We think sleep is really important and apparently so do many of you who read this column! Each week in this space many of your submit questions and almost every week someone asks about sleep and specifically how to fall asleep and stay asleep. So, this week I have a few simple tactics you can use to sleep better. Here is the Q&A!

Every few months we like to dedicate a week to answering some of our most frequently asked questions. We received a number of amazing questions from our community in our recent fall survey so we thought we’d share a few of them this week. Read below to learn more!

The world is finally opening up which for many of us means finally hopping on a plane (maybe for the first time in two years!) to relax, recharge, and destress. Of course with travel comes jet lag, which if not managed properly, can make you feel awful and can be detrimental to your health. So how can you minimize these unpleasant symptoms so you can focus on what matters and actually enjoy your vacation?

One of the most common pieces of feedback we get is that people love Q&A sessions. So this week we thought we’d compile all of the FAQs that we’ve received from our community over the past year - through emails, live events, and coaching sessions. Hopefully you find this information helpful and that there are some key takeaways that you can apply to your daily routine. Of course if you have any questions that we missed don't hesitate to reach out!

I’m sure you’ve noticed on days you don't get a good sleep, you struggle to concentrate, are unable to recall facts, and find it difficult to solve problems. It’s also well established that students’ academic performance is correlated with sleep quantity and quality. But what exactly is happening at night that helps us think clearly the next day?

This week we’re going to focus on another incredibly important function of sleep: removing waste. For all metabolic processes that occur in your body, there is an associated waste. The lymphatic system works with the circulatory system to clear this waste. Lymphatic vessels collect waste from your cells and dump it into the blood to be disposed of to keep your body clean and healthy. But how does the brain dispose of the waste that it accumulates during the day?

In previous newsletters, we’ve discussed the dangers of exposing your eyes to light before bed. Due to our circadian rhythm (our internal biological clock), we naturally feel sleepy at night as the pineal gland releases melatonin, the sleepy hormone. When we expose our eyes to light, a signal is sent from our retina to our brain telling it to stop producing melatonin. Basically, we’re telling our body that it’s daytime instead of nighttime. This can cause an increase in sleep latency (the time it takes to fall asleep), sleep inertia (drowsiness when you wake up), and an overall reduction in sleep quality. This is why it's incredibly important to dim lights at night and keep your bedroom as dark as possible.

We’ve given you a lot of new information this year and it can sometimes be a lot to digest. We know many of you don’t get around to reading the emails every week so every few months, we like to do a recap of what we’ve learned to help solidify ideas and let you catch up if you've fallen a bit behind!

If you’ve been with us for a while or participated in any of our programs, you’ll know that one of our main principles is how connected the body is. Sleeping well leads to better eating habits. Proper nutrition allows you to exercise more efficiently. Better physical health leads to better mental health. All of these lifestyle factors are interconnected and by improving one aspect of your health, you can improve the others and amplify your performance. This is what we call the ripple effect.

As you know, sleep is one of the key pillars for physical and mental health. Sleep affects every system in your body. Sleep is important for focus, immune function, and mood. Sleep is when we repair tissues, remove waste, and restore energy levels. When we get enough sleep we just feel awesome!

One of the questions we get a lot is ‘Are naps good for you?’ The short answer? Yes. Provided you do it right. Have you ever woken up from a nap and felt worse than you did before your nap? This is called nap inertia. The reason this happens isn’t because naps are bad per se. This is because you’re napping for the inappropriate amount of time. It all comes back to sleep cycles, which we discussed a few months ago. But just in case you missed it, here is a recap.

Sleep is important for restoring energy levels, repairing tissues, regulating appetite, and improving mental clarity. Everything falls apart if you’re not sleeping properly. With many people back at work or school, at least for the time being, sleep is often put on the back burner as you’re getting used to a new schedule. However sleep should be prioritized now more than ever! Why? Because sleep is also so important for immune function.

Your circadian rhythm is your internal biological clock which regulates everything from sleep, eating patterns, mood, hormone regulation, and energy levels during the day. Disruption to your circadian rhythm can lead to insomnia, fatigue, loss of appetite, depressed mood, and decreased physical and mental performance. This is particularly apparent when you are jet lagged - I’m sure you’ve all experienced how bad that can be!

Besides decreasing the risk of numerous chronic diseases, sleep helps to regulate appetite, improves mood and mental clarity, and increases immune function (which is particularly important right now!). Bottom line - sleep is essential for your mental and physical health and performance.

My primary advice to ensure world-class sleep is to defend your last hour. To do so, I developed a comprehensive pre-sleep protocol.

Here are three tactics you can use: