Neuroscientist: 15 Tips to Fall Asleep Faster & Sleep Better

Summary

This script emphasizes the importance of sleep for overall health, discussing practical strategies to improve sleep quality. It advises limiting caffeine intake, especially post-4 p.m., and suggests optimal napping and exercise routines. The role of sunlight, light exposure at night, and room temperature in sleep is explored. Additionally, it covers the effects of alcohol, CBD, and THC on sleep, and touches on the benefits of certain sleep aids like eye masks and foot elevation. The script concludes with insights on supplements that may help with falling asleep and staying asleep, recommending a scientific approach to supplementation.

Takeaways

• 💤 Sleep is fundamental to overall health, affecting mental and physical well-being as well as performance.
• ☕️ Limit caffeine intake, especially after 4 p.m., to avoid disrupting sleep architecture.
• 🛌 Napping can be beneficial but should not interfere with nighttime sleep; late afternoon naps are advised against.
• 🏃‍♂️ Afternoon exercise can delay sleep onset due to increased body temperature and circadian clock effects.
• 🌞 Exposure to sunlight or bright light during the day is beneficial, but dim lighting is recommended in the evening to support sleep.
• 🕯️ Avoid bright artificial lights in the evening and night, as they can suppress melatonin production and disrupt sleep.
• 🧊 A cooler sleeping environment can improve sleep quality by helping to lower core body temperature.
• 🍷 Alcohol, CBD, and THC can lead to disrupted sleep patterns, even if they initially help with falling asleep.
• 👓 Eye masks can help with sleep maintenance if the room is cool and the mask is not too tight, due to the presence of glabrous skin on the face.
• 🛏️ Elevating the feet during sleep can improve depth of sleep and cognitive function, but caution is needed for those with acid reflux.
• 📅 Maintaining consistent sleep and wake times, even on weekends, enhances sleep quality and depth.
• 💊 Supplements like magnesium threonate, magnesium bisglycinate, and apegenin can help with sleep onset and quality, but individual responses may vary.

Q & A

Why is sleep important for overall health?

Sleep is crucial for overall health as it forms the foundation of mental health, physical health, and performance in various aspects of life. It also controls functions such as the immune system, skin health, and appearance.

What is the recommended time to avoid caffeine intake to ensure better sleep?

To optimize sleep, it is advised to avoid caffeine intake after 4 p.m., with an even better practice being to limit the last caffeine intake to 3 p.m. or 2 p.m.

How does caffeine late in the day affect sleep architecture?

Caffeine intake late in the day, especially after 4 p.m., can disrupt sleep architecture, potentially leading to less restful sleep even if one feels they are sleeping well.

What is the suggested approach to napping to avoid affecting nighttime sleep?

It is fine to nap in the afternoon, but one should avoid napping too late in the day or for too long, as it can disrupt the ability to fall and stay asleep at night.

How does intense exercise in the afternoon or evening affect sleep timing?

Intense exercise in the afternoon or evening can increase body temperature and delay the circadian clock, potentially making one naturally want to sleep and wake up later.

What is the impact of sunlight exposure in the afternoon on sleep?

Sunlight exposure in the afternoon can be beneficial as it helps protect the nervous system against the negative effects of bright artificial light in the evening and nighttime, which can disrupt sleep.

Why should bright artificial lights be avoided in the evening and nighttime hours?

Bright artificial lights in the evening and nighttime can wake up the brain and body, disrupt the circadian clock, and negatively affect sleep quality and the ability to fall and stay asleep.

What is the recommended sleeping environment temperature to promote better sleep?

A cooler sleeping environment, ideally with the temperature dropped by at least 3°, is recommended to promote better sleep as it helps in dropping core body temperature for easier sleep onset and maintenance.

How does alcohol consumption before sleep affect the quality of sleep?

Alcohol consumption before sleep can lead to disrupted sleep, as it affects the sleep architecture, resulting in suboptimal sleep quality compared to sleep without alcohol.

What are some tools that can help improve sleep quality according to the script?

Tools such as eye masks (when used correctly), elevating feet, maintaining consistent sleep and wake times, and certain supplements like magnesium threonate, apegenine, and myoinositol can help improve sleep quality.

What supplements are suggested for individuals who have trouble falling asleep or staying asleep?

Magnesium threonate or bisglycinate, and apegenine are suggested supplements for those having trouble falling asleep. Myoinositol may help those who wake up in the middle of the night to fall back asleep more quickly.

