If you want to learn how to sleep better, then you're in the right place. This guide will walk you through everything you need to know if you want to get better sleep.Social and cognitive learning I'll explain the science of sleep and how it works, discuss why many people suffer from sleep deprivation without knowing it, and offer practical tips for getting better sleep and having more energy.Social and cognitive learning

Finally, sleep is paramount for metabolic health. Studies have shown that when you sleep 5.5 hours per night instead of 8.5 hours per night, a lower proportion of the energy you burn comes from fat, while more comes from carbohydrate and protein.Social and cognitive learning this can predispose you to fat gain and muscle loss. Additionally, insufficient sleep or abnormal sleep cycles can lead to insulin insensitivity and metabolic syndrome, increasing your risk of diabetes and heart disease.Social and cognitive learning

All of this to say, that better sleep is critical for your mental and physical health. Before we get too deep into this sleep guide though, let's pause for just a second.Social and cognitive learning if you're enjoying this article on sleep, then you'll probably find my other writing on performance and human behavior useful. Each week, I share self-improvement tips based on proven scientific research through my free email newsletter.Social and cognitive learning

The researchers began the experiment by gathering 48 healthy men and women who had been averaging seven to eight hours of sleep per night. Then, they split these subjects into four groups.Social and cognitive learning the first group had to stay up for 3 days straight without sleeping. The second group slept for 4 hours per night. The third group slept for 6 hours per night.Social and cognitive learning and the fourth group slept for 8 hours per night. In these final three groups—4, 6, and 8 hours of sleep—the subjects were held to these sleep patterns for two weeks straight.Social and cognitive learning throughout the experiment the subjects were tested on their physical and mental performance. 1

The subjects who were allowed a full 8 hours of sleep displayed no cognitive decreases, attention lapses, or motor skill declines during the 14-day study.Social and cognitive learning meanwhile, the groups who received 4 hours and 6 hours of sleep steadily declined with each passing day. The four-hour group performed worst, but the six-hour group didn't fare much better.Social and cognitive learning in particular, there were two notable findings.

First, sleep debt is a cumulative issue. In the words of the researchers, sleep debt “has a neurobiological cost which accumulates over time.” after one week, 25 percent of the six-hour group was falling asleep at random times throughout the day.Social and cognitive learning after two weeks, the six-hour group had performance deficits that were the same as if they had stayed up for two days straight. Let me repeat that: if you get 6 hours of sleep per night for two weeks straight, your mental and physical performance declines to the same level as if you had stayed awake for 48 hours straight. 2

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Second, participants didn't notice their own performance declines. When participants graded themselves, they believed that their performance declined for a few days and then tapered off.Social and cognitive learning in reality, they were continuing to get worse with each day. In other words, we are poor judges of our own performance decreases even as we are going through them.Social and cognitive learning

And this brings us to the important question: at what point does sleep debt start accumulating? When do performance declines start adding up?Social and cognitive learning according to a wide range of studies, the tipping point is usually around the 7 or 7.5 hour mark. Generally speaking, experts agree that 95 percent of adults need to sleep 7 to 9 hours each night to function optimally.Social and cognitive learning most adults should be aiming for eight hours per night. Children, teenagers, and older adults typically need even more. 4

The forces that drain your bucket aren't all negative, of course.Social and cognitive learning to live a productive life, it can be important to have some of those things flowing out of your bucket. Working hard in the gym, at school, or at the office allows you to produce something of value.Social and cognitive learning but even positive outputs are still outputs and they drain your energy accordingly.

During slow wave sleep the body relaxes, breathing becomes more regular, blood pressure falls, and the brain becomes less responsive to external stimuli, which makes it more difficult to wake up.Social and cognitive learning this phase is critical for renewal and repair of the body. During slow wave sleep, the pituitary gland releases growth hormone, which stimulates tissue growth and muscle repair.Social and cognitive learning researchers also believe that the body's immune system is repaired during this stage. Slow wave sleep is particularly critical if you're an athlete.Social and cognitive learning you'll often hear about professional athletes like roger federer or lebron james sleeping 11 or 12 hours per night. 8

As one example of the impact of sleep on physical performance, consider a study researchers conducted on the stanford basketball players.Social and cognitive learning during this study, the players slept for at least ten hours per night (compared to their typical eight hours). During five weeks of extended sleep, the researchers measured the basketball players accuracy and speed compared to their previous levels.Social and cognitive learning free throw shooting percentage increased by 9 percent. Three point shooting percentage increased by 9.2 percent. And the players were 0.6 seconds faster when sprinting 80 meters.Social and cognitive learning if you place heavy physical demands on your body, slow wave sleep is what helps you recover. 9

REM sleep is to the mind what slow wave sleep is to the body.Social and cognitive learning the brain is relatively quiet during most sleep phases, but during REM your brain comes to life. REM sleep is when your brain dreams and re-organizes information.Social and cognitive learning during this phase your brain clears out irrelevant information, boosts your memory by connecting the experiences of the last 24 hours to your previous experiences, and facilitates learning and neural growth.Social and cognitive learning your body temperature rises, your blood pressure increases, and your heart rate speeds up. Despite all of this activity, your body hardly moves.Social and cognitive learning typically, the REM phase occurs in short bursts about 3 to 5 times per night.

