WHY YOU'RE ALWAYS TIRED - Big Myths Ruining Your Sleep & How To Get The Best Sleep Of Your Life!

Added: Aug 30, 2023

Individual Sleep Needs

Walker advises individuals to assess their own sleep needs based on their daytime performance. If they feel fine, wake up without an alarm clock, and have energy throughout the day, then they are likely getting enough sleep. However, if they struggle to wake up, rely on caffeine, and experience irritability or mood changes, it may indicate that they are not getting enough sleep. Walker suggests that individuals define their optimal sleep needs based on their own performance and adjust accordingly.

Consequences of Sleep Deprivation

Walker explains that short-term sleep loss can lead to changes in emotions, cognitive performance, and social interactions. It can cause irritability, impaired information processing, reduced empathy, and decreased creativity. Long-term sleep deprivation is associated with serious health consequences, including increased risk of accidents, higher rates of obesity, type 2 diabetes, infections, and even cancer. Walker emphasizes that chronic sleep loss is more than just feeling tired; it can have a significant impact on overall health and well-being.

Shift Work Challenges

The podcast discusses the challenges faced by shift workers, who make up a significant portion of the workforce. Walker highlights that over 90% of night shift workers do not adapt to the night schedule, as their biological clocks defer to the brighter light signals during the day. This lack of adaptation can lead to increased health risks, including higher rates of cancer, heart disease, and diabetes. Walker suggests several strategies to mitigate these risks, such as providing devices to measure fatigue levels during driving, implementing regular health checks for night shift workers, and offering easily digestible high-protein snacks during night shifts.

Dangers of Driving While Tired

Walker emphasizes the dangers of driving while tired, particularly during the early morning hours. He cites a study that found cognitive performance at its lowest point around 4 am, worse than the cognitive impairment caused by legally drunk levels of alcohol. He also mentions the high number of crashes caused by drivers falling asleep at the wheel, which can result in serious accidents and fatalities. Walker suggests implementing measures such as using devices to detect fatigue while driving and providing alternative transportation options for tired shift workers.

Mitigating Sleep Deprivation

While it may be challenging to completely eliminate sleep deprivation in a 24/7 society, Walker suggests several strategies to mitigate its effects. He recommends educating individuals about the dangers of sleep deprivation and the importance of prioritizing sleep. Employers can play a role by providing safety measures, such as fatigue-detection devices and regular health checks for night shift workers. Walker also suggests chronotyping the workforce, allowing individuals with different sleep preferences to work during their optimal times. These measures can help reduce the risks associated with sleep deprivation.

Caffeine as a Sleep Disruptor

Walker discusses the impact of caffeine on sleep. He explains that caffeine is a psychoactive stimulant and the second most traded commodity in the world after oil. While caffeine can help increase alertness and keep individuals awake, it also disrupts sleep. The half-life of caffeine is about six to seven hours, meaning that a quarter of the caffeine consumed can still be circulating in the brain after 12 hours. Even a single cup of coffee in the evening can decrease deep sleep by 20%, leading to poor sleep quality and feeling unrestored in the morning. Walker suggests enjoying caffeine before noon and considering alternatives such as decaffeinated coffee to improve sleep quality.

Walker mentions that tea, especially green tea, contains caffeine, which can have a similar effect as coffee. He also notes that herbal teas, such as green tea, are often chosen as an alternative to coffee or regular tea, but they can still be highly caffeinated. Therefore, it is important to be mindful of the caffeine content in these drinks.

Walker also addresses the topic of decaffeinated coffee and its caffeine content. He explains that decaf coffee is not completely caffeine-free and can still contain some amount of caffeine. The amount of caffeine in decaf coffee can vary depending on the brand, with some having very little caffeine and others containing up to 20% of the caffeine found in a regular cup of coffee. Therefore, it is important to be cautious and check the caffeine content of decaf coffee if one is trying to reduce their caffeine intake.

Sleep as the Foundational Pillar of Health

Matthew Walker emphasizes the importance of sleep as the foundational pillar of health. He explains that he used to think sleep was the third pillar of good health, alongside diet and exercise. However, through his research and reading, he realized that sleep is actually the foundation on which diet and exercise sit. He provides examples to support this claim.

