Seven essential tips for getting 90 minutes of deep sleep each night

Over the last months, this newsletter has been all about sleep.

Here’s the gist: No matter how many hours we sleep, getting 90 minutes of deep sleep each night is the foundation of our physical health, mental health, physical performance and cognitive performance.

Today, I provide an overview of the best practices for mastering deep sleep. As in my earlier wrap-up posts, I limit these tips to the essentials. You can find links to the respective posts if you want to delve deeper into the specifics.

Also, I'm taking a decent break to rest up and reflect on the topics to focus on in this newsletter over the holidays. It will be back on January 5th.

Until then, I wish you a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.

Christian

1) Use time givers to set up the foundation for 90 minutes of deep sleep
To set your brain up for the 90 minutes of deep sleep you need each night, managing your circadian rhythm and sleep pressure is key. Here are my two simple rules for optimizing the three major circadian synchronizers and your adenosine levels.

First, follow the 10-10-10 rule by getting 10 minutes of sunlight into your eyes before 10 am and avoiding bright (blue) light after 10 pm. Second, adhere to the 3-3-3 rule by avoiding intense exercise three hours before bedtime, having your last meal three hours before bedtime, and staying away from caffeine after 3 pm.

2) Time it all right
Social jetlag is one of the biggest obstacles to getting sufficient deep sleep. The best way to ensure sufficient deep sleep, conversely, is to wake up and go to bed at the same time throughout the week, including on weekends. 

Here's how to pull that off: First, determine your regular wake-up time by thinking about the earliest time you had to get up during the last four weeks. Second, sleep in multiples of 90 minutes for at least 7.5 hours to avoid sleep inertia and to get the benefits of both deep sleep and other stages of sleep. Third, find your regular bedtime — by taking your regular wake-up time and subtracting the number of hours that you want to sleep. Add between 5 and 15 minutes for the time it takes you to fall asleep.

3) If you're a night owl, here's how to become an earlier bird
If you're amongst the 25% of us who are true night owls, here's how to turn yourself into a (somewhat) earlier bird — and shift the timing of their internal clock towards a pattern that is more aligned with societal demands.

First, be especially deliberate about maximizing outdoor light exposure before 10 am and minimizing exposure to bright (blue) light after 10 pm. Second, keep a regular schedule for all of your daily meals, and schedule exercise during the morning if it's part of your routine. Third, keep your sleep and wake time fixed ​​within 15-30 minutes each day.

4) Do a digital sunset one hour before bed
Set an alarm for one hour before your regular bedtime to do a digital sunset. When that alarm goes off, shut off all the electronics. Your computer, your TV, your smartphone – all of them.

Doing so prevents blue light from confusing your circadian master clock. It also goes a long way to letting your calmness system do its magic. Use that time for recreational activities like taking a walk or reading instead.

5) Turn your bedroom into a cave
Follow the recommendation of the American Academy of Sleep Medicine and turn ​​your bedroom into a cave, which is cool, dark and quiet. Go for a room temperature between 18 and 22 degrees Celsius; the closer to 18 degrees you can tolerate, the better.

And if creating complete darkness or eliminating all sources of noise in your (hotel) bedroom is not an option, all is not lost. Eye masks and earplugs provide an effective and affordable remedy.

6) Use exhale-emphasized breathing (or counting sheep for adults) to fall asleep
When you're stressed or worried and thus struggle with falling asleep, trying to control your mind with your mind often backfires. A better way is to use your body to calm down your mind. 

Here's how: Exhale more than you inhale to slow down your heart and trigger your calmness system in real-time. A particularly effective technique is the so-called physiological sigh. Alternatively, use the adult version of counting sheep: Count backward from 1000 to zero in increments of 13 – as in 1000, 987, 974, 961, and so on. 

7) Avoid bright lights, your smartphone and stressing yourself out to fall back asleep
If you want to stay asleep throughout the night, there's one important scientific fact to consider: It's impossible. Waking up multiple times during the night, it turns out, is entirely normal. Most of the time, you don't notice it. 

Whenever you consciously wake up during the night, it all comes down to what you do next. First, try to avoid bright, overhead lights. Second, stay away from your smartphone. Third, don't stress out over the fact that you're awake – and use exhale-emphasized breathing or counting sheep to fall back asleep.

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