My art of sleeping
Having trouble implementing this approach? Let me support you in finding harmony!
Have you ever thought your sleep quality is not ideal? Reach it with consciousness! By understanding how your body works and hacking your sleeping pattern to your best life rhythm, you can reach more harmonious nights which will influence your days too!
I wrote this article (back in 2016) to share the understanding I've gained about sleeping in the last years and tips that have helped me to get to my today-ideal sleeping pattern.
During my student years, I've gained a lot of freedom with the flexibility of my sleeping time, especially when leaving alone in a student dorm and being thousand of kilometers away from my family, the only people who had ever influence my life rhythm. Very quickly some unconscious habits were taken and my sleeping patterns turned to what seems a nightmare today:
I would stay up watching series or movies on my computer until 2-3 AM, wake up 30 minutes before my first 8 AM classes where I would drag my body to, most likely to sleep. Adding to this a few regular late nights out to perturb the system and a peak reached when I contracted mononucleosis (highly tiring virus staying few months in the body): the weekends would be cut by the need of catching up with the sleep... Though it seemed common around me, it was a life rhythm that I couldn't stand anymore!
I passed through several steps in my quest to learn more about Sleep (and am still learning!). I'll tell one by one about them, but it's important not to see this as a straightforward but rather holistic process.
The stories are just for a matter of understanding of the concepts.
1st - Regularity :
The first famous piece of advice I learned is "the waking time should be consistent every single day of the week".
This is what seems the most complicated rule about sleeping since it includes the weekend days as well, but it's the foundation. In fact, it comes from the Circadian rhythm of our bodies, which relies on consistency, so we can't really cheat it!
Due to this consistency, it will logically be hard to change our habits, thus difficult to get up in the morning when we experiment with different patterns... But it's required to follow the alarm to be sure that the habit gets anchored as soon as possible and the results will come with time and regularity!
I started to wake up every day at 7:30 AM, even after a night out. If I was tired after this, I would just go to sleep earlier the next night. This regularity was needed, but how to compensate with the energy I used to get during the weekend if I'd still go to bed at 2 AM?
2nd - Quantity:
The need for sleep varies from one person to the other, but a fair average quantity would be about 7h30. Everyone knows (or should discover) the amount they require to function well the next day.
It was obvious that I wasn't getting enough sleep, so I had to go to sleep earlier. However, this was really hard because of the habit I had to watch entertainment at night. This would keep me up longer than my real level of energy could tolerate.
In fact, there is a reason why its recommended not to watch screens at night before to sleep: it's because of their "blue light". Screens generate it and this activates a mechanism in our brains which keeps us awake longer.
I decided that I would stop watching movies too late (and as often) to start reading more, as I used to do. 30 minutes before to sleep, I'd shut down every electronic device I had and jump in bed with my favorite book!
// Another idea is to block the blue light generation from devices. I've installed fLux on my computer and Twilight on my cellphone which are synchronized with the time of the day and stops the blue lights as soon as the moon rises! //
Update: in 2019, I also got some orange glasses, which I wear as soon as night falls. I like that they block lights from any source.
With these new habits, I managed to sleep earlier, still until 7:30 AM, which gave me the extra energy I needed.
Another must-know is the average length of our sleeping cycles: around 90 minutes (1h30).
Why should we know it? Well, a cycle passes through various steps needed for the body and should be completed to get the most out of it. But the main reason why we want to wake up at the end of a cycle is that the sleep is lighter, thus it feels much easier to wake up! On the contrary, waking up in the middle of a cycle, in deep sleep, will be difficult and let you feel tired for a few hours.
You'll notice that a night of 7h30 is a multiple of 5 cycles of 1h30, so it's a perfect amount! But this amount depends on your need and on the length of your sleeping cycle which may vary from individuals.
Theoretically, the ideal time to go to sleep is given by this formula:
Time for bed = Time to wake up - (Number of cycles * Length of a cycle) - Time to fall asleep
If I still wanted to wake up at 7h30AM every day, sleep a fair amount (7h30) and complete my cycles... it seems there was only one solution: go to sleep at 00:00 AM, or actually 11h50PM to fall asleep.
It was possible for me since I had managed to go to bed earlier but it wasn't something easy to do, so I could really use some tool's help!
