I never knew how important sleep was until I started.
Eight months ago, I was living with constant anxiety. My bedroom triggered insomnia, and I was in for a sleepless night as soon as my head hit the pillow. One night my mind gave out. I had a horrible panic attack over nothing other than a minor university screw-up. I was up all night pacing around my apartment, focusing on a sitcom’s dialogue to distract my consciousness whilst binging on a box of pears, the sweetest food in my kitchen. The following morning, after calling in sick, I realised I was genuinely worried about my well-being, so I finally booked in with a doctor, completely unaware that this decision would ignite my curiosity for an area of biology I never knew I had the potential to learn. Neuroscience.
Before continuing, know this: I do not have any qualifications, nor do I study medicine. The contents of this article reference personal experiences regarding behavioural changes I made to improve my sleep, as well as some insights from professionals in sleep science.
Furthermore, after returning for multiple sessions, I noticed a shift in my well-being. I was less stressed, my thoughts were clearer, I realised I had minimal time because of how I was studying rather than the study itself, and I was learning from mistakes rather than becoming frustrated by them. Despite having access, I achieved this both drug and supplement-free. Before experimenting with medication, I wanted to discover if solely behavioural changes would alter my anxiety. It did ten-fold.
I want to make this clear. I do not hold a grudge against supplements or prescriptions. I understand everybody is different, and all have different medical requirements. For supplements in particular, depending on your health, there should be no harm in popping magnesium half an hour before bed or taking melatonin occasionally. I was just aware of how my life, at this time, was guaranteed to induce anxiety, and I decided if I could help myself without medication, it would be the best solution. To elaborate, I was studying full-time, caught up in my head, and working more than necessary, resulting in a period of self-isolation from my friends for no apparent reason whatsoever. So, with both help from my doctor, and personal research, I started to incorporate anxiety-reducing habits into my routine. After noticing the benefits of these changes, I began to think about lifestyle design, realising it is just as important, if not more so, than supplements and medication.
Moreover, for clarity, there is no harm in taking supplements. The benefits of supplementation are significant when incorporated responsibly. Unfortunately, they are pricey. In fact, if they were cheaper, I would most certainly be experimenting. So, if you are like me, out-of-pocket for a supplement budget, make sleep-enhancing behavioural changes before you transfer half of your savings to Momentous. However, if you do have the budget, check out Momentous. I genuinely enjoyed scrolling through the sheer number of life-enhancing supplements on their site.
THE CIRCADIAN RHYTHM
A good night's sleep, partnered with a nutritious diet, provides the foundation for the four pillars of mental well-being: physical, cognitive, emotional, and social.
Despite the relevance of nutrition in sleep enhancement, if I began on the topic, I would have to call this a novel rather than an article. So, I will save the concept for another time.
Here is a case study discussing the importance of nutrition in mental health.
Furthermore, when I was 16, I was gifted a laptop. It is the same laptop I am using to write this article. This laptop has been an essential piece of equipment in developing academic projects and also provided me with the freedom to watch TV from the comfort of my bed, a luxury that quickly became a part of my evening routine.
It went on for years. I was completely unaware of how this was affecting my sleep. I only became aware during a 3-week camping trip, where service was minimal, and I was isolated from all mobile devices. In previous circumstances, when I was detached from my laptop, I thought I was just having a rough night, which isn’t irrational, as everybody has a sleepless night now and then. However, during this extended trip, I noticed I was having a sleepless night due to the absence of my portable television. To fall asleep with a sitcom to dull my consciousness, had become second nature.
It wasn’t easy. Like breaking any habit, you can expect it to be tough. It took time. In fact, it took my expanding knowledge of the circadian rhythm in combination with a panic attack.
Click here to learn about circadian rhythms.
The sleep-wake cycle is where I place most of my attention. After learning how following a circadian rhythm can enhance mood, productivity, physical health, and overall well-being completely supplement-free, I began to incorporate some of the following practices into my routine:
View sunlight first thing:
From Monday through Friday, I wake up at 6 a.m., proceed to walk outside, and stand in the patch of sunlight which reaches my third-story apartment. I then go inside, make breakfast, and enjoy it on my balcony while simultaneously working on articles like this or reading a novel.
I have always been an early riser, so waking up was not too difficult. There is the odd day when I feel a little more sluggish than usual. I also give myself the weekends to wake up whenever my body feels the time is right. However, it has progressively become a lot easier. Now, 80% of the time, I wake up at 6 a.m. or earlier without an alarm.
Here is a source discussing morning sunlight exposure.
Cold shower:
Something I used to do, however, still wish I did, is have a cold shower within the first hour of waking. The cold makes us alert. I found I could delay my morning coffee and still productively progress on the tasks I had at hand.
I am aware caffeine is a drug for wakefulness. However, I cannot see myself cutting caffeine anytime soon. Although, I have tried to build some better habits regarding coffee. For example, I don't drink caffeine past 2 p.m., and I have been attempting to limit my intake to two cups a day, one an hour after waking and another around midday.
