Sleeping Your Way to Lightness

I remember the first time I pulled an all-nighter. It was over two decades ago and I was in college studying for a stats test. There were multiple libraries to choose from at The Ohio State University, my alma mater. I decided to camp out in the engineering library—not only was it open all night, but it was quiet, clean and had white tables that fit two people with enough room to spread out and not feel cramped.

My stats professor told us that we could bring a self-made cheat sheet using an 8x11 piece of paper to the test. The hours flew by as I created multiple rough drafts. Occasionally the clock ticking on the wall and a few whispers here and there would register, but for the most part, I was immersed in the act of creation—laser-focused on learning and not tired at all. I finished my cheat sheet close to dawn thinking that it looked like a beautifully organized piece of art.

The early morning sky was a deep blue as I walked back to my apartment. I felt exhilarated. Euphoric even. I was confident, prepared and alert. I smiled as I thought about how invincible I was. I had just defied the un-defiable, I had proven that I didn’t need sleep so clearly I was superhuman.

A few hours later I had aced the test, was well rested from a power nap, and my life went on as normal.

Today, I cringe at the thought of pulling an all-nighter.

A poor night’s sleep leaves me feeling lopsided for the day—sometimes for multiple days. Without good sleep, I become impatient and grumpy. I misinterpret anything that can be misinterpreted and I easily fall into victimhood.

I’m a fan of data and so getting on the scale is something I do a few times a week. However I’ve learned not to weigh myself after a rough night. Little sleep or poor quality sleep means I’ll gain a few pounds, look puffy and swollen all over, and wake up feeling famished.

And it’s not just me. Researchers at the University of Chicago have found that partial sleep deprivation alters the circulating levels of the hormones that regulate hunger, causing an increase in appetite and a preference for calorie-dense, high-carbohydrate foods. Participants in this study also stated that they were more hungry after four hours of sleep than after ten hours.

What makes me feel superhuman now?

Getting a good night’s sleep.

For me, there’s nothing better than waking up feeling refreshed and optimistic. Full of gratitude. Feeling as if I can take on any challenge with grace—that nothing is too hard or too complicated to figure out.

I also like waking up not starving and obsessing about food.

So I make sure to get a solid 8.5-9 hours of sleep a night. However, most people get much less and evidence shows that people in Western countries are sleeping on average 1 1/2 to 2 full hours per night less than we did just a century ago. So why are most of us depriving ourselves of sleep? Why are we distracting ourselves from our exhaustion with coffee, Netflix, scrolling—anything but going to bed?

In my opinion, it’s part FOMO—fear of missing out, part escapism and part ignorance.

And the actual act of sleeping isn’t necessarily easy. In fact, it doesn’t come easily for nearly half of older Americans, with more than a third resorting to some sort of medication to help them doze off at night, according to results from the University of Michigan, 2019 National Poll on Healthy Aging.

This is a serious issue. We indulge on caffeine throughout the day so that we can power through everything that crosses our path and then when we can’t sleep at night, we feel like our only choice to get a good night’s sleep is to take a downer.

Thankfully it doesn’t have to be this way.

And I’m grateful my friend and colleague, Suzie Senk, created Simply Sleep—a guide that gives you the basics to create a solid foundation to get your sleep back on track.

Want life to feel lighter?

It’s simple, don’t cheat on your sleep. And if you've convinced yourself that you’re one of those people who just doesn't need much sleep know that poor sleep hygiene is not only connected to the inability to lose weight, but it's also connected to immune system failure, diabetes, cancer, obesity, depression, memory loss, premature aging, and more.

A lack of sleep is not inconsequential.

Need some help? Suzie's sleep guide is a powerful place to start. I’ve read it and am benefiting from it. Click here to access it.