Let’s Make Sleep Cool Again!

I was listening to the book “Why We Sleep” by Matthew Walker, PhD and he commented on how strange it would be to describe the process of sleep if he were describing it to a new parent. “From this moment forth, and for the rest of your child’s entire life, he will repeatedly and routinely lapse into a state of apparent coma. It might even resemble death at times.” Have you ever looked at sleep like that? I know I haven’t but it made me chuckle when I heard it. When you sleep well, that is what it looks like. He goes on to talk about how his research is about why we even need sleep. I highly recommend his book…either on Audible or in paper copy. Here is a Ted Talk where he gives some highlights.

Sleep deprivation is a huge problem in our world. I know more people who sleep less than 6 hours a night vs people who get 8 hours or more. How about you? Personally, I work really hard to make that 8 hour window because I can see what it does to my body and mind.

I will take my line of work, flying airplanes. No one wants a tired pilot but there is social pressure to get to a destination and go explore, get your workout in and eat well all within a 12 hours window. That may seem like plenty of time but when you time zone hop as flight crew does, your body still operates on your home time zone. It can take a day per hour change for your body to adjust.

Let’s say you don’t fly often but you always feel sleepy. You can mess up your natural sleep cycle by getting caught up in a show that keeps you up too late or not having a regular bedtime. Sleep just isn’t prioritized in our modern world but let’s change that!

Here are some horrible effects of sleep deprivation:

Physically you have an increased risk of obesity, weakened immune system, hormonal imbalances, increased risk of heart and blood sugar issues.

I look at this list and think, we have a problem in our world with most of these and many people are dealing with multiple issues. Are they sleeping?

Mentally you have increased irritability, reduced memory, more anxious feelings, focus issues, and increased risk of accidents.

Personally, I know when I don’t sleep well I am a total grump, things trigger me faster and I drop everything. How about you?

There are lots of ways to help you get better sleep. You have probably heard of most of them. Less caffeine during the day, have a consistent bedtime and wake time, and keep the room cool and dark. Many people will turn to Melatonin but here is a crazy thing, melatonin only helps start the sleep the cycle. It doesn’t keep you asleep. Your body already makes the right amount of melatonin if you stop scrolling your phone, turn off the TV and reduce the blue and green light. Check out this article from John’s Hopkins. I can see the benefits of using it for those who need to adjust their circadian rhythm especially when traveling.

So as a frequent traveler what do I actually do to get sleep in unfamiliar beds, not my favorite pillows, and different noises outside the window?

First, I use the Calm app. It offers a variety of sleep stories, music, different “noises” like white, pink, etc. and frequencies that promote sleep. I have been made fun of for my nighttime sleep story but I get my sleep and that’s what matters in my book. My favorite narrator is Alan Sklar.

I diffuse doTERRA essential oils. A small diffuser doesn’t take a ton of space and a couple bottles of oils can really make your hotel room, AirbNB or friend’s guest room smell more like home. My personal favorites are Serenity, Roman Chamomile, or Tulsi. Learn about the full sleep system that has a very cool double blind study to show it’s effectiveness.

I also use give myself about 20 minutes to really wind down. Instead of relying on the TV like I used to, I will turn on a guided meditation or visualization that helps me really just relax. There are tons on YouTube…just turn it on and listen, don’t watch.  Calm also has many of these too.

Other great things to do would be to journal or make a list of what you need to do tomorrow. When you get them down on paper, your mind can relax instead of trying to hold that tab open all night long. You know what I mean when you look at your browser and see 14 tabs open and your computer is running slow…right? Yeah, your brain will operate the same way so just get it on paper.

Let’s start making sleep cool again! I love when Jamie Lee Curtis talks about how she goes to bed early. I am not so sure I love waking up at 4 but that makes her an early bird. Just do a google search to see her interviews. It’s hilarious!   If you are more of a night owl, that’s ok too. Just get your sleep! The world needs well rested super heroes like you!