Outlines

00:00

💤 Optimizing Sleep: Practical Toolkit

This paragraph discusses the importance of sleep for overall health, including mental and physical well-being, immune function, skin health, and appearance. It introduces a practical toolkit for optimizing sleep, emphasizing the negative impact of late-day caffeine consumption on sleep architecture. The advice includes limiting caffeine intake after 4 p.m., considering napping habits, and the effects of afternoon exercise on circadian rhythms. The speaker also highlights the importance of sunlight exposure during the day and avoiding bright artificial lights in the evening to maintain a healthy sleep cycle.

05:00

🌙 Enhancing Sleep Quality with Environmental Factors

The second paragraph delves into environmental factors that affect sleep quality, such as room temperature, light exposure, and the use of alcohol, CBD, and THC. It suggests keeping the sleeping environment cool and avoiding bright lights, especially between 10 p.m. and 4 a.m., to prevent disruption of the circadian rhythm and melatonin production. The paragraph also mentions the benefits of using an eye mask and elevating feet during sleep for deeper sleep, while cautioning against this practice for those with acid reflux. Consistency in sleep and wake times, even on weekends, is emphasized for better sleep quality.

10:03

🛌 Supplements and Strategies for Improved Sleep

The final paragraph focuses on supplements and strategies to improve sleep onset and maintenance. It discusses the effectiveness of magnesium threonate and bisglycinate, as well as apegenin, for easing into sleep and reducing anxiety before bedtime. The speaker suggests a methodical approach to supplementing, such as trying each supplement individually or in combination to determine personal effectiveness. The paragraph also touches on the use of myoinositol for those who wake up in the middle of the night and the potential downsides of theanine for individuals with vivid dreams.

Keywords

💡Sleep

Sleep is the central theme of the video, described as critical to our overall health, including mental, physical, and performance aspects. The video emphasizes that optimal sleep is foundational for a better life, controlling various bodily functions such as the immune system and skin health. The script discusses various strategies to improve sleep quality, highlighting the importance of sleep in daily life.

💡Caffeine

Caffeine is mentioned as a stimulant that can disrupt sleep if consumed late in the day. The video advises avoiding caffeine after 4 p.m. to prevent it from negatively affecting sleep architecture, even for those who believe they can sleep well despite late caffeine intake. The script provides a specific example of the impact of caffeine on sleep, suggesting that it might make one feel less rested despite appearing to sleep well.

💡Napping

Napping is discussed as a practice that can be beneficial for sleep if done correctly. The video suggests that napping in the afternoon is fine, but it should not be done late in the day or for extended periods, as it can interfere with the ability to fall asleep at night. This advice is based on data that supports the idea that napping can complement sleep but should be timed appropriately.

💡Exercise

Exercise is presented as an activity that can influence sleep patterns. Intense exercise in the afternoon or evening can raise body temperature and delay the circadian clock, potentially making it harder to fall asleep at the desired time. The video contrasts this with morning exercise, which is less likely to shift the circadian rhythm and suggests being cautious with caffeine intake when exercising late in the day.

💡Circadian Clock

The circadian clock refers to the body's internal timekeeping system that regulates sleep-wake cycles. The video explains how certain activities, like late-afternoon exercise and exposure to bright light, can delay this clock, making it harder to fall asleep at night. The script emphasizes the importance of aligning one's activities with the circadian clock for optimal sleep.

💡Melatonin

Melatonin is a hormone naturally released in the evening and nighttime that promotes sleepiness. The video warns against exposure to bright light in the late evening, as it can suppress melatonin production and disrupt sleep. The script uses melatonin as an example of a natural sleep aid that can be affected by environmental factors like light exposure.

💡Alcohol

Alcohol is discussed as a substance that can disrupt sleep quality, even though it might help some people fall asleep initially. The video states that alcohol affects the architecture of sleep, leading to less restorative sleep. This is a clear example of how substances can influence sleep patterns and overall health.

💡CBD and THC

CBD (cannabidiol) and THC (tetrahydrocannabinol) are compounds found in cannabis that are mentioned in relation to sleep. The video suggests that while they might aid in falling asleep, they can lead to suboptimal sleep architecture, similar to alcohol. This highlights the complex relationship between substances and sleep quality.

