Sleep Smarter

Hustle culture promotes devaluing sleep.

Sleep is for the weaklings, or you can sleep when you’re dead. These are commonly circulated ideas on social media these days.

But, this is entirely false.

Sleep makes us more productive and healthy.

During sleep, our body restores all the wear and tear that happen in our body throughout the day.

Also:

During our waking hours, the brain accumulates toxins that need to be flushed out for growth to happen.

Sleep does that.

As little as 24 hours of sleep deprivation makes you dumber.

Have you ever had a lousy workday or made terrible decisions after a night of poor sleep?

Here's how to get quality sleep every night:

Limit Screentime Before Bed

The blue light emitted from our computer and smartphone screens suppress the release of a vital sleep hormone called melatonin.

Melatonin is released when it’s dark and helps us transition into sleep.

Moreover:

The dopamine hits from notifications on our phones and social media likes keep us motivated and alert.

This is the complete opposite of what we want when trying to sleep.

Prohibit all screens at least 90 mins before bed.

Keep Coffee to Early in the Day

Caffeine triggers the release of two hormones in our body — cortisol and adrenaline.

Cortisol is often called the stress hormone, and it makes you alert for a fight-or-flight situation.

Adrenaline gives you a boost in energy for dealing with challenging situations.

Both of these consequences keep sleep miles away from you.

Imagine falling asleep in front of a raging bull.

Caffeine has a half-life of around 5–8 hours. If you consume 100mg of caffeine in the morning, about 50mg will still be present after 2.5–4hours.