Sleep = Superpower

Do you ever feel extremely tired in the afternoon, struggle to focus on simple tasks, lack energy in the gym, and constantly feel unmotivated in your daily life… well you may want to ask yourself this important question “Did you get enough sleep last night?” You are not alone if the answer is no, two-thirds of Americans routinely fail to get the recommended 8 hours of sleep each night. Over the past century we have had tremendous technological advancement and a social mind-shift that favors work and productivity over our health.

Shamefully, I was victim to this mindset during high school and university, unaware of the harm and destruction I inflicted on myself. My classmates would be able to tell you that I often used the phrase “I’ll sleep when I’m dead, or sleep is for the weak”. Why sleep when I can finish one more homework assignment due next week, start next month's project, or review my flashcards again which I’ve already done 6 times that day. I believed my lack of sleep was something to take pride in and often wore it as if it were a badge of courage on my chest. I remember sitting in classes barely able to keep my eyes open, lacking energy in the gym/tennis courts, and having difficulty focusing on anything which is especially scary when driving. It was only after I started reading “Why we sleep” by Matthew Walker that he opened my eyes to the damage I had been doing to my body these past years. Those who fail to routinely get 6-8 hours of high-quality sleep a night are more than doubling their risk of cancer, wreaking havoc upon their immune system, increasing their chance of heart disease, diabetes, depression, anxiety, etc (Walker, 2017). Equally scary is that insufficient sleep is a key lifestyle factor that can determine whether or not you develop Alzheimer’s disease (Walker, 2017).

I’m not sure about you, but this scared the beejeebies out of me and I have started prioritizing sleep and my health above all else. Thankfully, we can start to incorporate healthy sleep habits into our routines, leading to a healthier and more productive lifestyle. For those of you still in school, realize that sleeping helps consolidate what you learned that day into long-term memory only when you sleep that 7-8 hours. Cramming a couple more hours the night before a big exam will do little to consolidate the extra info and will oftentimes negatively affect your test-taking performance the following day. For athletes, we stress our muscles in the gym and on the field, but oftentimes forget that sleep is when our body repairs and grows the most muscle. Lastly, sleeping the recommended 7-8 hours routinely will grant you a greater sense of clarity throughout the day, vitality, and energy just from a couple of extra ZZZs every night.

Source

Walker, Matthew. Why We Sleep. Scribner, 2017.

I would love to hear your thoughts on the subject, please reach out to me with any comments at theonlyCV@yahoo.com