Put Yourself on Double Secret Sleep Probation
Or- Fat, sick, and dumb is no way to go through life, son
Think.
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Last week I promised we’d get into the magic of force multipliers.
In case you forgot, in the military, a Force Multiplier is a factor or a combination of factors that gives personnel or weapons the ability to accomplish greater feats than without it.
The image and quote above come from the 1978 classic film, Animal House. I was reminded of it when I read the below quote from Dr. Matther Walker who said,
Lack of sleep is making us sick, fat, and dumb.
As promised, today we’re diving into Line of Effort #1.
LOE #1 is the primary force multiplier. If we can get this right, it makes everything else easier and more productive.
The first boulder in LOE 1 is sleep. You probably don’t get enough.
I should note that I am not a sleep doctor, but I bet you aren’t either.
Sleep is a huge force multiplier, but it is also a requirement that is easy to push to the back burner.
Chances are pretty good that you have said one of these things:
“I’m too busy to sleep.”
“I don’t need that much sleep.” (probably not true)
Or my favorite “I’ll sleep when I’m dead.”
OK, but you will probably be dead much sooner if you don’t prioritize sleep.
Dr. Walker said:
“For the average adult, the current recommendation is somewhere between seven to nine hours of sleep a night.
And what we've been finding from large-scale epidemiological studies is that, using that reference point of seven to nine hours, once you start to drop below that, your mortality risk actually starts to increase.
In fact, the Center for Disease Control…stipulates a minimum of seven hours of sleep a night for the average adult.
In other words, the shorter your sleep, the shorter your life.”
When we talk sleep, both quantity and quality are important. I have been using an Oura ring to track my sleep for over two and a half years, and I definitely believe that knowledge is power.
I am not sponsored by Oura ring, (although I would love to be) but I do have a $40 off coupon if you want to try one out.
https://ouraring.com/raf/e1f6058d2c?utm_medium=iac
Along with the ring’s data I also keep a sleep journal. In it, I track how well I slept and note anything that may have interfered with my sleep. I have discovered that I need to be in bed for around 7 1/2 hours to get 7 hours of sleep.
Here’s what we know: Sleep is when you actually build muscle, and consolidate thoughts and memories.
Sleep makes you stronger, smarter, and better looking.
Believe me, I know how easy it is to deprioritize sleep, but I’ve found that once I began making a conscious effort and began seeing the benefits it becomes easier to prioritize.
So, what are some steps you can take to improve the quantity and quality of your sleep?
Establish a sleep / wake schedule and stick to it — even on weekends.
Naps are fine but keep them to around 20 minutes, and not after 3 pm.
Don’t drink caffeine after 3 pm.
Use your bed for sleep and sex, not TV watching.
Keep your bedroom as dark as possible and between 65-68 degrees.
Read a book for 30 min before bed (not a screen).
Get a decent mattress.
Don’t eat or exercise within two hours of bed.
Don’t watch TV or look at your phone (screens) within 1 hour of bed.
Don’t get drunk before bed. (A drink or two may or may not impact you.)
If you can’t sleep, get out of bed after 20 minutes and read for awhile.
When you wake up, get out of bed and get 15 minutes of sunlight as soon as you can. It helps reset your ‘sleep clock’.
I suspect that you have heard most of these tips before, but hopefully this time you’ll adopt at least a few of these techniques to start improving your sleep.
Sleep is an easy horse to leave in the stall. It’s easy to ignore the ill effects of chronic tiredness, and there are times that sleep will have to take a backseat, but when it does, make the conscious effort to limit those times and get back on track as quickly as possible.
If you want to read more about sleep check out Why We Sleep: Unlocking the Power of Sleep and Dreams by Matthew Walker | Goodreads
Read. Dr. Paddy Barrett
Write.
I thought that for a change of pace, I would use this spot to let you know what other writers are saying about Tough Rugged Bastards.
Repeat.
Words of wisdom from those who said it best.
“Sleep is the best meditation.” ― Dalai Lama
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See you next Thursday!
It is refreshing reading about basic essentials. When reminded of a basic thing that needs attention, other things get tended to as well. Gets the wheels turning. Brilliance in the basics.
Amen to the Oura ring. It has kept me accountable for sleep and able to spot trends...both positive and negative.