LIFE HACKS: BETTER SLEEP. for Life Hackers Singapore Martina Forgac

Transcription

1 LIFE HACKS: BETTER SLEEP for Life Hackers Singapore Martina Forgac

2 What s wrong with lack of sleep Glorification of lack of sleep but 11 days of productivity / year lost on average due to sleep deprivation Sleep deprivation Impacts energy levels, health Impacts mood, emotional management, anxiety and depression, decision making*, focus, productivity Impacts morality (more biased), lowers empathy and ability to work in teams Increases inflammation, slows down recovery Early mortality Weight gain

3 Why we need sleep Body Repair and recovery (incl. beta amyloid plaque cleanup) Hormones (adrenaline, cortisol, leptin, ghrelin, HGH, insulin, ) Inflammation & immune system Fertility & sex drive Bone marrow Mind Memory consolidation Hormones, mood Willpower Stress management Emotional intelligence Problem solving

4 Sleep phases Light sleep Stage 1 (5-10 mins at the beginning & end) - alpha & theta Stage 2 brain waves, heart rate and breathing slowing down) Deep sleep Stage 3 and 4 (delta waves) Growth hormone release, tissue repair and regeneration Immune system activated Difficult to wake up from REM sleep [no thermoregulation, muscle paralysis] Memory consolidation, information processing Metabolic waste management Repair

5 Sleep issues Trouble falling asleep vs. staying asleep Many different underlying causes Environment Circadian rhythm disruptions Mind preoccupation Melatonin production Sleep apnea Brain energy issues Hormonal imbalance

6 SLEEP HACKS

7 Sleep tracking Test and track to find out what works for you Free tools Sleep tracking apps in your phone or smart watch (e.g. Sleep as Android) bonus: synchronize with other tools (alarm, smart lights, ) General tracking apps (e.g. Precise.ly) to find correlations Paid tools Oura ring Fitness trackers (including alarm synchronization) Smart watch Beddit, S+1,

8 Timing of sleep Circadian rhythm; master clock defines many processes in our body 2017 Nobel Prize winners for medicine research of circadian rhythm Consistency Research shows it s not enough to catch up during weekends Chronotypes are you a lion, bear, wolf or a dolphin*? Take quiz at The science of naps Full sleep cycle for memory retention (biphasic sleep) min for recovery from fatigue Try caffeine naps drink coffee, take short min nap immediately just enough for caffeine to kick in Social jetlag *Dolphins sleep with half of their brain. Similar to human brain when sleeping in unknown place

9 Temperature Body temperature is a cue for sleep - drop in temperature = sleep Pre-sleep hot baths or ice baths Temperature control during sleep PJ, blankets & sheets AC Cool pillows: Chillow Cool mattress: ChilliPAD, Betjet

10 Light Melatonin & melanopsin managing the master clock Avoid blue light before sleep. Blue light is the new sugar Screens: Use Twilight or Night Shift on phone; f.lux or Iris on PC Home: Red lights / smart lights World: blue light blocking glasses by Swannies, Gunnar/Razer, Any light during sleep is not good Blackout curtains Good sleep mask but you can use light to wake the body up Sun exposure in the morning improves sleep Human Charger gadget to prevent seasonal mood disorders and jetlag, shines light into ears

11 Pre-sleep routines Plan next day early (to avoid thinking about it while falling asleep) 5 minute journal or other type of positive brain dump Try no phone/pc 1 hr before sleep Meditation (esp. body scan), breathing exercise (e.g. longer outbreaths to activate parasympathetic nervous system) Reading or listening to fiction Visual overwriting, e.g. a few minutes of Tetris or non-dramatic series

12 Food & gut & sleep Gut: factory for neurotransmitter production Gut-brain axis, microbiome, immune system, inflammation When (not) to eat Late eating de-synchronizes central clock (brain) and peripheral clocks (e.g. liver) Eating at set times improves sleep What to eat Should you eat proteins or carbs? Or fats? (carb evenings your brain might lack energy after a few hours of sleep) Tip for hangry mornings Get keto adapted or eat a spoon of almond butter before sleep (or other low GI food)

13 Supplements & sleep Try for good quality sleep GABA 5-HTP (serotonin, melatonin) Magnesium + calcium Prebiotics or probiotics Apple cider vinegar (+honey) Melatonin (dosage!) CBD (?), kava (?) Reishi, herbal teas Avoid Caffeine Alcohol Make other supplements more efficient? Curcumin & krill oil Vitamin D + calcium Fish oil (asthma, arthritis)

14 Exercise & sleep If you have sleep issues, exercise helps, but it takes 4 month to have positive effect Helps to fall asleep faster and remain asleep Resistance/strength training Yoga (insomnia: 8 weeks of yoga helped) Timing is important: avoid exercise 2 (4 or 6) hours before sleep (rasing body temperature) Hanging upside-down (gravity boots, inversion table, handstands) Massage

15 Sound Silence vs. noise White noise helps people who are sensitive to noise Nature sounds (rain, sea waves) or different colored noise Many apps available Music Brain wave entrainment e.g. Brain.fm for sleep (free trial)

16 Waking up as naturally as possible Wake up with light (natural or smart) Alarms aligned to your sleep cycle (e.g. Sleep as Android, FitBit, ) Anti-Snooze hacks? Phone far from bed. Alarm with math puzzles. Alarm with QR code in other room.

17 Position Sleeping on stomach neck issues, lower back issues. Wrinkles. Sleeping on back sleep apnea, lower back issues Sleeping on side OK-ish Sleeping seated waste management for brain doesn t happen Conclusion: just use the right pillow for your position If you cant sleep because you keep moving, try this:

18 Summary: Sleep hacks to test Be mindful of how (lack of) sleep impacts you during the day (mood, decisions, reaction time) Test what works for you Blue light Temperature Supplements Wind down routines Meals Track sleep quality & impact of changes

19 Other things to explore Avoid EMF but try PEMF Get a pet (but don t let it sleep under your sheets) Problem solving during sleep (night or naps) Edison: Never go to sleep without a request to your subconscious. Upside down before sleep Aromatherapy (lavender) Russian sleep experiment

20 Thank you

21 Find out more Interesting podcasts/videos about sleep Smart Drugs Smarts podcast Sleep, light, brain Ben Greenfield podcast - The Best Time Of Day To Exercise, Have Sex, Take Supplements, Read A Book, Take A Nap & More! (interview with author of The power of When) You Are Not So Smart podcast Sleep deprivation (about how we don t know when we are sleep deprived, and how lack of sleep makes us more biased) Tim Ferriss Evening routine for better sleep (Tim suffers from insomnia)