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Sleep Smarter_ 21 Proven Tips to Sleep Your Way To a Better Body, Better Health and Bigger Success

 KNOW THE VALUE OF SLEEP


The topic of this chapter is a little unusual, but it’s probably the most important. Many people are negligent about getting enough sleep because they don’t truly understand the benefits they’re getting from it. 

So what is sleep? And why is it important? 

Well, defining sleep is a lot like trying to define life. No one completely understands it, and if you try to explain it you’re more likely to sound like Forrest Gump than a world-renown scholar (Life is like a box of chocolates… sleep is like pretending to be dead). 

Sleep is actually defined as a natural periodic state of rest for the mind and body, in which the eyes usually close and consciousness is completely or partially lost, so that there is a decrease in bodily movement and responsiveness to external stimuli. 

That sounds a little weird, but the most important takeaway is that it’s a natural periodic state of rest for the mind and body. If you’re not doing it, then

you’re being completely unnatural. And, nobody likes unnatural people. 

What’s more important is knowing the big prizes that sleep gives you. Generally, being awake is catabolic (breaks you down) and sleep is anabolic (builds you up). Sleep is known to be an elevated anabolic state, heightening the growth and rejuvenation of the immune, skeletal, and muscular systems. Basically, sleep rebuilds you and keeps you youthful. 

High quality sleep fortifies your immune system, balances your hormones, boosts your metabolism, increases physical energy, and improves the function of your brain. Without all of the essential benefits that sleep is providing, you will never, I repeat never, have the body and life you want without giving your body the right amount of sleep. 

In our culture, sleep is not respected very much at all. As a matter of fact, we are often programmed with the idea that to be successful we need to work harder, sleep less, and we can catch up on all the sleep we want when we’re dead. To say sleep is not respected is really an understatement. 

Working hard is unarguably a big part of being successful, but so is working smart. So many people in our world today go on plugging away with work, burning the candle at both ends, not realizing that the quality of work they’re doing is being radically compromised. Research shows that after just 24 hours of sleep deprivation, there is an overall reduction of six percent in glucose reaching the brain. Simple translation: You get dumber. 

This is also why you crave candy, chips, donuts, and other starchy, sugary things when you’re sleep deprived. You’re body is trying to compel you to get that glucose back to your brain as soon as possible. It’s a built-in survival mechanism. This is inherent in our genes because, in our days as hunter-gatherers, that lack of brainpower could mean a swift death from a predator or a substantially reduced ability to hunt and procure your own food for survival. Today a simple trip to the refrigerator can bypass your body’s cry for more sleep, but those stress mechanisms are still alive and well within your body right now. 

I Can’t Believe I Did That Last Night

The most valuable takeaway from this sleep deprivation “brain drain” discovery is that the reduction in glucose isn’t shared equally. Your parietal lobe and the prefrontal cortex actually lose 12 to 14 percent of their glucose when you don’t sleep. These are the areas of the brain we most need for thinking, for distinguishing between ideas, for social control, and to be able to tell the difference between right and wrong. Have you ever made a poor decision when you were up late at night that you wouldn’t have made if your head was on right? Chances are you have. 

It wasn’t entirely your fault. Your brain was hijacked by a dumber (and slightly less attractive) version of yourself. 

Always remember the value of your sleep. You will perform better, make better decisions, and have a better body when you get the sleep you require. Sleep is not an obstacle we need to go around, it’s a natural state your body requires to boost your hormone function, heal your muscles, tissues and organs, and make your mind work at it’s optimal level. The shortcut to success is not made by bypassing dreamland. You will factually work better, be more efficient, and get more stuff done when you’re properly rested. 

There’s a big difference between “working” and actually being effective. By sacrificing your sleep, you can definitely do more work, but the quality and effectiveness of your work will be sacrificed. A physician study published in The Lancet proved that sleep-deprived individuals took 14 percent longer to complete a task, and made 20 percent more errors than individuals who were well rested. Structure your time to get more sleep first and you’ll be able to get your work done faster and more effectively than if you zombie walked your way through it.


Sleep Power Tip 

When you know you’ve got a big task, project, or event coming up, pull out a calendar and plan ahead how you can get your ideal number of sleep hours in. Often times it’s as simple as setting up a schedule. But, people overlook it because, well, it’s just too easy. 