For diet, he explains that if someone is trying to lose weight and is not getting sufficient sleep, 70% of the weight they lose will come from lean muscle mass instead of fat. This is because the body becomes stingy in giving up fat when it is sleep-deprived. Therefore, dieting becomes less effective without adequate sleep.

For exercise, Walker explains that sleep deprivation can decrease motivation to be physically active and reduce the intensity of workouts. It can also lead to a higher risk of injury during sports events. On the other hand, improving sleep can enhance both the quality and quantity of deep sleep, which is beneficial for physical performance.

Walker emphasizes that sleep is bi-directional with diet and exercise. Improving sleep can improve diet and exercise, and vice versa. Therefore, prioritizing sleep is crucial for overall health and well-being.

The Impact of Sleep on Diet and Exercise

Walker delves deeper into the impact of sleep on diet and exercise. He explains that sleep deprivation can increase appetite and cravings for unhealthy foods. It can also lead to increased caloric intake and a preference for high-calorie foods. This is due to hormonal changes that occur when the body is sleep-deprived.

Additionally, Walker highlights the importance of sleep for weight loss. He explains that insufficient sleep can lead to the loss of lean muscle mass instead of fat when dieting. It can also affect the body's metabolism and make it more difficult to lose weight.

Walker also discusses the relationship between sleep and physical activity. He explains that insufficient sleep can decrease motivation to exercise and reduce the intensity of workouts. It can also impair various aspects of physical performance, such as vertical jump height and muscle contraction strength. On the other hand, improving sleep can enhance physical performance and recovery.

The Importance of Morning Light for Setting the Body Clock

Walker explains the significance of morning light for setting the body clock. He discusses the circadian system, which is the internal representation of the biological day. Morning light plays a crucial role in aligning the internal clock with the external environment.

He explains that exposure to morning light advances the clock, making individuals wake up earlier and go to bed earlier. This alignment is important for optimal functioning and overall health. However, he notes that the timing and intensity of light exposure are essential. Morning light needs to be bright, in the hundreds to thousands of Lux range, and of sufficient duration to have a significant effect on the body clock.

Walker also mentions the impact of evening light on the body clock. Evening light can delay the clock, making individuals go to bed later and wake up later. However, the effects of evening light are still being studied, and the optimal timing and intensity are yet to be determined.

He also discusses the role of light exposure in teenagers and the challenges they face in getting sufficient morning light. Teenagers tend to have a later chronotype, and their exposure to evening light can further delay their sleep-wake cycle. This can lead to shortened sleep and a disrupted sleep pattern.

Evening Light Exposure and its Impact on Delaying Sleep Onset

Walker explains that exposure to artificial light in the evening can delay sleep onset. He mentions that devices such as smartphones, tablets, and laptops emit blue light, which is particularly disruptive to our sleep-wake cycle. He advises limiting light exposure in the evening, even if it is natural light, to promote better sleep.

The Role of Sleep in Mental Health and its Bidirectional Relationship

Walker discusses the bidirectional relationship between sleep and mental health. He explains that sleep disturbances are common in psychiatric conditions, and sleep problems can contribute to the development and exacerbation of mental health disorders. Lack of sleep can increase emotional reactivity, impulsivity, and the risk of developing conditions such as depression, anxiety, PTSD, schizophrenia, and even suicidal thoughts.

Sleep Deprivation and its Potential Link to Alzheimer's Disease

Walker mentions the potential link between sleep deprivation and Alzheimer's disease. He explains that sleep disruption, particularly the lack of deep sleep, may contribute to the development of Alzheimer's disease. During deep sleep, the brain clears out toxic proteins, including beta-amyloid, which is associated with Alzheimer's. Sleep deprivation may impair this clearance process and increase the risk of developing the disease.

Sleep Deprivation and Socioeconomic Status

Walker acknowledges that low socioeconomic status communities often face higher levels of social stress, which can impair sleep. Factors such as working multiple jobs, split shifts, and night work can all contribute to poor sleep quality. Walker emphasizes that sleep is a crucial aspect of healthcare and is available to everyone, regardless of their socioeconomic status. He suggests that the tips for better sleep that he will discuss later in the podcast can be utilized by anyone, as long as they don't have a sleep disorder.

