‘Sleep is an investment in the energy you need to be effective tomorrow’ - Tom Rath

The title of this blog post is taken from the name of a very popular TED Talk by brain scientist and sleep expert Matthew Walker. So popular in fact, that at the time of writing it had almost 17 million views! Its popularity - and that of his many other TED Talks on subjects ranging from the relationship between sleep and emotions, sleep and memory, sleep and hunger and many more - is indicative of the wider concerns about and problems with sleep affecting modern-day western society.

Sleep is one of our basic physiological needs as humans. We know that sleep is vital to the healthy functioning of our bodies. Why then do so many of us feel like we’re not getting enough of it? What about our teenagers’ and young people’s sleep patterns? Is it good for them to stay up late, sleep in, and spend time on screens in bed? In this blog post, we’ll explore:

why we’re chronically sleep-deprived in modern-day western society
why sleep is our superpower
how adolescent sleep ‘works’
tips for supporting good sleep hygiene for ourselves and those around us.

Why are we chronically sleep-deprived?

Industrialisation in western society over the past one hundred years or so has caused humans to, as Walker states, ‘abandon their biologically mandated need for adequate sleep’. Artificial light - through electricity and more recently TVs, computers and phone devices - has radically altered the way in which humans previously evolved to operate for millenia. Rather than sleep in tune with natural light fluctuations, rising with the dawn and going to bed at sunset, we can stay awake all night if we wish to. Adult humans still need an average of 8 hours’ sleep every night, or 5-6 90-minute sleep cycles, but few get that much sleep regularly in today’s world. There has also developed a negative view of sleep, as if it’s lazy or somehow embarrassing to ‘need to sleep’. The phrase ‘I’ll sleep when I’m dead’ comes to mind; ironically, sleep deprivation has a massively negative impact on life expectancy. To put it simply, we are chronically sleep-deprived because we are not fully appreciating that we need sleep in order to function well. To improve our individual and collective wellbeing, we must understand why we need to sleep, and how to prioritise it against seemingly endless other demands on our time.

Why is sleep our superpower?

Quality and amount of sleep has been scientifically proven to direct impact our health in countless ways. Brain scientists such as Matthew Walker PhD - who is currently a Professor of Neuroscience and Psychology at the University of California, Berkeley, and Director of the Center for Human Sleep Science - are intent on understanding exactly how sleep works, and we’re reaping the benefits of their scientific endeavours.

‘Sleep is that golden chain that ties health and our bodies together’ - Thomas Dekker

In his TED Talks and in his fascinating book ‘Why We Sleep: The New Science of Sleep and Dreams’, Matthew Walker makes the current science on sleep accessible to all of us. Within just the first 50 pages, it’s clear that our sleep habits need to change if we’re to avoid the catastrophic impact sleep deprivation is inflicting on ourselves, both individually and collectively. Good quality sleep for sufficient hours every night has a positive impact on all of these aspects of our human functioning:

brain function and development across the human lifespan.
learning - concentration, ability to focus and engage, and to retain what we’ve learned.
memory - as a learning aid and also generally supporting our brain’s memory functions.
physical, mental and emotional wellbeing - basically, every aspect of our health, including for example insufficient sleep exacerbates mental disorders, can be a factor in weight gain and the development of diabetes, and can increase the risk of Alzheimer’s disease and many other health conditions.
creativity - REM sleep in particular helps with creative insights and associative networks of information within the brain. We really can ‘sleep on it’ and come up with new solutions!

We all know that life is better when we’re sleeping well. Let’s turn our understanding into action and ensure we maximise nightly opportunities for the deep restoration sleep provides for ourselves and those around us.

‘A good laugh and a long sleep are the best cures in the doctor’s book’ - Irish Proverb

How does sleep ‘work’ in the teenage years?

Late childhood, adolescence and into early adulthood is a period of important brain development for humans. After the first rounds of brain wiring in early and middle childhood comes a period of ‘pruning’ for efficiency and effectiveness, based on the individual’s unique experiences and brain ‘usage’. As Walker describes it: ‘To help with the job of refinement and downscaling of connectivity, the brain employs the services of deep NREM [non-rapid eye movement] sleep. Of the many functions carried out by deep NREM sleep … it is that of synaptic pruning that features predominantly in adolescence’. This process is necessary for healthy brain development and maturation. It is clear from the research cited and discussed by Walker that adolescents are not lazy; far from it, they have a biological need for more sleep than adults. In addition, their circadian rhythms shift forward by several hours, leading to late nights and later mornings in bed. This change, Walker states, is ‘common across all adolescents, irrespective of culture or geography’. Why this change occurs is still a subject of scientific research, but Walker theorises that it’s the way in which Mother Nature helps adolescents to ‘unbuckle themselves from their parents [in order to] operate independently …as a peer-group collective’. It’s certainly an interesting theory.