I bought the Jawbone UP2, a smart-bracelet which helps to track sleep and day activity, and two functions were really appreciated:
First, it could wake me up (vibrating) in a window of 30 minutes before a time selected, at the moment when the sleep was the lightest, to feel good. It was perfect for the transition time when I wasn't sure about my cycle length, and in general to cope with the length variation from night to night.
The second function was the sleep monitoring, which helped to understand my own Length of sleeping cycles (also possible to learn by noting down the sleep times during a holiday period of no constraint).
3rd - Reduction
Polyphasic sleep is a method which explains that the most number of times you sleep in a day, the less the overall duration have to be! The most common proof is the shorter average night sleep of the countries where napping is part of the culture (Latinos countries for example).
The extreme is called the Uberman, when someone only sleeps Six 20-minute naps (every 4 hours), for a total of only 2 hours a day. However, this rhythm is only suitable for a very special lifestyle: lonely sailors, writers...
Thus, the Siesta rhythm (nap in Spanish) integrates a 20 minutes power nap in the early afternoon (after lunch), and decrease the night time of sleep by one cycle. (with the previous example: 5*1h30=7h30 becomes 4*1h30=6h).
Power nap's idea is that you don't need to enter a full sleep cycle to enjoy some good effects, thus you can save some awaken time (about 1h30-20min=1h10).
In practice, I adjusted my nap time from about 20 to 27 minutes depending on my level of dynamism, but best is to keep always the same amount (for consistency again!)
There is a saying (that I can't seem to be able to find again) which goes something like "One evident proof of wisdom is the art of enjoying naps". By just lying down for 20 minutes, the brain gets cleared of the "too many thoughts".
I often explain this with the analogy of a computer's RAM (short term memory) that would be saved to a Hard disk (long term memory) to have more immediate space for action. It is so much more enjoyable to work and easy to concentrate on an empty desk!
There is some similarity with Meditation, which can also be used to reduce sleeping time, but this is for another article.
When done after lunch, napping also helps to solve the lunch heaviness many people suffer from at the beginning of the afternoons.
A point of attention about this Reduction mechanism: it is more recommended for the heavy thinkers (who need these short breaks) than the heavy physical doers (whose body really needs full cycles for reparation), although just one less like Siesta rhythm won't impact much.
I decided that it would be good for me to enjoy these positive effects, so I slept every day after lunch.
Ideally, my home was very close, or my work had a nap-room (which is more and more common, depending on the countries..). I've never had a problem falling asleep anywhere, so I just equipped myself with a sleep mask and earplugs, that I would bring all the time with me. It was especially useful for me because I've always been told that I sleep with my eyes half-open, and this would creep people out..!
I love naps, and I sometimes open the eyes automatically 30 seconds before the alarm!
Eventually, this has allowed me to reduce my nights of one cycle of 1h30. What would I do with it? Would I go to sleep later or rise earlier?
4th Translation
I've always heard the french saying "Future belongs to the early riser" (English: "the early bird catches the worm") and it only became more obvious to me as I'd experiment it myself.
If night time is the perfect social time and is often subject to unforeseeable events, morning is the exact contrary: if you wake up early enough, you'll most likely be alone and enjoying a free space that will rarely be affected by events. Thus, this space can be used in a totally free way.
I've decided to use the time gained by my nap to wake up one cycle earlier: at 6 AM. In that way, I would enjoy 2 hours of free space to get things done and learn what I've always wanted to, would it be Russian, NLP, Geopolitics or anything else! I really enjoyed living with the Sun and how calm the environment was around me.
Coupled with an empowering morning routine (big glass of water, stretching, cold shower, meditation, fruits...), not only was it easy to go out of bed, but I would always go out of my room fully awoken, with a strong gait and a big smile!
// Furthermore, when experiencing Ramadan one summer (for cultural immersion), I've set another Polyphasic sleep routine: The Dual Core. The night spat into two parts of sleep would let about two hours of moonlight to eat enough for the next day and enjoy this extremely peaceful environment (especially because I was leaving nearby a forest). This certainly was the best time for me to reflect: Leaving the monolithic pattern that I've always followed allowed me another look at life and enhanced consciousness about sleep.
If it is not very practical for most people, the Dual Core is believed to be the natural rhythm that our far-ancestor used to follow. //
5th Flexibility (multiple cycles)
If the ideal would be to sleep every day the same amount until the same time, it is way to static for most people's life. Thus, it is possible to have variations to keep our life free!
