A Summary of Sleep Smarter by Shawn Stevenson

14 Oct A Summary of Sleep Smarter by Shawn Stevenson

I just finished reading Sleep Smarter by Shawn Stevenson – a great book on the importance of sleep, and some practical, easy ways to improve it. Here’s my Cole’s notes version on the take away’s from the book:

1. Go to bed by 10 or 11; the most important hours are 10-2;
2. Try and get sunlight exposure early in the morning (6-8:30am), which also happens to be the best time to exercise & also ground yourself by walking barefoot in grass or on the ground; if you aren’t able to, you can use a light therapy lamp;
3. Caffeine: if you consume caffeine, understand it has a 5-8 hour half-life, and you shouldn’t consume it any later then 2pm, as having caffeine within 6 hours before bedtime can lead to an hour less sleep; consider drinking tea instead (black, green, yerba mate);
4. Screen Time & Blue Light: turn screens off 1.5h off prior to bed, or use Apps such as lux, or Blue light blockers;
5. Temperature control: keep your bedroom cool (15.5-20 degrees Celsius), or use a cooling pillow/bed cover (e.g. Chili pad: https://sleep.me/); if you’re having a hot bath, do that 1.5-2 hours beforehand;
6. 5-9 hours sleep: Sleep cycles last 90min and repeat themselves 4-6x per night; it’s best not to interrupt a sleep cycle because that can leave you feeling tired, so set your alarm clock for: 7.5h or 9h, but not 8h;
7. Sleep Environment & Hygiene: ensure your bedroom is completely dark, no electronics, with good fresh air (e.g. you can use a negative ion generator: https://oionair.com/collections/air-purifiers ), grounding mat, or use EMF shielding (e.g. Swiss Shield Wear mattress cover); using a sunrise simulating natural light alarm clock, placed 6 feet away from your bed can help make waking easier;
8. Exercise: weightlifting works best; 30-45min, 3-4x/week (don’t over-train);
9. Mattress: IntelliBED (https://purple.com/ )
10. Alcohol: stopping drinking ~3 hours before bed to allow for metabolizing, & drink more water with it to help; use: https://www.drinkfox.com/information/alcohol-metabolism
11. Calm your Mental Chatter: Headspace Meditation App / Calm.com (+ App)
12. Supplementing: Topical Mg gel, Valerian, Chamomile (Apigenin), Lemonbalm/Melissa, Zizyphus;