I need SLEEP!

Do you need sleep? Are you EXHAUSTED? I don’t know about you, but I’m craving hibernation…

Did you know:

sleep is even more important than nutrition in terms of affecting longevity
we humans are the only species that voluntarily deprive ourselves of sleep

This week let’s focus on SLEEP!

Read on to learn:

why sleep is so important
how much sleep we need and how to measure it
7 hacks to help you sleep better – TONIGHT

THE “SLEEP” EPISODE
with Oksana Andreiuk, M.BioTech

Have you ever noticed how people suggest you “get a good night’s sleep” before an interview or a big presentation? SLEEP certainly affects our ability to COMMUNICATE!

We all need sleep. “SLEEP“ is also the #1 most important hack to help us with longevity and well-being, according to my friend, bio-hacker Oksana Andreiuk.

Oksana Andreiuk & Andrea Wojnicki talk SLEEP

Do you remember Oksana? When COVID hit in March 2020, Oksana shared some advice to help us boost our IMMUNITY. (Check out the “immunity-boosting” NEWSLETTER and PODCAST here.)

December is the perfect time to focus on SLEEP, don’t you think?

Amongst other things in this SLEEP episode, Oksana shared many important reasons WHY SLEEP IS IMPORTANT:

ALL OUR BODILY SYSTEMS are impacted by sleep. Sleep helps with hormonal regulation, immunity, appetite control, emotional control, stress management…
MENTAL HEALTH – Chronic sleep deprivation is implicated in mental health disorders, like anxiety and depression. Recent research shows lack of sleep can lead to the formation of plaques which are implicated in Alzheimer’s disease.
MEMORY & LEARNING – While we sleep, our brains form connections that help us process and recall information. Lack of sleep can negatively impact short and long-term memory. Sleep also affects our ability to concentrate, problem solve and think critically.
SOCIABILITY – Sleep affects our brain’s capacity for self-control (reactions and emotions) and our social intelligence (including our desire for social proximity and interaction). Sleep-deprived people are avoided by others and deemed less attractive!

OK, OK, I’m convinced!

Click HERE to listen directly on the Talk About Talk website

? Click HERE to listen on your favourite podcast player

? Click HERE to read the printable shownotes

Bio-hacker Oksana Andreiuk, M.BioTech

Thank you, Oksana!

HOW MUCH SLEEP DO WE NEED?

Let me cut to the chase:

We (adults) need 8 hours of SLEEP per night

The US National Sleep Foundation recommends 7-9 to nine hours of sleep for healthy adults.
Harvard Medical School says that sleeping fewer than about 8 hours per night on a regular basis may increase the risk of adverse medical conditions.

What about SLEEP METRICS? Here I was thinking about sleep quantity and quality. Oksana talks about different sleep metrics:

Sleep Opportunity – the total amount of time we spend in bed (>8hrs!)
Sleep Duration – the time we’re asleep (***8hrs!)
Sleep Efficiency – the percentage of time we’re sleeping, relative to the time we’re in bed.

We need to increase our “sleep opportunity!”

We need to be in bed for more than 8 hours to get 8 hours of sleep.

Here’s the bonus: increasing your sleep opportunity makes sleep less stressful. If you know you need to get a good nights’ sleep, focus first on sleep opportunity, not duration. Then you won’t feel anxious or stressed about not falling asleep right away.

Great point!

7 HACKS TO HELP YOU SLEEP BETTER – TONIGHT!

(1) CONTROL YOUR ENVIRONMENT – LIGHT & TEMPERATURE

Our body clock or circadian rhythm is impacted by light, so make your bedroom dark.
A few other things you can do starting early evening:
- wear blue light blocking glasses
- use a red screen or install an app on your devices to block blue light
- turn down your thermostat

(2) DIET & NUTRITION

No caffeine in the evening.
Avoid large meals three hours before bedtime.

(3) EXERCISE

You need to experiment with this one. Some say avoiding exercise 3 hours before bedtime will help you wind down. But then research also shows that strength training exercise around 6pm can boost deep sleep.

(4) SUPPLEMENTS

Oksana suggests several “rescue supplements,” reminding us to not take any supplements chronically, for long periods:
- Melatonin – Magnesium bisglycinate
- Passionflower – L-theanine
- 5HTP + GABA – Valerian root

(5) CALM YOUR MIND

Meditation can be self-guided or with a guided meditation app like Headspace or Calm
Binaural beats – project different sound frequencies in each ear, relaxing your brainwaves.
Journaling – especially in the evening.