💡Supplements

Supplements like magnesium, theanine, and myoinositol are discussed as potential aids for improving sleep. The video provides specific advice on their use, such as taking myoinositol to shorten the time to fall back asleep or using magnesium and apegenin for faster sleep onset. The script illustrates how supplements can be part of a strategy to enhance sleep quality.

💡Consistent Sleep Schedule

A consistent sleep schedule is emphasized as important for maintaining good sleep quality. The video advises against sleeping in too late on weekends, which can disrupt the body's circadian rhythm. Instead, it suggests waking up within an hour of the normal wake time and possibly taking a nap in the afternoon to maintain consistency.

💡Room Temperature

Room temperature is mentioned as a factor that can affect sleep. The video recommends making the sleeping environment cool, as a cooler room can help in falling asleep and staying asleep. This advice is based on the relationship between temperature and sleep, where a cooler environment is more conducive to restful sleep.

Highlights

Sleep is crucial for overall health, affecting mental, physical health, and performance.

Caffeine intake after 4 p.m. can disrupt sleep architecture.

Limiting caffeine intake to before 3 or 4 p.m. is recommended for better sleep.

Napping can be beneficial but should not interfere with nighttime sleep.

Afternoon exercise can delay the circadian clock, affecting sleep timing.

Avoiding caffeine before exercise in the afternoon or evening can prevent sleep disruption.

Sunlight exposure in the afternoon can protect against the negative effects of artificial light at night.

Dim lighting in the evening is advised to maintain a healthy circadian rhythm.

Overhead fluorescent lights at night can suppress melatonin production.

Melatonin is a hormone that promotes sleepiness and facilitates falling asleep.

A cool sleeping environment can improve sleep quality.

Alcohol, CBD, and THC disrupt sleep quality despite helping with initial sleep.

Eye masks can improve sleep by blocking light, provided the room is cool enough.

Elevating feet can enhance deep sleep due to lymphatic washout.

For acid reflux sufferers, elevating the head side of the bed is recommended.

Consistent sleep and wake times, even on weekends, improve sleep quality.

Magnesium threonate and bisglycinate can reduce sleep latency and deepen sleep.

Avenine, derived from chamomile, can help reduce anxiety and ease into sleep.

Supplements like myoinositol can shorten the time to fall back asleep after waking up at night.

Theanine may not be suitable for those with vivid dreams that disrupt sleep.

A rational approach to supplementation involves trial and evaluation of different ingredients.

Transcripts

sleep is critical to our health sleep is

the foundation of mental health physical

health and performance of all kinds it

also controls things like our immune

system our skin health and our

appearance basically everything in life

gets better when we're sleeping well so

you may ask what are the things that you

can do that are really going to set you

up for the best possible sleep later

that night this is a practical toolkit

that anyone indeed all people I believe

should use in order to optimize their

[Music]

