I was fortunate to listen to a lecture by one of the leading experts in sleep and human performance, Brandon Marcello, at the Perform Better Summit earlier this year.
Here is the recap of what I learned:
- Brandon Marcello is the Director of Sports Performance at Stanford University.
- Getting enough quality sleep is important for every single one of our body’s systems.
- Adults should aim for 8 hours of sleep each night (the range of sleep needed can vary by individual, somewhere between 7 to 9 hours).
- You accumulate a ‘sleep debt’ for the time short of eight hours and can accumulate up to 50 hours of sleep debt you need to ‘pay back’ to function optimally.
- The main indicator that you have repaid your sleep debt is that you don’t feel the ‘afternoon slump’.
- You cannot bank sleep (i.e. you can’t sleep more than you need and ‘save’ the extra time for later) and there is no such thing as sleeping too much assuming there isn’t an underlying cause.
- Melatonin isn’t a great supplement for sleep and unsweetened tart cherry juice works well to support a healthy sleep cycle.
- Blue light and morning light exposure play a big part in regulating your circadian rhythm.
Here are a few ideas you can use to improve your sleep quality:
- Get outside during morning hours for about 10 minutes to expose your eyes to morning light (don’t look directly into the sun and avoid wearing sunglasses if you can)
- Exercise for at least 30 minutes a day (at varying intensities)
- Turning off electronics an hour before bedtime
- Take a cool or warm shower/bath before bed
- Drink most of your water early in the day so that trips to the bathroom don’t wake you up in the middle of the night
- Read a book or magazine.
- 2-5 minutes of stretching or deep breathing
- Keep your bedroom cool and dark. An ideal room temperature for sleeping is around 68 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Sleep with a white noise machine or fan
- Avoid caffeine at least 6 hours before bedtime or longer if you’re sensitive to caffeine.
- Write a list of the things that you have to do tomorrow so they don’t keep running through your mind and keep a notebook and pen by your bed to jot down thoughts that come to mind.
- Develop a bedtime routine that you go through every night before bed.
- Set a timer for 30 minutes before it’s time to get ready for bed. That way you know it’s time to wrap up what you’re doing and switch gears to your bedtime routine.
Review the list and notice which of the actions you’d like to incorporate into your day. Pick the one that you feel will be the most impactful and schedule practicing it every day. Once it’s a habit, pick another habit to practice.
If you need some help winding down, this Spotify playlist puts me to sleep every time!
Sleep well,
Alyssa