It was last May, now that I think about it. I was perpetually tired. I was wondering if 45 years old just meant this is the way it was going to be. My friend recommended using a device to measure sleep. I decided to invest in the Whoop Strap. He said you probably think you are getting enough sleep but aren’t.
I made it my number one priority for two weeks. Get good sleep, use good sleep hygiene, and see what was really happening.
The Whoop app and other ones people like, measure your heart rate, your variable heart rate (the beats in between the big beats of your heart), how much you strain your body each day, and how long you sleep for. It doesn’t tell time, it just does that…and does it well.
It gives you a score of 1-100 and a zone or red (not good), yellow (average), and green (ready to peak perform).
I was in the red for the first 5 days! It showed I was way behind on sleep and quality of sleep.
I also learned what I thought I was getting in sleep, was one less hour each night, due to time to fall asleep and time I was awake.
With good sleep, I slowly moved it to yellow and then hit my first green. Guess what?
I felt rested when rising!
What is good sleep hygiene? What does that even mean?
Sleep hygiene like taking care of your teeth is a consistent practice of preparing for and executing sleep.
1. Turning devices off at least 30-60 minutes before bedtime
2. Read a book or magazine while in bed but no TV
3. Make sure your room is dark, blinds block out all light
4. Room temperature is cool – 67F is perfect for me and Blake
5. Eat 2.5 – 3 hours prior to sleep. Digestion can chew up your energy meant for sleep
6. If you have trouble falling asleep, use some light meditative music or ask Alexa to play ocean waves…and don’t “try” to fall asleep. Your body usually naturally falls asleep after 15 minutes
In times, like these sleep is soooo important. I am thankful I have invested the time to understand it. What I like about the Whoop app is that it provides me daily metrics and a direction to shoot for. I am not always in the green but I know how to get back there. In addition, they have a good Whoop Podcast that explains the science behind it.
Check the Whoop app out or ask around for other recommendations. The bottom line, invest the time to get the most out of your sleep.
Colin
The kick in the pants you need. Sign-up for a better start to your work day.