Consistent, deep, nourishing sleep is foundational to overall health. It is during this nightly shutdown that many other important processes go into high gear, such as tissue repair, detoxification, and nerve regeneration, impacting nearly every system in the body including:
- Focus, concentration and productivity
- Immune function
- Heart health
- Blood sugar balance
- Pain and inflammation
- Mood and motivation
- Athletic performance
- and Hormone balance!
The thing is, with the way many of us live our lives these days, and with a collective value which champions burnout and productivity as aspirational, a lot of us are operating with less than a full tank or even “running on empty”. {Note: if you are caught up in grind culture like so many are, be sure to take a look at the book review at the bottom of this blog for an important perspective on this pervasive way of thinking.}
According to the Centers for Disease Control,
“People often cut back on their sleep for work, for family demands, or even to watch a good show on television. But if not getting enough sleep is a regular part of your routine, you may be at an increased risk for obesity, type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure, heart disease and stroke, poor mental health, and even early death.
Even one night of short sleep can affect you the next day. Not only are you more likely to feel sleepy, you’re more likely to be in a bad mood, be less productive at work, and be involved in a motor vehicle crash.”
Are you experiencing any of these signs of sleep deprivation?
- Daytime fatigue
- Difficulty getting going in the morning (love that snooze button?!?)
- Brain fog
- Lack of focus
- Poor decision making
- Slowed reaction times
- Irritability
- Low libido
- Memory loss
- Headaches
If you are someone who isn’t really sure how much sleep you’re getting, we recommend you track your sleep with a fitbit or by writing it down in a journal or in your calendar for a week or two, and see what you notice. Keep in mind that most people spend at least 30-60 minutes in a restless or waking state during the night, so factor in that your actual sleep time might be even less than the time you spend in bed!
So….how much sleep do we really need?
It’s certainly a matter of great debate and you’ll find lots of different information out there when you dive into the latest research. Here at TWVC, our experience has taught us that 7-9 hours of sleep per night is best, with a leaning towards 9 whenever possible.
However, we know that when it comes to sleep, there are times when you might find yourself getting into “sleep debt”, whether from a project deadline, a life experience, or mental anxiety. If this happens only occasionally, your body likely has the resiliency to repair. But if it’s happening more chronically, we do recommend making up for sleep deprivation whenever possible. Your body really needs to be paid back!
Here are some ways we recommend boosting your sleep time if you struggle to get in that 7-9 hours more often than not:
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- Go to bed earlier whenever possible, rather than trying to sleep in in the morning. Getting up at a regular time every morning is an important way to have consistent energy throughout the day. Even on weekends we recommend, as much as possible, to get up around the same time. So if you’re feeling sleep deprived, try going to bed one or two hours earlier!
- Schedule a “sleepcation”. This is just the most luxurious thing ever! A sleepcation involves going to a hotel or airbnb, away from home, for 2-4 days every few months, and just pretty much sleeping. Laying in bed with a book could probably be a part of it, but staying off screens and really just enjoying more rest, like 12 hours a night for 3 nights!! Wow, your energy the next week after that weekend will probably be off the charts…..
- If you are more tired as you are recovering from an illness or injury, don’t fight it. Just sleep if your body is asking for it, and sometimes – even when it’s not. Sleep is when the body is able to heal and repair itself and in a recovery time period, that is crucial. Our NDs often tell our patients that getting 9 hours of sleep is “doctor’s orders”! So you don’t need to feel guilty about getting the rest your body so desperately needs.
- Sleep hygiene. Creating a wind-down routine is a really great way to give yourself the luxury of deep sleep. Preparing your body, mind, and spirit to slow down the engines for the day, dimming the lights and creating a cool environment….some people do a warm bath or some gentle yoga, meditation, reading a book…make sleeptime a luxurious experience that sets you up for a night of uninterrupted rest. You’ll wake up glad you did…..
In summary, do everything you can to nurture your nightly sleep. There’s almost nothing more important to your overall health than having this foundation in place!
Book Review: Rest is Resistance: A Manifesto, by Tricia Hersey
Reviewed by Coach Valerie Tookes
Rest is Resistance: A Manifesto is the NYT bestselling book written by Tricia Hersey, founder of The Nap Ministry. I was first introduced to her work through the IG account @thenapministry, and on social media her thesis – rest is resistance – felt like such a simple idea.
But this manifesto quickly lets us know that rest is about so much more than naps. It is about looking more deeply at why we are so tired. It is about examining the grind culture that we live in that has conditioned us from birth to believe that our value lies only in our ability to produce, and to constantly contribute. The conditioning is so deep that if we do stop (because we are sick for example) then the internal voices judge and shame and push us until we get ourselves back into production mode.
Rest is Resistance is a much more complex and layered idea whose intent is to unplug each of us from the culture of capitalism and white supremacy. Our society was built upon this culture and is deeply invested in each of us doing more and more and more.
Rest (despite those little voices that say that you should be working) is a highly individualized activity that can take many forms.
PS. I highly recommend watching, as part of the Onward Book Club, the IG Live conversation between acclaimed author Elizabeth Gilbert and Tricia Hersey to get a taste of what is possible if we allow ourselves to deeply rest as a pathway to dreaming, resisting and imagining a brand new way of being.
https://onwardbookclub.com/rest-is-resistance-tricia-hersey/
