea about an hour before bed could also help you relax enough to make this process easier.
Meditate
If you're one of those people who struggle with constantly intrusive thoughts, a.k.a. overthinking, you might have trouble sleeping as well. Learning how to meditate can greatly help with this, as meditation is all about letting go of obsessive thoughts and focusing on the present moment: a key ability for sleeping well.
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Regardless of whether you're an obsessive thinker or not, meditation can always help you get into the right mood for bed, easing stress and anxiety and leaving your whole mind and body focused on just the one activity that matters at that point: sleeping.
There are many other tips to consider for a perfect night's sleep. For example, you should never, ever snooze, as that might also throw your whole brain off balance by making it begin a new sleep cycle which you'll abruptly interrupt, leaving you feeling even more tired than before. Also, if you're able to get into the habit of waking up naturally rather than with an alarm, the better for you, as you'll ensure your cycle is complete—with your body actually ready to wake up rather than being forced to do so.
Now you have an idea about the kind of things you should do if you want to perform at your best every day.And remember, sleeping should never be thought of as a luxury. It's an essential need both for performance and overall health. If there's only one thing you should get out of this article, this should be it.
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