Sleep: The Non-Negotiable and 5 Tips to Get More Out of It

I'm sure you've met someone who talks up their lack of sleep. I live in a city filled with them. Lack of sleep is worn as a badge of honor, demonstrating how much our lives are ruled by work and external validation. It's almost like a game of "can you top this," with the winner always claiming to have slept the fewest number of hours the night before or woken up the earliest. Several years ago, I was one of those people. I thought, "life is short and I want to spend as much time as I can awake, doing things. Sleep is a waste of precious time."

Don't get me wrong, I'm an early riser, but I now recognize and appreciate the power of sleep, from both a physical and mental performance standpoint.

Like many teenagers, I used to watch the show "Cribs" on MTV (don't worry, there's a point to this). During almost every house tour, when it came time to show the person's bedroom, its unveiling was too often preceded by the cliche "and this is where the magic happens." In a weird way, they are right!

Sleep is all about repair and rebuilding. Take for example muscle tissue. When it's trained, whether from hard running or performing heavy squats, the muscle tissue becomes damaged. The soreness that is felt is the result of small tears in the actual muscle tissue itself. Ever touch a muscle (say your quads) after a really tough workout or race? It feels tender and inflamed, right? This is all apart of the body's natural response to damage. It sets in motion a cascade of inflammatory processes to help repair the damaged tissue. 

A lack of sleep also negatively impacts health in a host of ways, evening increasing diabetes, heart disease, and obesity risk, as well as contributing to mental health conditions such as depression.

Because sleep is so foundational to human health, I focus a lot on finding ways to optimize it. Here are a few things: 

Upgrade Your Sleep

1. Go to Bed at the Same Time - Ever have the experience when you go to bed after a late evening, plan to "sleep in" and end up waking up at the same old time you always wake up? I've had this happen countless times. Even if I hit the sack at midnight, my body doesn't get the memo to shift it's wake time back two hours. I'll still be wide awake, ready to go around 6am (I normally wake up anywhere between 5am and 6am). Keep doing this and it's the surest way to accumulate fatigue, compromise your immune system, stifle athletic performance, increase stress, and throw your cardio-metabolic system out of whack, which is why chronic lack of sleep is linked to obesity, diabetes and heart disease. The list of athletic performance factors affected by lack of sleep is quite long, but to name a few: decreased motivation, low body temperature, increased degree of exertion, and increased duration of task (among others). Beyond physical functioning, consistent quality sleep of roughly 7 hours is associated with higher levels of cognitive performance. Basically, if you want to think better, remember things, and be mentally sharp, sleep is a must.

2. Magnesium - Every night, about 30-45 minutes before bed, I'll have about one tablespoon of Natural Calm magnesium with 8oz of water. This powerhouse of a mineral is a cofactor in more than 300 enzyme systems throughout the body. Everything from protein synthesis, to the structural development of bone, to the synthesis of our body's DNA and natural antioxidants are to thank, in part, for magnesium. What happens when the body doesn't get enough magnesium? Well, quite a lot, potentially. There's a fairly long list of symptoms associated with magnesium deficiency. And unfortunately, about half of the U.S. population doesn't consume the recommended amount of magnesium from food. But, related to sleep, magnesium is a natural relaxant, particularly for muscles. On a hormonal level, magnesium deactivates adrenaline, essentially calming the body's "fight of flight" mechanism. This is why magnesium has been so helpful for me the night before races, when I'm hopped up with excitement and nervousness.

3. Cold Exposure - There are some pretty complex biochemical reactions in your body triggered by cold exposure. If you're interested in the details, check out the blog series by neurosurgeon Jack Kruse. The take away with exposure to cold (which can be cold showers for example) is that not only does it stimulate increased caloric burning through brown adipose tissue, it helps the body enter into deeper sleep. Most of my post-workout showers are cold, which usually consist of about 5 minutes in the morning and then another 5 minutes in the evening. 

4. EMF Exposure - Not too long ago I began learning a bit more about the potential impact of EMF exposure on sleep. I've seen research that has gone both ways (difference and no-difference). One of the largest sources of EMF in our homes is the wireless router. Having a router is obviously convenient as laptops, tablets and other devices have become more popular. But, until recently, I really never thought about how it could influence my health. Turns out, it did (and does) more than I thought. So, about nine months ago I began to unplug our wireless router every night before going to bed (not just turn off, but actually unplug). I was shocked at the difference. Yes, this was not a controlled experiment and there could've been any number of factors as to why I slept better, but I'm convinced this is one of them. A good way to compare now is when I sleep in hotels versus at home. Most hotels have a fairly extensive wireless system, and I often find my sleep quality diminishes when I sleep at a hotel. Again, there is no way to draw any causal relationships, but it's one thing I've modified in my sleep routine and I've noticed a difference in sleep quality.

