How to Improve Your Sleep and Boost Your Performance

Sleep has a tremendous impact on our bodies and well-being. Most people know this. Yet our society tends to undervalue the benefits of sleep. My intention is to raise awareness for this important topic as it can be one of the most effective lifestyle changes worth pursuing.

Why is sleep so important?

Prof. Matthew Walker and Dr. Guy Meadows agree in their talks with Dr. Chatterjee that sleep is of fundamental importance to almost all aspects of our lives. Prof. Walker puts it even more dramatic: “The shorter you sleep the shorter you live.” So, what happens during sleep in our bodies?

• Internal organs and tissues recover. An immense renewal process takes place every night to repair all the damaged tissue from our days full of eating, movement, and stress.
• Our muscles grow.
• Important hormones for the regulation of appetite control, stress, growth, metabolism, and other bodily functions are released.
• Sleep supports the restocking of our immune defence system. That is why we tend to be sleepy if we have any kind of infection. The body tells us to rest to be able to fight the invaders.
• Major consolidation processes happen in our brains. Memories get saved and knowledge gets shifted from short-term to long-term memory. Our emotional networks are being recalibrated and retuned. For instance, REM-sleep (rapid eye movement), where most of our dreaming takes place helps in divorcing emotions from a memory. That is especially important in case of a negative experience, where you want to keep the helpful details of the incident but not the painful emotions.

Consequences of bad sleep

When we talk about sleep, we can consider sleep duration and sleep quality. Sleep quality refers to how fragmented our sleep is and how deep we sleep. What are some of the effects of bad sleep or sleep deprivation?

• Major effects on our eating habits due to decreased energy levels and hormone imbalances. This could lead to obesity. We need to crave more high-density foods like sugary and fatty snacks.
• A rise in blood sugar levels and increased risk of cardiovascular and chronic disease due to a disruptive immune system and more inflammation.
• Increased risk of injury and accidents due to fatigue and lack of focus.
• A decline in cognitive functions. This will impact our performance at work and our drive for healthy activities such as exercise and socialising.
• Increased risk of anxiety and depression.

Benefits of good sleep

On the other hand, we know that if we can get our sleep right the benefits are tremendous:

• Increased energy to make beneficial lifestyle choices (cooking, exercise, self-care, etc.)
• Strengthened immune system.
• Heightened alertness, focus, and creativity.
• Improved mood by reducing anxiety, irritability, and mental exhaustion.
• Increased libido (sex drive).

Sleep is probably the greatest legal performance-enhancing drug that you could ever wish for!

Prof. Matthew Walker, Author of “Why We Sleep”

Important areas to reconsider

We all know instinctively that a good night’s sleep is beneficial for our wellbeing. Waking up refreshed, in a good mood and ready for an exciting day is certainly the feeling I want to have every day. Thus, which areas can we tackle to improve our sleep?

• Reach for professional advice. If you are struggling with insomnia or another kind of sleep disorder, please see your doctor or another healthcare professional in this field. Fixing this problem first is crucial in getting back to normal sleep cycles.
• Rethink your nutrition and when you eat. According to Prof. Satchin Panda, a scientist and specialist in circadian rhythms research, a time window of 8 to 10 hours, in which we should consume all food works best for most people. He also recommends starting your breakfast only about one hour after getting up, especially if you are awakened by an alarm clock and not by your internal clock. In this instance melatonin, the sleep hormone is still in the body at a level that prevents the pancreas from working properly. It is also wise to stop eating at least 2.5 hours before bedtime and consume foods that are easy to digest such as salads, soups, and vegetables. Cut down on carbohydrates such as pasta, rice, potatoes, bread, and sugary snacks as these are harder to digest and increase your core body temperature.

