How to Sleep for Peak Mental Performance

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Photo by Kristin Vogt

Presented by Kwik Brain with Jim Kwik (feat. Dr. Shane Creado) (source)

Tags: brain, health, performance, sleep

Dr. Shane Creado

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Photo by MART PRODUCTION

Author of Peak Sleep Performance for Athletes: The Cutting-edge Sleep Science That Will Guarantee a Competitive Advantage

Sleep

  • Is free, modifiable and can be used as a performance enhancing tool
  • A mini vacation every 24 hours
  • The most vulnerable thing we do
  • Should be enjoyed in a meaningful way leading up to it

Sleep & Performance

  • Quality, quantity and timing of sleep are all important
    • Quality can be impacted by:
      • sleep apnea
      • pain
      • anxiety
      • disrupted sleep
    • The timing of our sleep is based on our circadian rhythm
      • Social jetlag: the discrepancy in a person’s sleep pattern between the weekday and the weekend (e.g., catching up on sleep on the weekends)
        • can impact brain and whole-body health
  • Chronic sleep problems can impact the brain by:
    • slowing down processing speed, learning, retention
    • increasing difficulty with executive functioning, multi-tasking, planning, organization
    • affecting daily routines and responsibilities (e.g., learning in school, running a business, parenting)
    • impacting learning centers in the temporal lobes which help with regulating emotions and new learning
  • Sleep loss can contribute to ailments in the body
  • 69% of high school students do not get adequate sleep, and this is associated with lower GPA and increased drop-out rates

Improving Sleep

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Photo by Rachel Claire
  • A 30-minute increase in sleep can help to improve performance and reaction time
    • e.g., strategic napping involves being in-sync with sleep needs and your natural circadian rhythm
      • 25-30 minutes is great; 45-60 minutes forces the brain to wake-up out of a deeper stage of sleep
  • Know yourself and:
    • the difference between tiredness and sleepiness
      • tiredness: exhaustion (e.g., after running a marathon)
      • sleepiness: low endorphins and adrenaline
    • how much sleep you need to feel refreshed in the morning
      • e.g., have a fixed wake up time, get to bed when sleepy, and estimate how much sleep you got in the morning
  • Most adults need between 6-9 hours of sleep; athletes: 10.5-12 hours; teenagers: 9 hours
  • 90 minutes is 1 sleep cycle; 7.5 hours of sleep is 5 sleep cycles
  • Build in a calming wind-down bedtime routine:
    • take a warm shower, brush teeth, meditate, write a to-do list

More from Dr. Shane Creado:

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This website is provided only for informational purposes and not intended to be used to replace professional advice, treatment or professional care. Always speak to your physician, healthcare provider or pediatrician if you have concerns about your own health or the health of a child.