Tips for Better Sleep

Walker provides five tips for better sleep that can be implemented immediately. The first tip is regularity, which involves going to bed and waking up at the same time every day, even on weekends. This helps to establish a consistent sleep schedule and promotes better sleep quality. The second tip is temperature, with Walker recommending keeping the bedroom cool, around 18 degrees Celsius. Cooling the room down helps to create an optimal environment for sleep. The third tip is darkness, as exposure to light can interfere with the release of melatonin, a hormone that helps regulate sleep. Walker suggests avoiding bright lights, including those emitted by electronic devices, in the hour before bed. The fourth tip is to "walk it out," which means not staying in bed if you've been awake for 20-25 minutes. Instead, Walker advises getting up and engaging in a relaxing activity in dim light until you feel sleepy again. This helps to reestablish the association between the bedroom and sleep. The fifth tip is to avoid caffeine and alcohol, as both can disrupt sleep. Walker explains that even one glass of alcohol can impair sleep quality, as it fragments sleep and blocks REM sleep, which is important for emotional well-being.

The Relationship Between Sleep Deprivation and Mental Health Problems

Walker discusses the relationship between sleep deprivation and mental health problems. He explains that disrupted sleep patterns are often observed in individuals with mental health conditions such as schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, and depression. Walker proposes a model that suggests overlapping neural circuits and neurotransmitter pathways between stable sleep and stable mental health. Disruption in these circuits can contribute to the development and exacerbation of mental health problems. He also highlights the potential therapeutic role of sleep in mental health, citing studies that show stabilizing sleep patterns can reduce the severity of symptoms such as paranoia and hallucinations.

The Impact of Sleep on Fertility and the Menstrual Cycle

Walker explores the impact of sleep on fertility and the menstrual cycle. He explains that the regulation of the female menstrual cycle involves circadian clocks and the release of hormones. Disruption of sleep patterns, such as those experienced by night shift workers, can affect the menstrual cycle and increase the risk of fertility problems and miscarriages. Walker also discusses the influence of circadian rhythms on sexual behavior, noting that men and women may exhibit different preferences and behaviors during certain phases of the menstrual cycle. He suggests that understanding these biological factors can help optimize fertility and sexual experiences.

The Limitations and Potential Anxiety-Inducing Effects of Sleep Trackers

Walker addresses the topic of sleep trackers and their limitations. He explains that while sleep trackers can provide useful information about sleep timing, duration, and fragmentation, many trackers go beyond these basic metrics and attempt to measure the quality of sleep, such as deep sleep and REM sleep. However, the algorithms used by these trackers are often inaccurate and not tailored to individual differences in sleep patterns. Walker warns that relying on sleep tracker data can lead to unnecessary anxiety and stress about sleep quality. He suggests that it is more important to focus on individual factors that contribute to good sleep, rather than relying on external devices.

Light Exposure and Sleep Cycles in Different Regions

Walker continues by addressing the impact of light exposure on sleep cycles, particularly in regions with extreme day and night cycles, such as Scandinavia. He shares his personal experience of staying in a hotel with poor blackout blinds, causing him to wake up at 3 am when it was still bright outside. While he acknowledges that light exposure can disrupt sleep, he also highlights the lack of adaptation in humans to extreme light conditions. Unlike Arctic reindeer, who turn off their biological clocks during constant light or dark periods, humans have not shown signs of adaptation. Instead, individuals in such regions rely on artificial light and effective blackout curtains to stabilize their sleep patterns.

Adaptation of Animals to Different Day and Night Cycles

Walker discusses a study conducted by the University of Toronto on Arctic reindeer, which revealed that these animals turn off their biological clocks during two months of constant light and two months of constant dark. This adaptation allows them to feed whenever weather conditions permit during the winter months and constantly feed during the summer to accumulate enough fat for survival. However, Walker notes that this adaptation lacks adaptive value for humans and emphasizes the need for further research on how native peoples in extreme light conditions have evolved.

Lack of Adaptation in Humans to Extreme Light Conditions

Walker highlights that Europeans who have moved to regions with extreme light conditions, such as Tromso, show no signs of adaptation. Instead, they rely on artificial light and effective blackout curtains to regulate their sleep. The lack of knowledge about the adaptation of native peoples who have lived in these regions for thousands of years remains unclear. Walker suggests that further research is needed to understand if any adaptation has occurred in these populations.