‘Jen, my tracking device tells me that I’m not getting 8 hours of deep sleep per night.’ In this episode, Jen explains how deep sleep is a crucial part of the sleep cycle and why you should stop wearing sleep trackers.
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SHOWNOTES
To explore in more detail about Sleep and Burnout, tune into Podcast Episode 1.
How long do we want deep sleep at night?
- Deep sleep is a crucial part of the sleep cycle and helps with the body’s overall health and wellbeing. It helps to restore the body, aids in memory consolidation, and is important for emotional regulation.
- Deep sleep is necessary for the body to repair itself, as it helps to produce hormones that promote growth and development.
- Deep sleep helps to reduce stress and anxiety as it helps to regulate the body’s natural rhythms and hormones. It also helps to improve cognitive performance.
We sleep in cycles of about 60-120 mins
Within each cycle, you should be getting some light sleep, deep sleep, light sleep and then REM sleep, in that sequence
In healthy adults, about 13 to 23 percent of your sleep is deep sleep.
So if you sleep for 8 hours a night, that’s roughly 62 to 110 minutes.
However, as you get older you require less deep sleep.
Older people typically show an increase in disturbed sleep that can create a negative impact on their quality of life, mood, and alertness.
Elderly individuals sleep 36 percent less than children at age 5
Although the ability to sleep becomes more difficult, the need to sleep does not decrease with age.
Physical health imbalances tend to disturb sleep as we age.
Older people also experience a decrease in melatonin levels
Check out Episode 135 for foods and ways to increase melatonin naturally.
STOP WEARING SLEEP TRACKING DEVICES
The algorithms built into sleep trackers work with the assumption that, if you’re moving, you’re awake, whereas, if you’re still, you’re probably asleep. The wearable may assume the person is asleep, while the same might happen if someone lies very still in bed watching a TV show or reading.
A study by the university of Oxford in UK – Those who were given a fake “negative” score, rated themselves as much sleepier, and their mood significantly worse than those who were given a fake “positive” score, and vice versa.
HEALTHY LIFE HACKS
The Healthy Life Hacks I want to share with you today are:
- BioHack your sleep – Listen to episode 1 and implement some sleep-enhancing tips
- Stop wearing sleep-tracking rings and watches.
Did you enjoy the podcast today? Please let me know by leaving a review on Apple Podcasts. Every month I draw one lucky reviewer to have a free one-hour consultation with me. Also, remember to subscribe wherever you’re tuning in from so that you always catch the next episode.
Are you looking for more great resources? Get a free copy of my Feed Your Body ebook here and be sure to explore my blog while you are there.
