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but only a few of us — one to three per cent — actually do well as part of the “sleepless elite.” in fact, when the rest of us aren’t getting a good dose of zz’s, we are more emotional, stressed, and have trouble finding pleasure in good things, says a new study out of the university of british columbia.
not enough sleep is a health risk. plus, it makes you unattractive
sleep is really, really important. especially in a global pandemic.
there are plenty of reasons why you should get those zzzzzs.
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famous inventor thomas edison needed only three or fours hours of shut-eye each night. leonardo davinci followed the “da vinci sleep schedule” — 20-minute power naps throughout the day which amounted to about five hours of sleep every 24 hours. barack obama logs six hours or less.
“when people experience something positive, such as getting a hug or spending time in nature, they typically feel happier that day,” nancy sin, an assistant professor in ubc’s department of psychology who led the study, said in a statement. “but we found that when a person sleeps less than their usual amount, they don’t have as much of a boost in positive emotions from their positive events.”
the study analyzed nearly 2,000 u.s. adults’ sleep cycles for eight days. researchers conducted interviews with participants about how long they slept, their daily stressors and positive events. stressors included arguments, experiencing discrimination, work and social tensions and family issues. unsurprisingly, when people had less sleep the night before a stressful situation, they reacted to that event with less positive emotions.
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“a large body of research has shown that inadequate sleep increases the risk for mental disorders, chronic health conditions, and premature death,” sin said. “my study adds to this evidence by showing that even minor night-to-night fluctuations in sleep duration can have consequences in how people respond to events in their daily lives.”
how lack of sleep affects us
for adults, the recommended amount of sleep is at least seven hours a night. superstars like bill gates, jeff bezos and lebron james report needing that much or more — james says he aims for nine hours most nights. and for good reason: sleep deprivation can wreak havoc our lives.
long-term effects of not getting enough sleep include high blood pressure, weakened immune system, diabetes, heart attack, heart failure or stroke. ongoing lack of sleep is also linked to obesity, depression and lower sex drive, and can lead to premature wrinkles and under-eye circles.
too little sleep also drains mental abilities, and can make it difficult to think clearly and concentrate. warped perception is another effect: one study found that just one night of sleep deprivation can make men think women are more interested in having sex with them. another u.s. study found that after 24 hours of sleep deprivation men developed “beer goggles” and rated models more attractive than they had before they became exhausted.
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how to get better shut-eye
quality sleep is vital to keeping us healthy, both mentally and physically. it’s not sexy, but a tried and tested strategy to improving sleep is setting a sleep schedule — and sticking to it. this means going to bed at the same time every night and getting up around the same hour, too.
it can help to make your bedroom a sanctuary of sleep sanctuary, complete with a comfortable pillow and cooler temperature — heat makes it harder to sleep. turn off gadgets before bed or put them on nighttime mode to avoid the distracting buzzes of notifications.
what you eat helps sleep
diet and exercise also play a role in maintaining sleep quality. regular movement promotes sleep, whereas alcohol, caffeine and a poor diet can hinder rest. another trick? eat oats. oatmeal is high in melatonin, a chemical that promotes sleepiness. almonds are also a source of melatonin, along with muscle-relaxing magnesium — try a handful before you hit the hay. other foods that can help you snooze include bananas, which in addition to potassium and magnesium, also contain tryptophan, which ultimately turns into serotonin — a neurotransmitter that promotes relaxation — and melatonin in the brain. by the way, it takes about an hour for tryptophan to reach the brain, so time your snack with bedtime. another option is to have breakfast for dinner — some eggs, with their sleep-inducing protein and toast, a light source of carbs to regulate blood sugar, can also help you get better sleep.
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so while more sleep may not get you into the bill gates realm of success, it will build your resilience for stress, improve overall health and reduce the risk of serious disease. at the very least, it will make you look smarter. and that’s nothing to snore at.
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