Let's Talk About Sleep

Welcome to The Sunday Starter, a weekly email of tools and techniques, that will help navigate the journey to just get started and keep moving forward.

Disclaimer: I am not a doctor so I’d recommend consulting your physician if you have any questions related to your sleep.

If I could point to one clear and constant area that has improved my energy, creativity, and overall mood it has to be sleep.

On the Mount Rushmore of essentials for a healthy life, sleep would be George Washington.

→ By prioritizing enough sleep each night I improve my chances of performing better with my exercise and regulating my body with the right foods at the right times.

If you live by the mantra, “I’ll sleep when I’m dead” you are giving yourself a head start to get there sooner than later.

That’s why I am so passionate about sleep. I want to improve my overall quality and longevity of life. I want that for you too!

So that’ll be our focus today.

Quality shut-eye = Enhanced quality of life.

We all have a bedtime routine whether we believe so or not.

The question is “How good is it?”

If you had to pick a number on a scale of 1-10 with 10 being the best, how would you rate your sleep? How did you come up with that rating?

• Is it based on the duration of sleep?

• Is it based on how you feel in the morning?

• Is it based on some other factor?

Keep this top of mind as you finish reading and continue to analyze and refine your score. The more you are aware of your sleep patterns and tendencies it can provide a foundation to build on.

Since I’m not a doctor or scientist and I don’t intend to play one on TV anytime soon I wanted to share some insights below from Dr. Matthew Walker, author of the book “Why We Sleep” and one of the foremost experts on sleep science.

To start, there are many factors that determine our sleep quality. Let’s highlight some below.

1. Stress and Anxiety: High levels of stress and anxiety can activate the body's "fight or flight" response, releasing stress hormones that make it difficult to fall asleep and stay asleep.

2. Screen Time and Artificial Light: Exposure to the blue light emitted by screens on phones, tablets, computers, and TVs can suppress the production of melatonin, a hormone that regulates sleep. This can lead to difficulty falling asleep.

3. Caffeine and Alcohol: Consuming caffeine and alcohol, especially in the hours leading up to bedtime, can interfere with sleep. Caffeine is a stimulant that can keep you awake, while alcohol can disrupt the sleep cycle and lead to fragmented sleep.

4. Irregular Sleep Schedule: Inconsistent sleep patterns, such as going to bed and waking up at different times each day, can disrupt the body's internal clock and make it challenging to establish a healthy sleep routine.

5. Shift Work and Jet Lag: Working night shifts or frequently changing time zones can disrupt the body's natural sleep-wake cycle, leading to sleep difficulties and a range of health issues.

6. Poor Sleep Environment: Factors such as noise, light, temperature, and an uncomfortable mattress can contribute to poor sleep quality.

7. Medical Conditions: Various medical conditions, such as sleep apnea, insomnia, restless legs syndrome, and chronic pain, can significantly impact sleep quality and lead to sleep disturbances.

8. Medications: Some medications can interfere with sleep by causing wakefulness, altering sleep patterns, or producing side effects that disrupt restful sleep.

9. Lack of Physical Activity: A sedentary lifestyle or lack of regular physical activity can affect sleep quality. Regular exercise has been shown to improve sleep, but exercising too close to bedtime might have a stimulating effect.

10. Overthinking and Racing Thoughts: Engaging in intensive mental activity or having racing thoughts before bed can make it difficult to relax and fall asleep.

11. Napping Habits: Napping excessively or too late in the day can interfere with nighttime sleep.

12. Age-Related Changes: As people age, changes in sleep patterns and the body's internal clock can lead to difficulties in falling asleep and staying asleep.

It's important to note that the causes of poor sleep can vary from person to person, and addressing sleep issues often involves identifying and addressing the specific factors that are affecting an individual's sleep quality.

Dr. Walker emphasizes the importance of understanding the science of sleep and adopting healthy sleep habits to improve overall sleep quality and well-being.

With that, let’s discuss some tactics that have been shown to aid in a better night's rest.

There are several tactics that can be used to improve your sleep. This is not an exhaustive list but I have personally tested these and found them to be extremely valuable in improving the overall quality of my sleep.

