Getting more sleep can change your life!
There is a lot of noise about sleep. Unfortunately there is also a lot of noise in this episode of the podcast due to the overwhelming presence of cicadas in the park. So apologies for that. For example, back to the figurative noise, another podcaster called Jocko always recommends getting up early to get more done and be more successful. If you go to bed late and get up early, you might not be getting enough. But noise makes it difficult to sleep, literally, and difficult to sort out how much sleep I really need — figuratively. When there is noise like this, I try to filter it out for you and distill the information down to something useful and true.
There are some recent studies, the reports of which offer suggestions on how much sleep is needed at various stages of life. See the National Sleep Foundation website linked below. But basically, most adults need between seven and nine hours of sleep per night.
My personal experience is that eight-and-a-half hours is the perfect amount of sleep for me. I feel like Einstein when I get a solid eight-and-a-half hours of sleep. More makes me sluggish, and my alertness diminishes as the number decreases. This number is different for different people, and that is why there is a range recommended. It is difficult to get that much sleep just because of my schedule. But it’s a goal.
Here is the list of reasons you should get more sleep:
1. You can live longer. Dan Buettner wrote about the correlation between sleep and long life in his Blue Zones books. There is also a negative correlation between the amount of sleep and the risk of certain diseases that can shorten your life, such as alzheimer’s disease, immunity disorders, and even cancer.
2. You can be more productive. Sometimes it may seem like you can get more things done if you forego sleep. I find that I am more productive when I get my 8.5 hours, which fits right in the recommended range of 7-9 hours. Your ideal amount may be different.
3. It can help you lose weight. If you are trying to get in shape and wonder why you can’t, why your metabolism is out of whack, it may be that you are not getting enough sleep. Scientists are not sure exactly why this is. But the less sleep you get, the more you weigh. In a study of 70,000 women over sixteen years, participants who slept five hours per night were 33% more likely to gain thirty pounds or more! Sleep can reduce the levels of the hormones grehlin and leptin, which control appetite and the rate of conversion to fat. I have mentioned these hormones before, and they can be tricked. One way is intermittent fasting.
4. More sleep can give you a more positive attitude. A positive attitude can really change your life. This is mental heath we’re talking about. People with insomnia are ten times more likely to be depressed. And people with sleep apnea are five times more likely to develop depression. So get your seven to nine hours of sleep so you can be in a better mood.
5. You’ll have a healthier heart. Even if you have normal weight, don’t smoke, and you exercise. Too much sleep or not enough can be bad for your heart. This can be due to increased inflamation and blood pressure, which can be caused by too much or too little sleep, which is why a range is recommended and not a minimum number.
It is easy to keep track of this using a fitness watch. This device tracks sleep by using its accelerometer to measure movement. I mention my average sleep hours in the show notes of each episode. And any time you can measure something, it helps you to improve it.
Be healthier and live a longer life by getting the right amount of sleep! And be sure to give me feedback on how much you sleep and your opinions on this topic. Click the Contact menu button above or send mail directly to mail@runningafever.com.
References:
https://www.sleepfoundation.org/
Weight 7-day Avg. (change since Jan 2018): 217 (-56)
Total Distance (total since Nov 2017): 5.52 Miles (546.53)
Steps: 15,208
Muscle Mass 7-day Avg. (change since Aug 2018): 152.18 (+9)
Body Fat 7-day Avg.: 30%
Daily Sleep Duration 7-day Avg: 6 hours
2019 Goal: 15% Body Fat