5. Darkness- This may seem obvious, but limiting the amount of light (especially artificial) in the bedroom makes a huge difference. I've found that even the small amount of light from a digital clock on a night stand can be enough to throw me off. In the case of the clock, my wife fashioned a shade that's taped onto the clock and flaps over the clock to cover the light. When I'm traveling and staying in hotels, I'll simply place a shirt over the clock. Shades over the windows are also helpful. Though I've found that blackout shades are a double edged sword because they don't allow any light - even natural sunlight - in the morning that triggers your circadian rhythm.

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This evening, when it's time to hit the sack, give one of these a shot. Better yet, if there are things I've missed that are helpful for sleep, leave a comment below.

Daily Expressions of Gratitude: They only take 5 minutes and can be the key to your happiness

Merriam-Webster defines gratitude in two ways. The first: "the state of being grateful." Well, that isn't very helpful. The second: " thankfulness." The only image I can conjure up for "thankfulness" is an amorphous picture of my family sitting around a delectable spread of turkey, mashed potatoes, stuffing and cranberry sauce, each person taking a turn to voice one thing they were thankful for at that moment. 

In his 2013 TED talk, which has generated nearly 3.5 million views, Benectine monk and faith scholar, David Steindl-Rast, creates a more vivid, accessible picture of gratitude:

"We all know from experience how it goes. We experience something that's valuable to us. Something is given to us that's valuable to us. And it's really given. These two things have to come together. It has to be something valuable, and it's a real gift. You haven't bought it. You haven't earned it. You haven't traded it in. You haven't worked for it. It's just given to you. And when these two things come together, something that's really valuable to me and I realize it's freely given, then gratefulness spontaneously rises in my heart, happiness spontaneously rises in my heart. That's how gratefulness happens."

But, later in the talk, an important question comes up, "Which comes first?" Is it the happy people who are more grateful? In other words, is happiness the prerequisite for gratitude? One can easily draw this conclusion if we ascribe to the false paradigm that money is either a good motivator (research shows intrinsic motivators are much more effective) or a source of happiness (the richest countries nor the richest individuals are the happiest).

So, why exactly should we express gratitude at all?

Two reasons: physical and mental well-being. First, gratitude has been shown to protect people from both stress and depression, two things that are far too prevalent. Stress, in particular, has been shown to be an underlying issue for a range of chronic diseases. Depression and other mental (and substance abuse) disorders increased by almost 40 percent globally between 1990 and 2010.

On mental well-being, one study from 2003 emphasizes the point nicely. In two separate experiments, researchers divided participants into three groups. The first was instructed to write down, on a weekly basis for 10 weeks, up to five things they were grateful or thankful for from the previous week. The second group listed "hassles" while the third simply listed neutral life events. 

The outcome? The researchers found that the group that expressed gratitude "felt better about their lives as a whole, and were more optimistic regarding their expectations for the upcoming week." They also mentioned that this group was more likely to "help someone with a personal problem or offer emotional support to another." So, not only can gratitude improve our own individual mental outlook and well-being, it fosters an increased sense of connectedness with others. As the authors rightfully titled the study, we might want to think more about "counting blessings versus burdens."

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My gratitude practice takes two forms, one is periodic, the other is episodic. 

Habits structure several key aspects of my day, from when I train, to the food I eat, to when I go to bed at night. One habit I picked up late last year was to consciously express gratitude on a daily basis. I do this with a very simple tool, the Five-Minute Journal.

Growing up I went through short streaks of journalling, but the most appealing part about the Five-Minute Journal is that it's structured, consistent, targeted and quick. Every day, you answer the same five questions, three in the morning when you first wake up, and two in the evening before going to sleep.

• What am I grateful for? 
• What will make today great? 
• What kind of person do I want to be today? 
• What were three great things that happened today? 
• What can I do better tomorrow? 

Journalling in the morning, which is usually accompanied by a cup of coffee, automatically shifts my state of mind to the positive and aspirational. This is exactly how I want to start every day. I've also found I'm most productive and creative in the morning. As a writer, I thrive off these two things. Expressing gratitude each morning frees my mind from the previous day's negativity, essentially treating the forthcoming 19 hours as a blank canvas. It's on this canvas I have the potential to paint anything I want (by answering the second and third questions). 

