Sleep as a key pillar of good health and performance

During this podcast, Stellar Recruitment’s Managing Director, Shaun McCambridge, sits down with Specialist Fatigue Consultant, Naomi Rogers. They discuss the importance of sleep, particularly how it can impact on performance, along with tips on healthy sleeping habits. Naomi also shares valuable insights on measuring the quality of sleep, the science behind sleep and the benefits of meditation and mindfulness.

Naomi’s Highlights:

2:57 - How much is enough sleep?

4:33 - The downside of poor sleep

5:55 - Upside of taking time to get quality sleep

7:12 - Recommendations on measuring the quality of sleep

8:15 - The tangible impacts of sleep on our ability to operate machinery safely

13:08 - Circadian rhythms and whether sleep personalities are fixed

16:28 - Infrared light and its impact on circadian rhythm

20:12 - The impact of exercise, diet, alcohol, smoking, caffeine and sugar on sleep

22:14 - The best tips for a good sleep

24:06 - The science behind breaking the sleep pattern

28:05 - View or benefits of a power nap

30:27 - The power of meditation and mindfulness on sleep

How much is enough sleep?

Studies on performance have shown that in order to keep performing at high levels, a minimum of 8 hours of sleep is required. In addition, the study also indicated that having 6.5 hours of sleep can have long and short-term implications on health.

The downside of poor sleep

The short-term impacts derived from low quality sleep include an individual being lethargic and slow. The immune system is typically lower, particularly in winter. The long-term impacts include weight gain, obesity, diabetes, and various heart conditions.

Upside of taking time to get quality sleep

When you have had a long, fulfilling sleep, it can help with embracing the day and increasing overall performance. This includes memory retention, longer concentration levels, and quicker reflexes. If you are studying the night before a test, a good night’s sleep can help with retaining the information and performing better during the test.

Recommendations on measuring the quality of sleep

The best quality of sleep is one with routine. If you are going to bed at the same time each night and waking up at the same time, you will have drive and energy to operate at your best capacity during the day.

The tangible impacts of sleep on our ability to operate machinery safely

When operating heavy vehicles or cars on the road with sleep deprivation, a range of performance is impacted. With limited sleep, micro-sleep tends to take over where the brain needs to shut off to make up for the lost sleep. This leads to decreased concentration and focus, resulting in high-impact fatigue accidents.

Circadian rhythms and whether sleep personalities are fixed

We generally have a 24-hour circadian rhythm. There are a variety of sleep personalities and individual sleep needs; some are morning people, and some are night people. 5% of the population are true short sleepers, 5% are true long sleepers and the rest fall within the average 8-hour rhythm. However, waking up when your body wants to rather than waking up to an alarm is the most beneficial for your circadian rhythm.

Infrared light and its impact on circadian rhythm

Early morning light is important for alerting the brain that it is time to start the day. The brain knows what time of day it is from light level. However, having heavy lights or screens on at the end of the day can trick the brain into thinking it is still daytime, limiting the ability to fall asleep easily.

The impact of exercise, diet, alcohol, smoking, caffeine and sugar on sleep

The more you exercise, the better-quality sleep you will get and the more you will have energy to exercise further throughout the day. Exercise, nutrition, and sleep are the three main pillars for a healthy lifestyle. Where possible, refrain from drinking caffeine as it will limit your ability to fall asleep easily. It is recommended to turn off devices 1 hour before going to bed and not eating within the 2 hours before bedtime.

The best tips for a good sleep

Look at your sleeping environment and what you are doing around bedtime. A room that is dark, quiet and is a good temperature will help shift worker’s sleep quality. Your body temperature tends to decrease in the evening and reaches a low point between 4-6am. For shift workers, the white noise from the aircon or fan can assist with falling asleep. A routine is a valuable tool for allowing the brain to get into thinking that it is time to shut off and sleep. Studies have shown that total amount of sleep is important for performance. Therefore, it is better to get up and do what you need to do if your sleep is broken and then have another nap before going into work.

The science behind breaking the sleep pattern

For those struggling to fall asleep or those with insomnia, it is recommended to not have a clock in the room. If you cannot fall asleep, sit on the edge of the bed, and don’t reach for a phone or anything that has a light source. After 10 minutes, climb into bed and you should be able to fall asleep.

View on benefits of a power nap

Power naps are great tool also known as sleep debts that pay off the lost sleep and help us get through the rest of the day. However, look at when you are having them. Typical sleep cycles last around 90 minutes with an additional 5-10 minutes after the nap to get rid of any sleep inertia.

The power of meditation and mindfulness on sleep

Meditation and mindfulness activities don’t take away sleep debt, however, assist the brain to transition into sleep mode and relaxes the brain for a more fulfilling sleep cycle.