Six Habits Wrecking Your Sleep

Importance of Quality Sleep

• Sleep significantly impacts conscious experience.
• Speaker's personal experience with poor sleep due to life stressors: babies, work, home challenges.

Six Habits That Wreck Sleep

1. Eating Late

• Eating close to bedtime disrupts sleep.
  • Body engages in metabolic activity for digestion.
  • Causes blood glucose spike and fluctuation.
  • Disrupts melatonin production.
• Experiment: Test different times for the last meal to find personal optimal digestion time.
  • Ideal was 11-11:30 AM for the speaker.
• Indicators: Resting heart rate can predict sleep quality.

2. Lack of a Wind Down Routine

• Essential to transition from work mode to sleep mode.
• Strategies:
  • Ignore work thoughts after a certain time, e.g., bedtime is 8:30 PM, wind down starts at 7:30 PM.
  • Avoid stimulating activities (arguments, hard exercise).
  • Engage parasympathetic nervous system: reading, journaling, meditating.
  • Allow at least 60 minutes for wind down.

3. Stimulants Late in the Day

• Caffeine has a long half-life (6 hours) impacting sleep if consumed late.
• Personal choice to avoid caffeine and alcohol for mood stability.
• Experiment to find the latest time caffeine can be consumed without affecting sleep.

4. Improper Evening Light Regulation

• Morning light helps set circadian rhythm positively.
• Evening Strategies:
  • Dim lights, use warm spectra colors (2700-3500 kelvin).
  • Eliminate blue light (use flux, blue light blocking glasses).
  • Avoid screens one hour before bed.

5. Bedroom Temperature

• Ideal sleep requires a cooler environment.
• Solutions:
  • Open windows, use blinds during day.
  • Temperature controlled mattress (e.g., 8sleep).
  • Recognize challenges when traveling without temperature control.

6. Noise Regulation

• Noise can severely disrupt sleep.
• Solutions:
  • Address noise issues with neighbors if possible.
  • Use noise machines (brown, white, or pink noise) to mask disruptions.

Cultural Perspective on Sleep

• Culturally, lack of sleep is sometimes seen as a badge of honor.
• Speaker encourages embracing full sleep for better health and quality of life.
  • Eight hours of sleep is beneficial for oneself and loved ones.

---

Conclusion

• Make changes to habits to improve sleep quality.
• Sleep is crucial for well-being and success in personal and professional life.