🟠 Sleep Better

Hey welcome to the 1st edition of the Start Designing Life Newsletter. In each episode, I’ll be bringing you the key insights from the top thought leaders & industry experts.

Each newsletter will be educational, inspirational & we’ll have a bit of fun along the way. The goal is that we will get smarter every week by learning from the best in 5min or less.

Sound good? Okay great let’s introduce the expert - it’s one of my favourites.

Today we’ll be learning from from Dr Matt Walker. He is one of, if not the leading expert on sleep. He is a renowned neuroscientist and professor of psychology at the University of California, Berkeley, where he also serves as the founder and director of the Center for Human Sleep Science.

He wrote the international bestseller "Why We Sleep: Unlocking the Power of Sleep and Dreams," which has been a huge hit because it’s both easy to read and packed with great info.

And his TED Talk "Sleep is Your Superpower" has garnered over 12 million views—yep, people are really into what he has to say about getting a good night’s sleep.

In this issue, we’ll talk about

• Can you really catch up on sleep over the weekend?

• Lack of sleep impact on testicles

• Sleeps impact on memory & learning

— Matt Lok, Editor

1 Key Idea & 1 Fun Fact

🔸 Key Idea: Sleep Isn’t Like a Bank

If you’ve ever had to work long hours during the week and thought to yourself, “I’ll just sleep extra on the weekend,” you’re not alone. But Dr. Walker explains that sleep doesn’t work that way.

Sleep loss is pretty much irretrievable. You can’t just pull an all-nighter and expect to catch up on sleep over the weekend. Once it’s gone, it’s gone.

We’ll be going over some tips later to help you make sure you get a better night’s sleep.

🥕 Fun Fact: Sleep and Testicles

Well… if you needed another reason to hit the hay a little earlier, here it is.

Let’s get into some of his key ideas, lessons, and insights. I’ll also give you some of the leading scientific research into sleep.

1 Key Lesson

🟠 Memory and Learning

Sleep isn’t just about rest; it’s also about memory retention. According to Dr. Walker, you need sleep both before and after learning to help your brain effectively absorb and retain new information.

Skipping out on sleep can impair your brain’s ability to form and recall memories. So, those late-night cram sessions before an exam? Probably not the best idea. Instead, get a good night’s sleep to make sure all that studying actually sticks.

PRO Lessons

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An Analogy

Sleep & Charging your phone

Imagine that your brain is like a sophisticated smartphone—one of the latest, top-of-the-line models. Every day, you use various apps on this phone that help you learn new information, manage your day-to-day activities, and interact with the world. Now, sleep acts like the phone's charger and the nightly software update rolled into one.

If you consistently charge your phone each night and make sure it updates correctly, it functions smoothly, the battery lasts longer during the day, and everything operates as it should. You get maximum performance with sharp graphics (i.e., clear thinking) and swift processing speeds (i.e., quick learning and memory recall).

But, if you decide that charging the phone fully isn't necessary—maybe you plug it in just for an hour or so, or you skip some nights entirely—the phone starts to glitch. Apps crash more frequently (similar to forgetting things), the battery drains rapidly forcing you to operate in low power mode (akin to feeling lethargic), and it may even miss crucial software updates (similar to not consolidating memories or the inability to learn new information effectively).

Just as your smartphone's functionality is heavily dependent on those nightly charges and updates, your brain's performance hinges on getting good, quality sleep every night. Not just to stop the apps from crashing the next day but to ensure your phone can handle more updates and features (tasks and learning) for many more years to come, remaining as efficient as it was when it was brand new.

3 Steps & 3 Tips

If you're really serious about improving your health and well-being through better sleep, try these insights from SMatt Walker. They might change how you approach your sleep habits.

3 Steps:

1. Prioritise your sleep like an essential, non-negotiable health activity. Aim for consistent, quality sleep every night.

2. Implement regular sleep schedules. Go to bed and wake up at the same time every day, even on weekends. This consistency will anchor your sleep patterns and improve sleep quality.

3. Optimise your sleep environment. Keep your bedroom cool (around 65 degrees Fahrenheit or 18 degrees Celsius) and comfortable. Make your sleeping space conducive to rest by minimizing noise and light distractions.
   

Tips:

1. Avoid caffeine and alcohol, especially close to bedtime. Both can significantly disturb your sleep quality.

2. Avoid naps during the day if you're struggling with nighttime sleep. Daytime napping can disrupt your natural sleep cycle.

3. If you find yourself tossing and turning, get out of bed and engage in a quiet, non-stimulating activity in another room until you feel sleepy again. This helps your brain associate your bed with sleep, not wakefulness.

If you are looking at ways to best manage your sleep, you can start by prioritising it in the first place.

You can't create more hours in the night to sleep, but you can simplify and improve your sleep by choosing to focus on it.

PRO Strategies

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Maxims to Live By

Based on the insights shared by Matthew Walker, here are several maxims to guide you toward better sleep and overall wellness:

1. Prioritise Sleep: Treat sleep as a non-negotiable biological necessity, not a luxury.

2. Maintain Regularity: Go to bed and wake up at the same time every day, even on weekends.

3. Optimise Your Environment: Keep your bedroom cool (around 65 degrees Fahrenheit or 18 degrees Celsius) to help initiate and maintain sleep.

4. Watch Your Diet Close to Bedtime: Avoid alcohol and caffeine late in the day as they can disrupt sleep patterns.

5. Reset When Needed: If you can’t sleep, get out of bed and engage in a quiet activity until you feel sleepy again.

Research & Statistics

Sleep Recommendations

• Recommended sleep for adults: At least seven hours per night.

PRO Research & Statistics

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Thank you for taking the time to read today’s issue of Start Designing Life! Here’s me wishing you a great night’s sleep. But until next time.

Stay curious,
Matt Lok, Editor

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📑 Resources

A big thank you for the work of Dr Matt Walker and the team for the research & education they have put out there. Here are resources from this write-up & for further reading.

• Dr Matt Walker Website

• Why We Sleep: Unlocking the Power of Sleep and Dreams

• Sleep is Your Superpower

• https://www.ncoa.org/adviser/sleep/sleep-statistics/

• https://www.sleepfoundation.org/how-sleep-works/sleep-facts-statistics

• https://mentalhealth-uk.org/help-and-information/sleep/

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