sleep first of all be careful about

ingesting too much caffeine throughout

the middle of the day that's kind of an

obvious one certainly avoid drinking

more than 100 milligram of caffeine

after 4: p.m. and probably even better

to limit your last caffeine intake to

3:00 p.m. or even 2: p.m. and I say this

knowing that many people including

myself can drink a double espresso with

200 milligrams of caffeine or more at

5:00 p.m. or even 600 p.m. or after

dinner and still quote unquote fall

asleep fine or still sleep fine however

there are terrific data Matt Walker and

I talked about this and there more and

more papers all the time that point to

the fact that caffeine intake late in

the day after 4 p.m. that is can really

disrupt the architecture of your sleep

so you might think you're sleeping well

but you're not sleeping nearly as well

as you could if you avoided caffeine in

those afternoon

hours second of all if you are a napper

and I raise my hand now for those of you

listening I'm raising my right hand

because I love naps I've always love

naps should you nap should you not nap

that's a question that I get asked a lot

and that I asked Dr Matthew Walker when

he was was a guest on this podcast here

was his answer and here's what the data

support it is fine to nap in the

afternoon but don't nap so late in the

day or for so long that it disrupts your

ability to fall and stay asleep at night

for your major sleep

bout for those of you that exercise in

the afternoon understand that if you

exercise very intensely so this might be

weight training or running or some other

very intense exercise typically that's

going to further increase your body

temperature and it's going to so-called

delay your circadian clock it's going to

make it such that you want to fall

asleep a little bit later maybe even a

lot later so if you're exercising in the

afternoon or evening and that's the only

time you can exercise or that's the time

that you prefer to exercise great but be

careful about ingesting too much

caffeine in order to get the energy to

do that exercise CU that caffeine will

disrupt your sleep and just know that

you are delaying your circadian clock

you are making it such that you will

naturally want to go to sleep later and

wake up later contrast that with if you

exercise early in the day immediately

after waking up or in the first 4 hours

after waking in most cases that's not

going to shift your circadian clock

much so should you be looking at

sunlight or bright artificial lights

throughout the day now on the face of it

you might just think yes you know

sunlight's great provided we're not

getting a sunburn we're not staring at

the sun and damaging our eyes we should

get as much sunlight as we possibly can

so sunlight to the eyes sunlight in the

late afternoon and evening hours so

again depends on time of year depends on

location that you happen to be in but

getting some sunlight in your eyes for

again maybe 5 or 10 maybe 30 minutes

depending on how much cloud cover there

is doing that in the afternoon serves an

additional beneficial purpose which is

you protect or you inoculate your

nervous system against some of the

negative effects of bright artificial

light or even dim artificial light in

the nighttime hours between 10:00 p.m.