If it’s important to you, you’ll schedule it. Stick to that schedule as well as you can, and know that you will get the work done better and faster if you’re more rested. We usually sacrifice our sleep to cram in more work because we didn’t plan efficiently. And as the wise Benjamin Franklin said, “By failing to prepare, you are preparing to fail.”


GET MORE SUNLIGHT DURING DAY

It may sound counterintuitive that getting more sunlight during the day can help you sleep better at night, but science has proven that this is precisely the case. 

Your body’s sleep cycle, or “circadian timing system,” is not just some airy-fairy thing. This is a real, built-in, 24-hour clock that’s not that much different from the clock on your cell phone or wristwatch. 

Your circadian timing system is regulated by the suprachiasmatic nucleus, a small group of nerve cells found in the hypothalamus in your brain. The hypothalamus is considered to be the master gland of your body’s hormonal system. It controls your body’s hunger, thirst, fatigue, body temperature, and sleep cycles by acting as a master clock. So, now you know, when it comes to sleep, you’ve got to literally have your head in the game. 

Now, how does morning light improve sleep? Light actually signals your hypothalamus and all corresponding organs and glands to be alert and “wake

up.” That light exposure, specifically sunlight exposure, triggers your body to produce optimal levels of daytime hormones and regulates your biological clock. Too little light exposure during the day, and too much light exposure in the evening will negatively impact your ability to sleep well at night. One of the most vital hormones affected by light exposure is the powerful antioxidant hormone melatonin.



Mello Melatonin 

Melatonin is produced by the pineal gland in your brain and it sends signals to create the best environment in your body for sleep. It’s secreted naturally as it gets darker outside, but we can really screw it up if we don’t get the right light exposure at the right time. Melatonin isn’t the “sleep hormone,” but it can definitely be considered the “get good sleep hormone.” 

Some researchers believe that melatonin is related to aging. For instance, young children have the highest levels of nighttime melatonin production, but it gradually declines as we age. Melatonin is associated with being young and vital, but it diminishes as the years pass by. Is this simply how it has to be, or is it something we cause by not honoring our sleep cycles? 

Remember, the production and secretion of melatonin is heavily affected by light exposure. Sunlight provides the natural spectrum of light that we need to help coordinate the cycle of melatonin production. Simply put, when you get more sunlight exposure during the day, and less light exposure at night, you’re on your way to a magic sleep formula that really works. 

Now how do we apply this when millions of us are certified desk jockeys and cooped up in our offices all day long? And, how much does it matter anyway? 

A recent study focused on sleep quality of day shift workers revealed some shocking results. When compared to office workers who have direct access to windows at work, those office workers who didn’t have access to windows got 173 percent less exposure to natural white light and as a result slept an average of 46 minutes less each night. This sleep deficit resulted in more reported physical ailments, lower vitality, and poorer sleep quality. 

The office workers with more light exposure tended to be more physically active, happier, and had an overall higher quality of life. With your new found understanding of sunlight’s affect on sleep and hormone function, the data from these types of studies become obvious. So now let’s dive into how to leverage this understanding to get the best results possible.


SunlightPowerTip#1 

When it comes to sleep benefits, all sunlight is not created equal. The body clock is most responsive to sunlight in the early morning, between 6 a.m. and 8:30 a.m. Exposure to sunlight later does not provide the same benefit. Make it a habit to get some sun exposure in that primetime light period. Direct sunlight outdoors for at least one half hour has been shown to produce the most benefit.


SunlightPowerTip#2 

If you are in cubical dungeon away from natural light at work, use your break time to strategically go and get some sun on your skin. Even on an overcast day, the sun’s rays will make their way through and positively influence your hormone function. You can take your 10 or 15 minute breaks outdoors or near a window, or if you’re really playing at a high level, you can make a habit of eating your lunch outside.


SunlightPowerTip#3 

In emergency situations, where you are chained like a prisoner in the cubical dungeon, there are specially designed light boxes and visors that simulate sunlight. These are often prescribed to treat seasonal affective disorder (SAD), a form of depression that tends to take place during the darker winter months. But, truly you are more powerful than you know to affect change in your life and get yourself the natural sunlight you require. This is only an option because I felt an obligation to tell you about it. Although this can be helpful, even the best light box won’t give you as much phototherapy benefit as 30 minutes outside on even an overcast day.


TO BE CONTINUED .......

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