Without the slow wave sleep and REM sleep phases, the body literally starts to die.Social and cognitive learning if you starve yourself of sleep, you can't recover physically, your immune system weakens, and your brain becomes foggy. Or, as the researchers put it, sleep deprived individuals experience increased risk of viral infections, weight gain, diabetes, high blood pressure, heart disease, mental illness, and mortality.Social and cognitive learning

Based on my calculations of the above data, the average 80-year-old gets a whopping 62 percent less slow wave sleep than the average 20-year-old (20 percent of the average sleep cycle versus 7.5 percent).Social and cognitive learning there are many factors that impact the aging of body tissues and cells, but it stands to reason that if your body gets less slow wave sleep to restore itself each night, then the aging process will accelerate as a result.Social and cognitive learning

For millions of years, humans and our ancestors have evolved to sleep at night (when it is dark) and wake during the day (when it is light). However, in the modern world, we work inside all day, often in areas that are darker than the outside world.Social and cognitive learning and then, at night, we look at bright screens and televisions. Low light during the day, more light at night: it's the opposite of naturally occurring cycles and it seems quite likely that it could mess up your wake rhythm and circadian rhythm. 10

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The result of this shift? Drowsiness and impaired function through the day. We'll talk more in just a minute about how to sleep better, including actionable steps you can take to anchor your rhythm, but it pretty much comes down to this: use common-sense light habits.Social and cognitive learning get outdoor light exposure during the day, and turn down the lights and turn off your screens after dark. When should I go to sleep?

The ratio of REM to non-REM sleep changes through the night, with non-REM sleep dominating cycles earlier in the night and REM sleep kicking in closer to sunrise, walker said.Social and cognitive learning that means a late night could result in insufficient amounts of deep, non-REM sleep. As we discussed earlier, it's crucially important to get healthy amounts of both REM and non-REM sleep.Social and cognitive learning

Develop a “power down” ritual before bed. The light from computer screens, televisions, and phones can hinder the production of melatonin, which means your body isn't preparing the hormones it needs to enter the sleep phase.Social and cognitive learning specifically, it is the blue wavelength of light that seems to decrease melatonin production. Developing a “power down” routine where you shut off all electronics an hour or two before sleep can be a big help.Social and cognitive learning additionally, working late at night can keep your mind racing and your stress levels high, which also prevents the body from calming down for sleep.Social and cognitive learning turn off the screens and read a book instead. It's the perfect way to learn something useful and power down before bed. (another option is to download an app called f.Lux, which reduces the brightness of your screen closer to bedtime.)

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Use relaxation techniques. Researchers believe that at least 50 percent of insomnia cases are emotion or stress related. Find outlets to reduce your stress and you'll often find that better sleep comes as a result.Social and cognitive learning proven methods include daily journaling, deep breathing exercises, meditation, exercise, and keeping a gratitude journal (write down something you are thankful for each day).Social and cognitive learning

When it comes to intensity, the truth is that there isn’t much you can do. Your body largely manages the intensity of your sleep cycle (how much time you spend in slow wave sleep and REM sleep) for you.Social and cognitive learning it adjusts automatically based on what you need and how much time you are spending asleep. Exercising consistently, being smart about light habits, and getting proper nutrition will help, but these actions only indirectly improve sleep intensity. 13

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From a practical application standpoint, timing is perhaps the most important of the 3 levers of sleep. The intensity of your sleep is managed automatically by your body.Social and cognitive learning the duration of your sleep is largely dependent on when you get into bed (assuming you wake up around the same time each morning). And that means getting to bed at an earlier, more consistent time is critical for improving the quality and duration of your sleep. 14 daily habits for better sleep

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Use the bedroom for sleep and sex only. Is your bedroom designed to promote good sleep? The ideal sleeping environment is dark, cool, and quiet.Social and cognitive learning don't make your bedroom a multi-purpose room. Eliminate tvs, laptops, electronics, and clutter. These are simple ways to improve the choice architecture of your bedroom, so that sleep is easier and distraction is harder.Social and cognitive learning when you go to the bedroom, go there to sleep.

Exercise. There are too many benefits to exercise to list them all here. When it comes to sleep, exercise will make it easier for your brain and body to power down at night.Social and cognitive learning furthermore, obesity can wreak havoc on your sleep patterns. The role of exercise only becomes more important with age. Fit middle-aged adults sleep significantly better than their overweight peers.Social and cognitive learning one caveat: avoid exercising two to three hours before bedtime as the mental and physical stimulation can leave your nervous system feeling wired and make it difficult to calm down at night.Social and cognitive learning

Alcohol. This one is a slippery slope. It is true that having a drink before bed — a “night cap” — often does help people fall asleep. However, while it makes it easier to fall asleep, it actually reduces the quality of your sleep and delays the REM cycle.Social and cognitive learning so you fall asleep faster, but it's possible that you'll wake up without feeling rested. It's probably best to improve your sleep through other methods before resorting to alcohol to do the job.Social and cognitive learning final thoughts on how to sleep better