and 4:00

a.m. you're going to want to avoid

bright artificial lights of any color in

the evening hours and nighttime hours it

takes very little light very few photons

in order to wake up your brain and body

and to disrupt your circadian clock and

disrupt your sleep so what that means is

that once the sun goes down which of

course is going to happen at different

times of year in different places on

Earth but once the sun goes down you

would be wise to try and dim the lights

in your indoor environment most days

right I realize some nights you're going

to throw a party and have people over

you might not want to dim the light Some

Nights you're going to go out you might

view a lot of bright lights but most

nights of your life you're going to want

to dim the lights in your internal

environment and ideally the lights that

you do use you would Place low in that

physical environment so you would try

and not use overhead lights but rather

rely on desk lamps or lights even placed

low to the floor even on the floor the

absolute worst lights are going to be

overhead fluorescent lights of the sort

that you would have in the supermarket

or uh that you would see at a gas

station or something of that sort and I

confess there are times in which I'm you

know driving home and it's late at night

and I want to be able to get to sleep

and I'll need to stop at the grocery

store or a gas station or something like

that I've actually put on sunglasses at

night in order to avoid getting that

bright light exposure at night although

that's a little bit extreme uh I have

done that from time to time because that

bright light exposure will absolutely

quash it will eliminate any melatonin

that happens to be circulating in your

brain and body now melatonin a lot of

people think of as a supplement but

melatonin is naturally released as the

evening comes about and into the

nighttime hours it's a hormone that

makes you feel sleepy and allows you to

fall asleep so viewing bright light in

the late evening hours and nighttime

hours is really not good for your sleep

quality and your ability to fall and

stay asleep so for most people a simple

rule of thumb is going to be avoid

bright artificial lights of all colors

and in particular overhead bright

artificial lights between the hours of

10: p.m. and 4:00

a.m. you should try and make your

sleeping environment pretty cool if not

cold now that doesn't mean you need to

be cold while you're asleep you can get

under as many blankets as you need but

it's a good idea to make your sleeping

environment cool in fact drop the

temperature in that sleeping environment

by at least 3° and you'll be happy that

you did because of the relationship

between temperature and sleep that is

dropping your core body temperature 1 to

3° gets you into sleep and helps you

stay

asleep I would be remiss if I didn't

touch on alcohol and CBD and THC because

the sleep that one gets after drinking

alcohol is greatly disrupted sleep hate

to break it to you but that's the truth

and when Dr Matt Walker came on this

podcast he said exactly the same thing

while THC and alcohol do help some

people fall asleep and maybe even stay

asleep the architecture of that sleep is

suboptimal compared to the sleep they

would get without alcohol or THC in

their

system now very briefly I just want to

touch on some tools that are very

commonly used by many people out there

and believe it or not there is

peer-reviewed science on things like eye

masks do eye masks improve your ability

to stay asleep and indeed they do

provided they are not too tight and

provided that the room is cool enough

why well eye mask cover the upper half

of your face which is where glabrous

skin is localized remember Palms of the

hands bottoms of the feet glabber skin

on the face so a lot of people who wear

eye masks will wake up because they're

too warm if the room is too warm so if

you're going to use an ey mask to keep

light out definitely make sure the room

and your sleeping environment your bed

are cool enough in order for you to stay

asleep other tools that I'll just

mentioned that have peer-reviewed

research to support them elevating your

feet either with a pillow or by

elevating the end of your bed by about 3

to 5 degrees can be really beneficial

for increasing the depth of sleep

because of the so-called lymphatic wash

out this is the movement of and

circulation of fluids in your brain at

night that lead to bore wakefulness and

actually can improve cognitive function

and a number of other things related to

brain health there's one caveat to that

for people that suffer from acid reflux

having your ankles elevated above your

chest or above your heart in the middle

of the night can actually exacerbate

that acid reflux you want to do the

opposite you want to actually elevate

your the head side of your bed by about

3 to

5° I do want to mention a couple of

broad Contour tools that will impact

your ability to sleep really well on a

consistent basis and the one that

impacts the most number of people is

weekends turns out that most everybody

feels the impulse to sleep in on the

weekend especially if they've been out

late the night before however the data

show that keeping relatively consistent

sleep and wake times is really going to

enhance the quality and depth of your

sleep so if you stay out late one night

sure you might allow yourself to sleep

in an extra hour or so but you should

really try to avoid sleeping in longer

than an hour beyond your normal wakeup

time that's right if you normally get 8

hours of sleep and you wake up at 7:00

a.m. probably okay to wake up at 8:00

a.m. a.m. on the weekend or after a

night out the night before but try not

to sleep until 11: or noon thinking that

you're going to catch up on your sleep

or that's better than waking up at a

consistent time it would be better to

wake up at a consistent time plus or

minus an hour and get a nap in the

afternoon provided that nap again isn't

too

long if for instance you're somebody who

falls asleep just fine but wakes up in

the middle of the night there are two

categories of supplements that you might

want to consider the first is

myoinositol typically taken as 900 Mig

of myosl myosl can help shorten the

amount of time that it takes to fall

back asleep if you wake up in the middle

of the night other people who wake up in

the middle of the night will wake up

because their dreams are very intense or

they were having dreams that were so

vivid that suddenly they were jolted

from their dreams those people would do

well to avoid certain supplements so in

a moment I'll talk about the value of a

supplement called theanine for falling

asleep but theanine which typically is

taken in dosage is anywhere from 100 Mig

to 400 mg depending on body weight and

experience and what you find to be most

effective for you minimally effective

for you well the indan can be great for

many people but for people who have

excessively vivid dreams those

excessively vivid dreams can lead to

immediate waking and sometimes a little

bit of anxiety upon waking in the middle

of the night so some people who wake up

in the middle of the night so jolted

mentally and physically out of sleep

because of their intense dreams would do

well to avoid theanine supplementation

now for those of you that are not waking

up in the middle of the night are not

having excessively vivid dreams but are

having trouble falling asleep two

supplements in particular have been

shown to be effective for shortening the

transition time to sleep and allowing

people to ease into sleep more readily

and those are magnesium threonate which

is interchangeable with magnesium

bisglycinate magnesium bisglycinate and

magnesium threate both have transporter

systems that allow them to readily cross

the bloodb brain barrier and they lead

to a mild form of drowsiness mild in the

sense that it's not going to prevent you

from operating a motor vehicle or you

still be able to function so it's not

like a sleeping pill but people who take

those often find that their transition

time into sleep is much faster and their

sleep is also much deeper and then the

other supplement is appenine AP i g n i

n appenine which is a derivative of

chamomile also acts as a bit of a

anxiety lowering compound which is

essential prior to sleep for people to

essentially turn turn off their thinking

or to be able to reduce the amount of

ruminating and problem solving and

future anticipation that they're doing

which is a requirement for falling

asleep so what's the rational approach

to supplementing in a way that allows

you to fall asleep more quickly and stay

asleep well would you immediately take

magnesium 38 and appenine together well

that depends if you have the budget and

you just simply want to fall asleep

quicker and you don't care which of

those two ingredients is going to be

more effective for you well then you

could try one for instance magnesium 3

and8 and try it for perhaps a week and

see how that affects your latency to

sleep time that is how quickly you fall

asleep or you could try apennine in the

first week or you could combine them

both or you could try magnesium 38 for a

week then switch to only appenine for a

week and evaluate which one works better

for you if neither works for you I do

recommend trying the combination

together again this is just the way that

any scientist would design an experiment

to try and understand which variables

that is which ingredients are most

effective for the result that you want

as opposed to just lumping them together

and taking them