Sleep - Part 1
Sleep Basics
Let’s keep it really simple :)
Amount –
The official guideline: Adults need 7 – 9 hours of sleep per night. For some, less is more (too much makes you tired). For others, more is more (not enough makes you tired).
But…here’s the thing. People who live more natural lives (like in tribes in the rainforest), apparently this group feels that it’s odd that we use things like alarm clocks. The theory is…why would you wake up before your sleep is finished?
Sleep being “finished” is a concept I want to embrace more. Currently, the theory is that too much sleep is a problem, but why? Doesn’t the body know how much sleep it needs?
It’s true though that if you’re chronically under-sleeping and you sleep in late for one or two days, you’ll be more tired. My guess is that’s because you’re in a more relaxed state and your body is overall very very T.I.R.E.D.
I’ve had the amazing privilege of phases in my life where I could sleep as much as I need and for as long as I need. One winter break I slept for 11 - 12 hours a night for a few weeks. I would “try” to wake up earlier, but my body wouldn’t let me. My only responsibility was feeding my cats (hence the wild privilege I had to be able to sleep), so I just fell into it.
After about 2 weeks I no longer needed those very long nights. And ya know what…I felt FANTASTIC. Amazingly wonderful. I don’t think I’ve ever felt so good in my life. I was also on the brink of burnout before this break, and I feel like really falling into rest saved me from months and months of exhaustion.
I highly recommended it if you’re tired and you have the time and space to sleep as long as you need.
Sleep until your sleep is finished is something I want to try to build my life around :)
And…do some experiments and find out your sleep sweet spot for those nights when you need to get up in the morning at a certain time. It’ll allow you to go to bed early enough. Mine is 9 hours if I’m in the dark by 10:30…more if I go to bed later. And, perimenopause has been asking for more sleep, so often I need closer to 10 hours.
10pm – midnight magic –
The deepest, more regenerative sleep happens between 10pm & 2am. This means, if you go to bed at midnight, you’ve cut that time in half.
This is when melatonin and human growth hormone (our keep-us-young hormone) are at high levels. They peak at midnight (or not if you’re still up :)
If you’re getting 7 or 8 hours of sleep each night, but you’re a night owl, try winding your bedtime back a bit and see if that helps.
And, embrace the you-ness of you. Maybe your circadian rhythm is later than others. But, if you’re sitting on screens, scrolling on social media and that’s keeping you up…then you might not be fully embracing your natural sleep cycle.
Try to keep to a schedule –
If you find yourself feeling kinda hungover on Monday mornings, it could mean your body doesn’t love your later weekend nights.
It can take a few days to adjust to an earlier bedtime…and just a few days later it’s the weekend again! By keeping to a regular bedtime, that can mean more Zzzzs through the week and you’ll feel better overall. Just try it for a few weeks and see if it’s for you :)
Time to head over to Part 2 where we’ll look at sleep hormones. Head over to Part 2.
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