Why You're Always Tired

Summary

This video debunks common sleep myths, advocating for personalized sleep durations rather than the standard 8 hours. It emphasizes the importance of consistency in sleep schedules for better quality rest. The video also addresses the misconceptions about alcohol aiding sleep, the proper way to nap, and the impact of caffeine. It advises against oversleeping and staying in bed awake, suggesting engaging in calming activities instead.

Takeaways

• 😴 Everyone's sleep needs vary; it's not always 8 hours, and can range from 6 to 10 hours.
• 🌙 Consistency in sleep schedule is crucial for better sleep quality and daytime energy levels.
• 🚫 'Catching up' on sleep over the weekend doesn't compensate for weekday sleep deprivation.
• 🍺 Alcohol might help you fall asleep faster but it negatively affects the quality of your sleep.
• ❌ Napping isn't bad; short naps can boost productivity and energy, but long naps can disrupt night sleep.
• 🛌 If you can't sleep, don't just lie in bed; get up and do something calming until you feel sleepy.
• 💤 Oversleeping, defined as consistently sleeping more than 9 hours, can be detrimental to health.
• ☕ Caffeine isn't all bad; it can improve alertness and performance when consumed appropriately.
• ⏰ Timing is key with caffeine; avoid it after lunchtime to prevent sleep interference.
• 🌟 Listen to your body and how you feel upon waking to determine the right amount of sleep for you.

Q & A

What is the main focus of the video?

The video focuses on debunking common sleep myths and providing tips for achieving better sleep quality.

What book is the video based on?

The video is based on Matthew Walker's book 'Why We Sleep'.

Is 8 hours of sleep a night the ideal amount for everyone?

No, the ideal amount of sleep varies from person to person, typically between 7 to 9 hours, but can be different for some.

How can one determine their ideal amount of sleep?

One can determine their ideal sleep amount by sleeping without an alarm and observing how many hours they naturally wake up after.

What is the significance of having a consistent sleep schedule?

A consistent sleep schedule helps improve sleep quality, maintain energy levels throughout the day, and makes waking up easier.

Is it true that you can catch up on sleep by sleeping more on weekends?

No, inconsistent sleep patterns can disrupt the internal sleep clock and decrease sleep quality.

How does alcohol affect sleep quality?

While alcohol might help fall asleep faster, it disrupts REM sleep, which is essential for feeling rested.

What is the recommended duration for a nap to boost productivity and energy levels?

Short naps of 20 to 30 minutes can boost productivity and energy levels without affecting nighttime sleep.

Why is it not advisable to stay in bed if you cannot sleep?

Staying in bed without sleeping can associate the bed with negative emotions and make it harder to fall asleep, creating a negative cycle.

What is considered oversleeping and how does it affect health?

Oversleeping is defined as consistently sleeping more than 9 hours. It can be detrimental to health and may not make you feel more rested.

How should one consume caffeine to avoid affecting sleep?

Caffeine should be consumed in moderation and preferably in the morning, as it has a long half-life and can interfere with sleep if consumed late.

What is the role of caffeine in terms of alertness and performance?

Caffeine helps improve alertness, sports performance, and cognitive performance when used correctly.

Outlines

00:00

😴 Debunking Sleep Myths for Better Rest

This paragraph discusses common misconceptions about sleep and emphasizes the importance of quality sleep. It references Matthew Walker's book 'Why We Sleep' and suggests using short-form summaries for those who prefer not to read the full book. The video aims to dispel myths such as the notion that everyone needs exactly 8 hours of sleep, highlighting that individual sleep needs can vary. The speaker shares personal experiences with sleep duration and the impact of sleep consistency on daytime energy levels. The paragraph also challenges the idea that one can 'catch up' on sleep over the weekend, explaining how inconsistent sleep patterns can disrupt the body's internal clock and reduce sleep quality.

05:01

🍷 The Impact of Lifestyle Habits on Sleep

The second paragraph explores the effects of alcohol, caffeine, and sleep practices on sleep quality. It dispels the myth that alcohol aids sleep, explaining that while it may help with falling asleep, it negatively affects REM sleep. The speaker shares personal experiences with alcohol consumption and its impact on waking up feeling refreshed. The paragraph also addresses the common belief that naps are detrimental, suggesting that short naps can actually boost energy and productivity when timed correctly. Furthermore, it discusses the negative effects of trying to force sleep when unable to fall asleep, recommending getting up and engaging in calming activities instead. The speaker warns against oversleeping, defining it as sleeping more than 9 hours consistently, which can be unhealthy. Lastly, the paragraph provides advice on caffeine consumption, suggesting that it can be beneficial when timed correctly and not consumed after lunchtime.