Therefore, cold showers increase your heart rate raising alertness, meaning if you had one early in the morning, the cold would signal to your brain that it is time to be awake (read point three). In return, this helps you adhere to the sleep-wake cycle easier.
Although cold showers are great for enhancing sleep, there are numerous other benefits that you can enjoy.
Click here for an article I found particularly useful.
Avoid night work (If possible):
Healthcare professionals work the night to care for the un-well, and police work the night to counter criminal activity. Two ethical professions in which night work is essential and should be appreciated. However, many of us work nights for no reason other than the paycheck at the end of the week. That said, you would still receive weekly pay if you worked as a barista in a café rather than a dealer at a casino. Although it wouldn’t be quite as good, you would be reducing your rate for cancer, reducing the chance of metabolic and cardiovascular disorders, and reducing the probability of making poor behavioural decisions the following day. For example, by limiting sleep, we are more likely to consume roughly 300 to 600 calories more than needed the next day (refer to episode #650 of the ‘Tim Ferriss Show, featuring Dr. Matthew Walker.) Despite all this, from what I have learned from myself, friends, and family who have worked nights, it is often inconsistent, which makes adhering to a sleep-wake cycle more difficult.
That said, there is no harm in working or partying through the night for 20% of your time, given you are focusing on your sleep-wake cycle for the remaining 80% (a reference to this Huberman Lab episode: Developing a Rational Approach to Supplementation for Health and Performance.). Therefore, as long as we abide by these statistics, we are setting ourselves up for success, as life is less straining when we have a healthy frame of mind.
Consume light-non-fiction or fiction before bed:
Be aware of the content you are reading before you turn off the lights. However, in most cases, all reading is beneficial, in my opinion, there is a time and a place for such literature to be consumed.
Six months back I read ‘The 4-hour Work Week’ by Tim Ferriss.' It was great. It was very informative regarding how we think about financial freedom. Unfortunately, after I put it down to sleep, my brain would be racing with ideas and strategies to implement. Although expected after reading a good book, it isn’t so great for getting a good night’s sleep.
To conclude:
I want to make this clear. Despite enjoying the benefits of this schedule, I do not practice this every day. As I said, life is unpredictable. We all have different routines and are mostly clueless about the plans our family and friends may be making. Therefore, always plan to adhere to the circadian rhythm if you wish for a good night's sleep. However, be careful of falling into the same trap I did. In my opinion, it can be unhealthy to become obsessive about a healthy lifestyle in all areas of your life. I tried this, and as a result, I was much more distant from friends and family.
Making and holding relationships is just as important as a night of good sleep and from experience, just as helpful in easing anxiety.
Note: A lot of this article is in reference to episodes 1 - 4 of the Huberman Lab podcast. I suggest you check them out.
Someone I find inspiring as of late…
Dr. Andrew Huberman.
I feel being inspired by Huberman is almost cliche at this point. Everybody interested in neuroscience has either listened to his podcast or knows who he is, and for good reason, he knows his stuff. Plus, he is the best fit for this headline regarding this week’s post.
Here is a link to Huberman’s sleep tool kit. You will probably notice a correlation between Dr. Hubermans tool kit and my own, and that is because there is. I took a lot of inspiration from Huberman in fixing my sleep.
That said, Huberman’s knowledge expands sleep science. Here is an episode on how to use failure to enhance cognitive learning.
After listening to this episode, I started implementing a strategy discussed before entering a learning bout. Huberman acknowledged how repetitive failure enhances focus. He used the example of practicing free throws and missing consecutively. I tried this in a different form. I have the privilege of having a piano in my room, so, on occasion, immediately before entering a period of cognition, I would attempt to play a piece of music that I found difficult over and over, raising my level of focus throughout the process.
A quote I’ve been pondering…
“The biggest advantage is not thinking it’s a crazy idea.” ~ B.J. Novak.
Here is a link to Novak’s Wikipedia…
A straightforward quote, however, is remarkably accurate.
Two years ago, I possibly went through my most musically creative stint thus far in my lifetime. Although I was regularly procrastinating on my university work, I didn’t feel like I was wasting my time. I wasn’t staring at the television day after day, I was sitting at my piano writing music. I now have an immaculately large book filled with lyrics no one’s ears have ever heard other than my own and my old housemates.
The point is, two years ago, if I were as confident as I am now, I probably would have shared more of my music, rather than thought being progressive with my songwriting was such a ridiculous idea.
A song I’ve been listening to…
Mother. IDLES.
Recently I have been listening to this song every working day at 9 a.m.
When I arrive at work, my first task is to set up the outdoor areas of the venue. I have to carry furniture from inside the bar and display it neatly outside. In doing this, I generally listen to a specific cocktail of punk rock to get myself amped up. The IDLES are certainly the liquor in this concoction.
In all honesty, I find when listening to fast-paced music, like Mother, moving slowly just feels awkward.