What I learned from 4 weeks of tracking my sleep
For some time, I have had an inner voice nudge me to pay attention to my sleep. I know that sleep is a big “thing” and that there are all these sleep “things” people do to help them slumber, from taking 600 mg/day of Ashwagandha to hooking up a CPAP machine, but I never really paid attention to my sleep. I would say, “I am tired. I need more sleep. I will go to bed early,” or I would take melatonin if I were having trouble sleeping, or I would drink more coffee if I were feeling tired. None of these things I am doing are looking at my sleep, but they are more like managing it. However, sleep is important, and increasingly so as we get older. We need good sleep. We don’t just need sleep when we are young, and our brains are developing. As we get older, we need sleep so our brains can store all our beautiful memories and fight against dementia and stroke. We don’t just need sleep to feel less tired during the day and to be more productive. We need sleep for problem-solving, attention issues, decision-making, and creativity. The facts are clear that good sleep improves our overall health, but how do we define good? Is it feeling rested, or is it sleeping eight, uninterrupted hours, or is it both? What helps? Are there things I can do to help me sleep better?
Obviously, tracking sleep and determining what to do is subjective to the individual since everyone has unique situations to deal with, such as a snoring spouse, a new baby, anxiety, or all of the above. However, just as I did a little study on my sleep, you can too. In all transparency, I did this experiment as part of my graduate studies in psychological behavioral principles and theories, but that should not deter you since you can do it from the comfort of your bed. I tracked my sleep over four consecutive weeks. The first week, I just observed how I slept without changing anything in my life. I tracked my sleep using an Oura Ring and a sleep journal. In the second week, I made three little changes in my behavior: 1) I did not drink any caffeine after 3 PM. 2) I turned my phone off one hour before bed, meaning I would not scroll through the news or text with friends until the next day. 2) In bed, I read a “light” book until I fell asleep, which means no Nietzsche or thriller television series before dreaming. I also added in a reward for turning off my phone one hour before bed, with a warm shower or bath, which is supposed to help one sleep better. I intentionally did not make too many drastic changes or take supplements because I wanted to see if a slight behavioral change could affect my sleep, and realistically, it is harder to make super significant life changes. If I can make small, impactful ones, then it is more likely I will do them. In the third week, I went back to whatever I felt like doing before bed, and then, in the fourth week, I implemented and re-recorded my sleep, making the two changes to my behavior.
With my sleep tracker ring and journal, I measured three dimensions of my sleep: the number of hours I slept, how long it took me to fall asleep once I was in bed, and my sleep efficiency percentage, which is calculated based on the time I am actually asleep without interruptions or waking up throughout the night. That’s it. Like I said, I kept it simple.
What did I learn? Well, it wasn’t what I thought. I thought that if I slept more hours per night, like if I got 9 hours instead of 6 or 7, then I would feel more rested and refreshed. I started the research thinking I would need more total sleep time, but I actually needed more quality sleep to feel better. In short, when I made the behavioral changes in Week 2 and Week 4, the number of hours I slept per night decreased to between 6 and 7, which was fewer hours of sleep per night than the weeks I didn’t make any adjustments before bed. Oddly enough, my sleep efficiency score was higher on Week 2 and Week 4 than on the two weeks I did not make any changes. What I think happened, and this is just a guess, is that the two changes I made allowed me to sleep more efficiently and get more quality sleep, and as a result, I didn’t need as much time in bed sleeping. For sleep, if I can make three or four little changes in my behavior and get better quality sleep, how many could 10 get me? Imagine what other little things I can do that might improve my quality even more. I wonder if I could get a 100% sleep efficiency score?
Pick a few from these 20 ways to sleep better and see what happens.
Invest in a better mattress, sheets, and blankets.
Block out light.
Minimize noise.
Keep the air cool, like around 65-68 degrees.
Set your Hatch alarm for the same time each morning and keep a consistent schedule.
Keep power naps to 20 minutes.
Meditate and relax 30 minutes daily, but not right before bed.
Disconnect your devices an hour before bed.
Get 30 minutes of natural light exposure per day.
Exercise every day for at least 30 minutes.
Limit your caffeine after 3 PM.
Avoid alcohol.
Eat dinner a few hours before bed.
Keep a sleep journal.
Consider natural supplements.
Try mindfulness for sleep.
Don’t drink liquids before bed.
See your doctor to rule out a sleep disorder.
Consider white noise or earplugs.
Try the 10-3-2-1-0 rule for sleep. It involves avoiding caffeine 10 hours before bed, food and alcohol 3 hours before bed, work 2 hours before bed, and screen time 1 hour before bed, and avoiding hitting the snooze button in the morning.
Wherever you are on your sleep journey, I encourage you to notice your sleep behavior. When do you feel most rested? Is it after sleeping more hours or sleeping more efficiently? Are there a couple of things you can change to improve your sleep? Let me know in the comments, and happy dreaming!