The scientific facts still remain that adolescents are simply biologically wired to sleep for longer and to obtain that sleep at a later time to their parents. Understanding this can help us to support our young people get the sleep we now know they really need, as well as deal with early morning grumpiness - after all, asking an average teenager ‘to wake up at seven the next morning and function with intellect, grace, and good mood is the equivalent of asking you, their parent, to do the same at four or five a.m.’!

9 tips for good sleep hygiene

Here are some good tips for improving the amount and quality of the sleep of yourself and those around you. Experiment and see what works!

1) Your bedroom is for sleeping

As much as you can, keep your bedroom for sleeping - if you have to study or work in there too, try having designated zones for different activities. Think about changing the lighting, perhaps by using a dim bedside lamp, to signal when bedtime is approaching.

2) Stick to your sleep schedule

Try and keep to the same sleep schedule every day, even weekends and holidays. Set an alarm if you need to, to remind you when it’s time to get ready for bed!

3) Create a bedtime routine

Just as young children sleep better when they have a period of unwinding and relaxation before bed, so do teenagers and adults! You may need to schedule this time in if you don’t already do it. Something like journaling, listening to music or reading is perfect. You’re aiming to help your mind and body relax, ready for sleep. Some people love a hot bath before bed: the bath is relaxing and the drop in body temperature after you get out of the bath also helps you feel sleepy.

4) Be comfortable

A comfortable, dark and cool environment is more conducive to a good night’s sleep. Use a blackout blind if you need to, dim the lights and turn the heating off or down. Experiment with different bedding, duvet or blanket combinations to find what works for you. A comfortable mattress and pillow are also very important.

5) Be mindful of evening screen-time

Reduce evening screen-time as much as possible, and switch devices off at least one hour before bedtime, ideally two hours before. Remove phones, TVs and other devices from bedrooms for sleeping time, to avoid distractions. Buy an old-school alarm clock if you need one! If you must work on screens earlier in the evening, consider wearing blue-light blocking glasses, which many people find very helpful.

6) Natural sunlight exposure

Daylight is essential to help regulate your circadian rhythm and sleep pattern. Try to get outside early every morning, or use bright lights when waking in winter. Experts recommend a minimum of thirty minutes of natural sunlight exposure during the day - perhaps you can walk to school, college or work, or take a nature break at lunchtime? Avoiding bright light later in the day and evening will also help to keep your internal clock from moving too late (although as we’ve discussed above, some of that is unavoidable in adolescence).

7) Avoid caffeine and nicotine

Did you know that the stimulant caffeine is present in colas, some teas and chocolate, as well as in coffee? Its effects can take as long as eight hours to wear off. Best to keep that coffee and chocolate consumption to before mid-afternoon if you want to improve your sleep. Nicotine is also a stimulant and affects smokers’ ability to sleep deeply. The withdrawal often causes smokers to wake early too.

8) Avoid alcohol, large meals and beverages before bedtime

Although alcohol can feel like it helps you to relax, it also steals away your deep REM [rapid eye movement] sleep, which is vital to the restorative functions of sleep. Eating large meals late at night can cause indigestion, which interferes with your ability to sleep well. Drinking too much fluid late at night can cause you to wake up frequently to go to the toilet!

9) Don’t lie awake

If you just can’t get to sleep, don’t lie there worrying about it. Anxiety tends not to facilitate sleepiness. It’s fine to get up and do something relaxing for a while until you feel sleepy again. Often switching the bedside lamp on and reading a book for a short time will do the trick. If you’re feeling worried about something, you could use a journal or notebook to empty the worry thoughts out of your head, which will help you relax and get to sleep.

‘There is a time for many words, and there is also a time for sleep’ - Homer, The Odyssey

Further reading and viewing

Why We Sleep: The New Science of Sleep and Dreams by Matthew Walker

https://www.ted.com/speakers/matthew_walker

https://www.humansleepscience.com/h-o-m-e

https://thriveglobal.com/stories/the-sleepless-teenager/

https://thesleepcharity.org.uk/ and its specialist https://teensleephub.org.uk/