Sleep

Dec 23

Welcome back, friends!

Let's talk about sleep!

Sleep, IMO, is the most important factor in our health. Most people aren't getting enough. If I had a magic wand + one wish, everyone on the planet would get 8 hours of uninterrupted sleep EVERY night (hey I said it was a wish!) The recommended amount of sleep for adults Is 7-9 hours. That is of SLEEP not the time you spend IN BED (those are different!)

Keep reading for the brain gains!

Why sleep matters...

HORMONES
- I know I know. I'm always on the hormones. But getting enough sleep is super important to healthy cortisol levels, glucose control + more. Did you know there is actually a study performed that demonstrated college age men became pre-diabetic in ONE WEEK when they were sleep deprived to 4-5 hours per night? TRUTH.
BRAIN HEALTH
- Getting 6 hours of sleep or less on the reg is considered sleep deprivation. And when your brain is tired, glial cells (the clean up crew of the brain) don't function well + accidentally chew on the ends of your neurons-- called dendrites. Because of this we start to struggle with memory, forming new connections + over time we actually LOSE brain mass.
EMOTIONAL HEALTH
- Ever have a bad night of sleep and feel like you're literally snapping at everything + everyone. Yeah, me too. I'm not nice when I don't sleep. Lack of sleep significantly impacts emotional lability. This is fancy talk for we overreact to shit. It has also shown to increase feelings of anxiety+ depression.
BODY COMPOSITION
- Now I got your attention. Yes getting better sleep can improve body composition. Not as a SOLE factor. BUT if you are doing all of the other things (eating healthy, lifting weights, etc) this is a FREE way to both feel better + improve body composition! BOOM!

Steps for better sleep...

NIGHTTIME ROUTINE
- Do NOT overthink or overdo this. BUT just like when we wake in the morning + it sends signals to our body to WAKE UP. What we do the hour before bed MATTERS. Last night I scrolled on social media way too late --shitty sleep. 30-60 minutes before bed turn it all down. The lights, your speed, activity etc. For me this also means taking my sleepy time tea + supplements (see below)
SUPPLEMENTS
- I have to give credit to my friend Tom with Level 10 Coaching for this. #tomsspecialtea. Sleepy time tea (sometimes I use mint chocolate LMNT electrolytes with hot water), Magnesium Glycinate, Glycine + L-Theanine. Intergalactic level sleep. As always talk to YOUR doctor first!
ENVIRONMENT
- Cold 60-68F, Dark, Quiet. Sex + sleep only. Your bedroom is not for watching tv, doing work, etc. No TVs in the bedroom. I cannot stress this enough. Blue light = more cortisol which means melatonin CANNOT increase for proper sleep/circadian rhythm.

A special note on melatonin

Melatonin is a HORMONE. I do not love it exogenously. We would not ever recommend individuals take thyroid hormone, insulin, testosterone, etc. over the counter without testing levels.

In addition, MOST of my patients who have used it say the same damn thing "It helps me sleep for like 3-4 hours + then I'm wide awake.