First, the number of cycles can variate depending on the night activities and the level of exhaustion!
For example, if we keep a waking time of 6 AM, the different options can be:
* 10:30 PM if very tired of the day, or have done a lot of sport
* 00:00 AM for a normal night
*01:30, 03:00 or 04:30 AM depending on the need!
Reminder: even if sleeping at the third option times offers a short night, this shouldn't make one wake up later than the nominal decided time. Naturally, the level of energy will catch up to make us go to sleep earlier the day after.
Second, an extra (or longer midday) nap, is always possible if you feel the need! Just be careful that it's not too late in the afternoon so that you can sleep well at night.
The medium option of midnight is compatible with most of the outings and social situations that usually occurs for me. Every night, depending on my activity, I'd organically target one of the time and get prepared for it: stop the computer, shower, read...
6th Environment:
Would it come from Feng shui or Geobiology, it is well known that a bedroom should be adapted to the ideal sleep. Beside some arguable rules like "having the head of the bed in the direction of the north", or some obvious ones like "have a good bed" or "limit noises", most agree on some basics about sleeping in the right environment:
*Keep every electric device far from the bed and especially from the head. The body is more vulnerable at night to magnetic fields and cellular waves. Thus cellphones should be put in plane mode (or turned off) far from the bed.
*Limit to the maximum the type of activities on the bed: sleeping, having sex, and reading. This will keep this place as symbolic of sleep in the mind.
*21°C maximum and some decent shade are recommended too (curtain are not even necessary if the night is dark enough).
My phone is always on the other side of the room, in plane mode, with the alarm on, which helps me to get out of the bed and not come back! I've also got myself a special good pillow, that keeps the form of my head, because of some accident to my cervical when I was practicing gymnastics...
7th Preparation:
Ok, everything seems to be set for the best. But how to get started? Most actions we take during the day and especially the last hours before going to bed will either help to get to sleep or step in the way of it.
Eating enough carbs at dinner (as suggests the Warrior diet) and some unsaturated fat in the last 3 hours before going to bed: The feeling of satiety of the carbs will help to fall asleep and the good cholesterol effect on the brain will benefit its restoration.
Receiving enough sun during the day helps the body produce the melatonin hormone which supports falling asleep and the alignment of the sleep cycles with the day. For it, I particularly enjoy watching sunset and sunrise (sungazing) which additionally provide peace of mind. Melatonin supplements are also interesting for this, but I'd only recommend taking them on special occasions, like travels to other timelines to avoid jet lag.
Indeed, it's important to bring the mind to peace by stopping stressful activities, screens (as seen earlier) and sport the earliest possible (1 hour before bed is a good start).
Communicating clearly with the persons we live with about the moment we go to sleep help not to be disturbed later.
Entering the sleeping room peacefully, laying down and reading (no screens!) is a smooth transition that can help to feel when the body is ready to sleep. It's important to listen to it, otherwise, we may have to wait for the next sleeping window.
Relaxing the eyes, the chin and taking out the frown on your face will be a good start. Yes, we can do this actively! I've found very efficient to start with a few big breaths and focus on the relaxation of any tensed muscle.
Keep in mind that whether sleep finds you or not, your body is relaxing and your mind can be too if you do not block it from doing it. Don't focus on wanting to sleep, as it often is the best way to push it away, but rather on the comfort and relaxing moment you're having.
Further experimentation: binaural beats create an auditory illusion that entrains the brain into some level of concentration depending on the speed of the beat: Alpha, Beta, Gamma waves have different frequencies which help to fall asleep or to stimulate the brain to focus.
Conclusion
Within two years of studying and experimenting with different sleep habits, my life changed a lot, for the better!
I've swapped my lazy night entertainment into productive and energetic early morning activities.
I've stopped being tired throughout the day, would it be for morning classes or even after-lunch energy drop with the power naps.
I've preserved my social life in the evenings and brought in enough flexibility so that I can still adapt to any arising situation.
All these rules can make one feel oppressed and turned off about this sleeping system. However, the aim is to be empowered and not enslaved: everyone is free to decide what life they want and to adapt to their specific needs!
May this article help you reach a better sleep.
Please comment with questions, contributions and share your own advice!
Good night! ;)
Having trouble implementing this approach? Let me support you in finding harmony!