• Rethink caffeine. Coffee and tea (black, green, Mate, etc.) contain caffeine which disturbs our sleeping cycles. Half of the caffeine is still in our bodies after 5 to 6 hours; a quarter even up to 12 hours. It is, therefore, a good idea to have the last cup of coffee before noon. There is a high chance that you do not get enough sleep if you need coffee in the morning to get your day going.
• Rethink alcohol. As opposed to common belief alcohol is not a sleep aid but a sedative drug. Do not get confused: sedation is not considered sleep. It contributes to more fragmented sleep and is blocking REM sleep which is critical for our emotional repair. That is why alcoholics who are going sober experience a massive rebound in REM sleep and dreaming according to Prof. Walker.
• Be aware of a hyperarousal state of mind. According to Rubin Naiman insomnia is strongly associated with chronic hyperarousal. It means that you are in a hyperfocused and stressed state most of the time. This is often due to our modern lifestyle being online 24/7 and neglecting time periods of rest and relaxation.
• Be aware of light pollution. One of the most important things we can do to get sleepy and start our melatonin production is to reduce artificial light at night. Linda Geddes also suggests increasing natural light exposure during the day to support our circadian rhythm.
• Reframe your opinion about sleep. See sleep as an investment in your life and not a cost you have to bear. Poor sleep affects every aspect of your life. The good thing is that good quality sleep does the opposite. Be proud of being able to sleep well and always prioritize sleep when you can.
• Squeeze in a nap in the afternoon if you can. Nick Littlehails suggested this to Sir Alex Ferguson when the latter decided to have two training sessions a day with the boys of Manchester United in the late 90s. Wouldn’t it be great to have a recovery lounge after lunch at your workplace?
• Enjoy life. Do not take this information to lead a Spartan life. Enjoy your coffee with all the antioxidant benefits. Go out for a drink with your friends. Just take this information as a starting point for self-awareness, ownership of your life and mindful decisions.

Tips and tricks you can try to improve your sleep

• Try to stick to the same bedtime and wake-up time (even on weekends).
• Bedroom hygiene
  • Keep your bedroom cool at about 18° C. The core body temperature needs to decrease by about one degree Celsius for optimal sleep.
  • Clear out all clutter and use your bedroom for two things only. You know which ones.
  • No TV, mobile devices, and electronics.
  • Have a wooden bed frame.
  • Darken your room as much as possible or use a sleep mask.
  • Remove all clock faces.
• Bedtime routine
  • Be ready for bed one hour early: Brush your teeth, floss, jump in your favourite pyjamas and groove into the nighttime.
  • Do something relaxing to wind down like a light stretching routine, reading a calming book, having a nice chat with your loved ones, enjoying a bath, listening to a podcast, doing breathwork or mediation. Tell your mind that it is time to relax.
  • Reduce exposure to light by dimming the lamps. Reduce or stop screen time. If you absolutely cannot be without your device put it into night mode blocking the stimulating blue light arrays out.
• Reconsider your sleeping position
  • According to Jeff Cavaliere, you can also improve your health by sleeping on your back as he explains here.
  • Release your sheets at the foot end of your bed if you have them tucked in. This decreases the pressure on your shin muscles.
  • Sleeping on your side could have a negative effect on your shoulders and further shortens your hip flexors.
  • Sleeping on your stomach can lead to a further extension of your lower spine, internal rotation of your shoulders, and affects your breathing patterns.
• Aim for 7 to 9 hours of sleep. Be aware that staying in bed for 7.5 hours does not equal 7.5 hours of sleep. Prof. Walker reminds us of this in terms of sleep opportunity and efficiency. Healthy people can have a sleep efficiency of about 85 to 90%. This is the proportion of the time in bed we spend sleeping. It is crucial to give yourself the opportunity to sleep, let us say, 7.5 hours by being in bed for at least 8 hours and 20 min.
• Set an alarm for bedtime to remind you to go to bed.
• Avoid alcohol and caffeine.
• If you are awake for more than 25 minutes get up and out of the bedroom. Do something relaxing in dimmed light (like with your wind-down routine). Do not check your emails, watch TV, etc. and only go back to bed when you are sleepy. This routine will tell your brain that the bed is for sleep and not for lying awake.

And as always: please do not freak out if something is not going well in the beginning. Always start with baby steps and incorporate one change after the other. Consistency in rearranging your lifestyle regarding sleep is key to being successful. I wish you happy dreams! Reach out if I can be of help or drop a line in the comments section below.

Blog post photo by Kinga Cichewicz on Unsplash

This article is based on the works of Dr Ragan Chatterjee and his podcast guests Prof. Matthew Walker, Prof. Satchin Panda, Linda Geddes, Andy Ramage, Guy Meadows. I am aware that I have not done the citations of the sources as in a scientific article. This was done with the intent to facilitate the reading experience. Please find below the links to the podcast interviews. You will find all the relevant links to the experts’ works there.

Conversation with Prof. Matthew Walker no. 1 and no. 2
Conversation with Prof. Satchin Panda
Conversation with Linda Geddes
Conversation with Andy Ramage
Conversation with Dr. Guy Meadows
More on sleep here.

In addition, I used some of my own knowledge based on my experiences and my training at the Institute of Integrative Nutrition.