The Sleep Pandemic

“I work 80-hour work weeks”. “I just sleep faster”. “I’ll sleep when I’m dead”. Many of us have been accustomed to such advice from entrepreneurial gurus and tech CEOs who are staunch advocates of the so-called ‘grindset’ mentality. But is this outlook really conducive to maximising our output?

What does the research say?

Sleep is a cyclical phenomenon that is traditionally thought to be broken down into 4 distinct stages; the first three are categorised as non-rapid eye movement sleep (NREM), whilst the last is rapid-eye movement sleep (REM). NREM is your body's general recharge functionality, whilst REM, though not completely understood, is responsible for cognitive brain function as well as dreaming. It’s sufficient to say that without a good night's sleep we often feel groggy, lacking in energy, and feeling not quite like our normal selves.

Yet, mounting research casts light on deeper, more long-term negative effects on individuals who, for prolonged periods of time are deprived of good quality sleep. A meta-analysis of 24 studies found ‘significant impairments in problem-solving and memory capacity among poor sleepers. Yet many of those individuals were quick to cite other issues, such as family problems, a poor relationship with their spouse, and general stress-related complications as being the determining factors rather than sleep.

Dr. Matthew Carter, a sleep specialist at Williams College, believes there is a “sleep crisis in our culture”, where “most people equate losing sleep with having more time to enjoy the day and getting things done”. Coupled with the perpetual cacophony from ’100-hour work week’ acolytes, our capacity to be our best selves is being hampered by the lack of education surrounding sleep. This begs the question, is there hope still for those that cling to such ideals?

More recent studies suggest that young people who are better able to stave off the negative effects of sleep deprivation compared to older people, are also putting themselves at increased risk. A group of 28 interior design students were subjected to a sleep study in relation to their ‘creative output’. The results showed that students with ‘fragmented sleep’ showed a significant “decline in their laboratory measure of creativity”.

On the flip side, some data does indeed point to individuals who have no problem powering through the day on a full charge with little to no sleep. Studies by researchers at UCSF have found a gene that seems to enable some people to function on less than 6 hours of sleep. However, this gene accounts for just 3% of the population. For the rest of us mere mortals, 6 hours just isn’t going to cut it...

Sleep deprivation does not discriminate based on age, gender, ethnic background etc.  All of us are bound by an innate need for a good night's sleep to function properly. Yet, many of us still continue to lose sleep because we are too ‘busy’. What we fail to realise however, is that it is this very paradox that keeps us trapped in this limiting thought pattern. Our jobs don’t get done as we are sleep deprived and we are sleep deprived because we’re not getting our jobs done.

Okay, that’s great, so how much sleep do I need to be fully rested and ready to tackle the day? Well, how long is a piece of string? Each of us is genetically wired differently and as a result, the scientific ballpark estimates anywhere between 6-8 hours of ‘good sleep’. But how does one define ‘good sleep’? For many of us, the weekend can be a well-earned respite to rock back and squeeze in that extra hour or two before the kids wake up. But when we do, we often feel as though those extra hours haven’t rewarded us with an energy top-up. Which brings us back to REM, the deep phase where we really get our creative juices revitalized and where dreams quite literally come true.

How do I find this ‘Elixir of REM’?

The answer quite simply lies with you. Yes, the weird and wonderful piece of machinery that is your body will let you know when something is up. Feeling particularly weary after 8 hours? You may be among those that only recharges completely after an extra cycle or two. Placing the wheel firmly in your hands gives you the power to improve your own health and tailor it to your individual needs.

Nonetheless, it isn’t to say that you should tackle these problems alone. If you really feel as though your sleep issues aren’t being resolved it might be worth getting a polysomnograph - a fancy word for a sleep study. As scary as it may sound to be hooked up to an array of wires in the dead of night in a hospital, it may be just the thing you need. A close family member undertook a study after persistent fatigue over several years and now they’ve never looked back. But as far as studies on sleep have come through the turn of the 21st century, there is still a lot that we can’t quite pinpoint.

So, I’ve collated a series of practical tips both from myself and researchers at the forefront of sleep-related research to help improve your sleeping habits:

Quit the caffeine

No, I’m not asking you to break up with your favourite vice, only that you restrict its intake about 6 hours prior to going to sleep. A 2013 study in the Journal of Clinical Sleep Medicine found that caffeine intake significantly disrupts your ability to fall asleep hence reducing both its quantity and quality.

Ditch the phone

The notorious blue light that penetrates through our duvets as we mindlessly scroll through Instagram feeds can’t possibly be a healthy habit. But this advice isn’t about my gripe with Instagram... Data shows that light exposure can disrupt the sleep cycle as it mimics sunlight, essentially your body still feels like it’s go time.

Build a routine

This is a tough one. Most of us are inundated with tasks that make it nigh impossible to keep a regular sleep pattern with deadlines and emails running amok. But we can give ourselves some semblance of an organised system. Simply pulling on your PJs and turning down the lights at a fixed time can help to program your body to get ready to wind down.

Closing thoughts

The science is pretty much unanimous regarding the importance of sleep. Our productivity and ultimately our innovative capacity hinges on our willingness to educate ourselves in this regard. Put it this way, if you saw someone hung over you would probably suggest they have a problem with alcohol and need to look into it. Yet for someone that looks drained of all life with bags under their eyes, we place them on a pedestal as the hardest worker in the room. Whatever your definition of success or productivity, it really boils down to self-care; to integrate sleep into our cultural norm begins with us.

References

1  H. R. Colten and B. M. Altevogt, Sleep Disord. Sleep Deprivation An Unmet Public Heal. Probl., 2006, 1–404.

2  D. M. Carter, The Science of Sleep (and the Art of Productivity), https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=894jQkeewiU, (accessed 19 February 2022).

3  E. King, M. Daunis, C. Tami and M. K. Scullin, J. Inter. Des., 2017, 42, 5–27.

4  G. Shi, L. Xing, D. Wu, B. J. Bhattacharyya, C. R. Jones, T. McMahon, S. Y. C. Chong, J. A. Chen, G. Coppola, D. Geschwind, A. Krystal, L. J. Ptáček and Y. H. Fu, Neuron, 2019, 103, 1044-1055.e7.

5  N. F. Watson, M. S. Badr, G. Belenky, D. L. Bliwise, O. M. Buxton, D. Buysse, D. F. Dinges, J. Gangwisch, M. A. Grandner, C. Kushida, R. K. Malhotra, J. L. Martin, S. R. Patel, S. F. Quan, E. Tasali, M. Twery, J. B. Croft, E. Maher, J. A. Barrett, S. M. Thomas and J. L. Heald, Sleep, 2015, 38, 843.

6  F. Segarra Isern, N. R. Miró and E. E. Sancho, Acta Otorrinolaringol. Esp., 2010, 61 Suppl 1, 45–48.

7  S. L. Worley, Pharm. Ther., 2018, 43, 758.

8  C. Drake, T. Roehrs, J. Shambroom and T. Roth, J. Clin. Sleep Med., 2013, 9, 1195.

9  L. Tähkämö, T. Partonen and A. K. Pesonen, Chronobiol. Int., 2019, 36, 151–170.