Maintain a Consistent Sleep Schedule: 

Try to go to bed and wake up at the same time every day, even on weekends.

For me, I start my bedtime routine at 10 pm and wake up at 7 am. Going to bed at a consistent time has been the #1 tactic that has helped me build better quality sleep.

Create a Relaxing Bedtime Routine: 

Develop a calming routine before bed, such as reading a book, taking a warm bath, or practicing relaxation techniques like deep breathing.

I read for 10-15 minutes before bed each night. I’ve found that reading makes me sleepy so it’s worked. Try various things and see what’s best for you.

Create a Sleep-Conducive Environment: 

Make sure your sleep environment is comfortable, quiet, and dark. Keep the room at a cool temperature and consider using blackout curtains if necessary.

Blackout curtains have been a staple in my room for years. I keep my temperature at 70 degrees and I’ve replaced my white lamp lightbulb with an orange lightbulb.

Limit Exposure to Screens Before Bed: 

The blue light emitted by phones, tablets, computers, and TVs can interfere with your body's production of melatonin, a hormone that regulates sleep. Try to avoid screens before bedtime and remove TVs from your bedroom.

I put my phone away for at least 30 minutes prior to bed. It’s typically the starting point of my bedtime routine. When the phone is down I can focus on getting into a “state of sleep”.

Watch Your Diet and Caffeine Intake: 

Avoid heavy meals, caffeine, and alcohol close to bedtime. These can disrupt your sleep or make it harder to fall asleep.

I’ve tried to stop eating any food after about 7 pm and I’ve given up alcohol altogether for the foreseeable future. These two factors have contributed to my body being in a prime position to fall asleep.

Manage Stress: 

Stress and anxiety can negatively impact sleep. Practice stress-reduction techniques like meditation, mindfulness, or yoga to help calm your mind before sleep.

What helps me best is journaling. I ask myself 4 questions. It’s a 5-10 minute exercise that does wonders to center me before bed. (Here’s a link to a short Just Get Started Podcast episode I recorded on this topic - Journaling To Relieve Stress)

Expose Yourself to Natural Light: 

Natural light exposure during the day helps regulate your body's internal clock and can improve sleep quality at night.

Going for a walk is not only beneficial to your overall health, mentally and physically, but it’s a great way to set your body up for a restful night's sleep. I try to get a 20-minute walk at some point every day.

There are numerous ways to improve your sleep and the above list is just the starting point. But it takes time to find what works for you.

→ Are you ready?

That’s the focus of this week’s challenge.

Here’s the thing: My Bedtime Routine didn’t happen overnight (no pun intended 😊). Start small and build something repeatable that works for your lifestyle.

Side note: I recorded a Just Get Started Podcast episode on my Bedtime Routine. Check it out here

This Week’s Challenge:

What is one specific action from the list in the above section that you can insert into your “bedtime routine”?

→ Do it tonight and try to keep it up for the next 7-days.

It’s not about perfection but about seeing if you can hold yourself accountable for something important and beneficial to your pursuit of happiness.

Once you hit 7 days, add another tactic to your bedtime routine and start building it out from there.

It starts with a focus on one simple fact.

Sleep is the foundation for your overall health.

When you prioritize sleep, the Tetris pieces start fitting together much more easily.

Get started now and sleep better tonight.

What’s Coming Next?

Next week, we’re going to chat about the cousin of bedtime routines, the morning routine!

Thanks again for your support with this newsletter.

❓What did you think? I’d love feedback in order to continue to make this a superb resource for everyone. It can be positive or negative. Nothing is off limits so reply to this email and I’d love to hear from you.

✅ When you complete the challenge, I’d love to hear what one tactic you used to help improve the quality of your sleep. Reply directly to this email and please share.

How can I support your journey?

One of the coolest things about building the Just Get Started community over the last several years is the amount of interactions with new and interesting people that are on the cusp of getting started or early in their journey.

If I can support you in any way, please let me know. You can reply to this email and let me know what’s going on in your world. I’ll try to help where I can!