I've had my fair share of rocky days when things never seem to pan out quite how I want them to. We all experience these moments. Many of these situations could've been out of our control. The one thing we do have control over is how we choose to react to them (for a gripping portrayal of this concept, read Victor Frankel's Man's Search for Meaning). By focusing on the good things from the day, or even reframing a negative experience to find the good in it, we reaffirm gratitude, and therefore our happiness.

For me, the most productive question of the five has been the last one: "What can I do better tomorrow?" This question assumes our human imperfections. However big or small, we all have goals we're striving to achieve. We all want to improve ourselves in some way. I contend it's this continuous and persistent openness to improvement that fosters personal growth and learning. 

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Whether I'm standing on the start line of a local 10k or the Boston Marathon, I've also incorporated a very short and simple preparation habit. I take a moment, sometimes with my eyes closed, and think about the opportunity I'm experiencing and reflect on all the good things about my preparation to get to that moment. My training and own personal health often come to mind, but I also consciously say a big thank you to the people in my life, including my biggest supporter, my wife, who empower me to pursue my dreams and be the best person I can be. 

These quick expressions of gratitude, whether in the morning or on the start line, I believe, have helped me become a better runner, triathlete, husband and person in general. 

Tools to Track (and Hack) Your Own Health

One of the most exciting trends over the past few years has been the proliferation of tools to track your own health. No longer is your health a conversation reserved for a doctor's office, but there are more and more opportunities for people interested in their own health to track various aspects of it.

Whether the number of steps taken in a day, sleep duration and quality, heart rate variability (a measure of stress, which is being used more and more - this is a good podcast done by Ben Greenfield if you'd like to learn more), or even keeping track of individual lab results that measure a whole host of biomarkers, technology has allowed for more data. This has allowed for a unique niche of health and wellness experts, called biohackers, to spring up, but it's also allowed for something the online lab and personalized wellness company, WellnessFx, likes to call the "democratization of health."

I've become a huge fan of this individualized approach to health, including from a nutrition perspective. Our body's are unique ecosystems and what works for one person might not work for another. That's where this concept of individualized wellness comes in. I'm sure you've heard the saying that "you're the best expect of your own body," (or something like that) but I think there is a lot of validity to that statement. And technology has made it possible for an even deeper, more intimate expertise of our own physiology, genetics and health.

Over the past year or so I have been experimenting with a variety of apps to track different aspects of my own health. Here are a few of my favorites.

Sleep Time - Made by Azumio, which also makes a variety of other health and wellness apps (including the next one on my list), this particular app allows you to track the duration and quality of your sleep through your smartphone (I've only used the iPhone). The app uses sensors within your smartphone that can detect movement, and tells you the time you spend in deep sleep and light sleep. I found the app was pretty accurate, but practically was sometimes difficult to use. For example, you need to sleep with your phone fairly close to your pillow so it can most accurately sense movement. There can also be a counter-productive mental game that you play with yourself, wanting to score well on your sleep score, but by over thinking it, I found it even harder to fall asleep. 
 
Argus - Another app by Azumio (no they don't pay me), Argus is a so-called lifestyle app that functions as a pedometer, calorie counter, and keeps track of your meals and daily water intake. I'm a big fan of the reminders Argus has when you've been sitting for too long. Getting caught up in our work is a frequent occurence, and I'm no exception, and these are helpful reminders to make sure we all step away for a few minutes and go for a walk. My favorite part of the app, though, was that you could take pictures of your meals, which are stored directly in the app. Also, because it's an Azumio app, Argus conveniently syncs with other Azumio apps, such as Sleep Time or Instant Heart Rate, to create a useful dashboard of data.

Food Sense -Not by Azumio, this is an app by the Bulletproof Exec, Dave Asprey, and one I've actually been using the most recently. I haven't quite tapped into it's full capabilities, which also include measuring heart rate variability, but one of its main functions is to detect food sensitivities through a series of heart rate measurements around meal times. It also includes a handy relax function, which takes you through deep breathing exercises, which can be used by itself, or in conjunction with the heart rate variability function. I also like that the app is compatible with a number of wireless heart rate monitor straps, which can be used to measure heart rate, or it also has options of measuring it through the camera lens of your smartphone.

So, give these a try and let me know your thoughts. Also, post your favorite health and wellness apps in the comments. I'm always looking for new ones to try.