Somewhere in their forties, a person starts sleeping a little worse.
Nothing dramatic, a few restless nights, easy to blame on stress, or age, or one too many cups of coffee. But it doesn't stop. Weeks pass. Then months. The sleep doesn't just get lighter, it starts to disappear.
By this point, the body is already failing in ways sleep loss alone shouldn't cause. There's no pill for it. No amount of exhaustion is enough to force the brain back into rest. Twelve to eighteen months after it began, the person dies.
This isn't a thought experiment. It's a real, if extremely rare, genetic disease. One of the only conditions where doctors can draw a direct, uninterrupted line from not sleeping to dying.
Almost none of us will ever come close to it. But it leaves behind an uncomfortable question. If losing sleep entirely can end a life in eighteen months, what is losing sleep a little, most nights, for years, quietly doing to everyone else?
Why is sleep even important?
Routinely bad sleep demolishes your immune system, increases your chances of developing Alzheimer's disease and disrupts blood sugar levels so profound that you could be classified as pre-diabetic.
So it's no surprise that sleep is not just important for longer term health, but it also is important for you to function well day to day. It helps with better cognition, regulates your emotions well and makes you more present in the moment.
And, it makes you happy. Who wouldn't want to be happy? You can choose to be that way by starting to get restful nights of sleep.
How can you get a restful night of sleep?
To first understand the how , we need to tackle the what. What does a restful night of sleep actually look like? It’s very simple. Sleep is broken down into the following stages
Light sleep: the stage where you go from wakefulness to your sleep, you stay here during most of your sleep.
Deep sleep: The stage where it's the most physically restorative. Your body repairs tissues and strengthens your immune system.
Rem Sleep: This is the stage where your brain acts out vivid dreams. Your eyes move quickly behind the lids and your body gets temporarily paralyzed so that you don't act out your dreams.
A restful night of sleep indicates a healthy cycle of Rem and Deep sleep while spending most of the time on your bed actually asleep.
And the benefits are amazing. You feel awake and energized that you don’t feel the need to take caffeine, you have physical stamina and mental focus throughout the day.
How to improve your sleep
It actually takes time for your body to get adjusted to any sort of change. Even sleep. Because your current habits around your life make up your current sleep schedule. So it all starts with
Routine
Set a realistic time to get to bed and and a realistic time to wake up. And make the gap at least 7 hours if not 8.
For example, I've been practicing to get to bed at 9pm every night. And wake up at least at 6. This gives me a good amount of restful sleep. It could be 10pm or even 12, but you need to practice going to bed at the same time and waking up at the same time.
But whatever you do, weeds come creeping in.
There are some things you have to still look out for in your environment that will stop you from getting to sleep at your set time. Some are your
1- Phone : Set a rule to not play with your phone at least 30 minutes before your set time. Turn on do not disturb.
2- Work: For someone like me who doesn't have predictable work times, I'd have to be a bit more flexible with how I manage my sleep. Try to have your room arranged so that even if you come home late, you can prepare to get ready for bed quickly. And try not to work past your sleep schedule (at least most of the time)
3- Friends : Your friends are used to hanging out with you late at night. So it's expected for them to call you to hangout. But, learn to say no when this happens (and for sure it will) and tell them that you’re getting ready for bed as you have an early day tomorrow.
Early dinner
Sleeping with an upset or full stomach will actually reduce the quality of your sleep. If you ate a Biriyani right before dinner, instead of trying to make your body rest, your body now has to work hard to digest the heavy meal you just ate. So try to eat early at least 2 or 3 hours before bed.
But what happens if you actually feel really really hungry?
Eat a light snack that's enough to fill you up a little. But seriously, do not bigback.
Safety
When I visited Ubud in Bali, I stayed at a beautiful condo with a jungle view. Though the place was really nice, the doors were sliding glass doors. I was still able to lock it of course, but I'm always used to closed walls and a regular wooden door.
And glass doors made me feel like any person can just break in. Despite closing down the curtains to hide the glass part of the door. I still couldn't really feel safe enough to turn the lights off. The sound of the crickets from the jungle was already loud enough, along with the doors I struggled to sleep.That's where the safety factor came into play.
How can you have a restful night of sleep if you don't feel safe in the room you’re sleeping in?
Subconsciously you would be tense knowing that your room isn't fully locked up. I always make sure my door is locked. And so should you. If your area is a crowded place in general, try to put some white noise in your room when you’re sleeping.
The key is to make sure you’re comfortable and relaxed when you get on to sleep.
When I went to Seminyak for my last few nights, it was a regular room and had closed walls.
I was able to sleep much better. And it was a lot quieter, which made me a lot more comfortable with the space.
So in summary, to improve your sleep focus on;
Routine: Consistently fall asleep and wake up at the same time.
Early dinner: Eat at least 3 hours before you sleep.
Safety: Make your room safe and quiet.
Sleep well,
Aaish Sareer
PS: here’s the delusional level you would go to if you don’t sleep well for too long (Click here)
Do you struggle with constant self doubt? Do you feel anxious all the time? It’s a sign that you could be having an unregulated self. Our 27 page guide shows you why this happens and you’d be surprised by the dramatic change it makes in such a short time. (Click here)