Keywords

💡Sleep Myths

Sleep myths refer to commonly held but incorrect beliefs about sleep. In the video, sleep myths are debunked to help viewers understand the importance of quality sleep and to avoid practices that may interfere with rest. For instance, the myth that everyone needs exactly 8 hours of sleep is discussed, highlighting that individual sleep needs can vary.

💡Matthew Walker's Book 'Why We Sleep'

This book is mentioned as a source of the ideas presented in the video. It is a non-fiction book that explores the science of sleep and its importance to health. The video uses insights from the book to discuss sleep requirements and habits, emphasizing the book's credibility and the importance of its message.

💡Sleep Duration

Sleep duration refers to the amount of time spent sleeping. The video explains that sleep duration is not one-size-fits-all; it varies from person to person and can change based on lifestyle and age. The script suggests finding one's natural sleep duration by sleeping without an alarm and observing when one wakes up naturally.

💡Sleep Consistency

Sleep consistency means maintaining a regular sleep schedule. The video stresses the importance of going to bed and waking up at the same time every day for better sleep quality. Consistency helps regulate the body's internal clock, leading to more restorative sleep and higher daytime energy levels.

💡REM Sleep

REM (Rapid Eye Movement) sleep is one of the stages of sleep that occurs several times during a sleep cycle, typically characterized by rapid eye movements, more dreaming and bodily movement, and faster pulse and breathing. The video mentions that alcohol can disrupt REM sleep, which is crucial for feeling rested upon waking.

💡Napping

Napping is the act of sleeping for a short period during the day. The video discusses the pros and cons of napping, suggesting that while short naps can boost productivity and energy, long naps can interfere with nighttime sleep. The timing of naps is also highlighted as important to avoid disrupting the sleep cycle.

💡Caffeine

Caffeine is a stimulant found in coffee, tea, and other beverages that can temporarily ward off drowsiness and increase alertness. The video clarifies that caffeine, when consumed in moderation and at the right times, does not necessarily negatively impact sleep. It also mentions the half-life of caffeine and its effects on sleep.

💡Oversleeping

Oversleeping is defined in the video as consistently sleeping more than 9 hours. It is presented as potentially harmful to health and not necessarily making one feel more rested. The video advises against oversleeping and emphasizes the importance of finding the right amount of sleep for one's body.

💡Sleep Quality

Sleep quality refers to how restorative and refreshing one's sleep is. The video discusses various factors that can affect sleep quality, such as alcohol consumption, napping habits, and sleep duration. The focus is on practices that can improve sleep quality rather than just increasing the quantity of sleep.

💡Sleep Debt

Sleep debt is the cumulative effect of not getting enough sleep over time. The video touches on the idea that trying to 'catch up' on sleep over the weekend does not effectively repay sleep debt and can disrupt the body's internal clock, leading to lower sleep quality.

💡Sleep Hygiene

Sleep hygiene refers to the practices and habits that contribute to good sleep. The video suggests several sleep hygiene practices, such as maintaining a consistent sleep schedule and avoiding caffeine close to bedtime, to help viewers improve their sleep.

Highlights

Sleep is crucial, but there's a lot of misinformation about it.

Matthew Walker's book 'Why We Sleep' is recommended for understanding sleep.

The common belief that everyone needs exactly 8 hours of sleep is a myth.

Sleep needs can vary from person to person and throughout life stages.

Sleeping without an alarm clock can help determine your natural sleep need.

Feeling groggy and grumpy in the morning could indicate poor sleep quality.

Consistent sleep patterns are key to maintaining good sleep quality.

Inconsistent sleep patterns can negatively affect your internal sleep clock.

Alcohol might help you fall asleep faster but disrupts REM sleep quality.

Short naps can boost productivity and energy levels.

Long naps can interfere with nighttime sleep and productivity.

Staying in bed when you can't sleep can create negative associations with your bed.

Oversleeping can be detrimental to your health.

Caffeine can improve alertness and sports performance if used correctly.

Caffeine has a long half-life and should be timed correctly to not interfere with sleep.

The health and wellness industry's view on caffeine has shifted.

These tips can help you achieve the best night's sleep.

Transcripts

if you're someone who constantly wakes

up feeling tired no matter how much you

sleep then this video is for you sleep

is absolutely crucial but there's so

much misinformation out there that could

be interfering with your rest so in this

video we will debunk some of the biggest

sleep myths so that you can get the

quality of sleep that you deserve a lot

of the ideas in this video are based on

Matthew Walker's book why we sleep which

is an absolutely amazing book and I can

really recommend it to everyone if you

don't want to read the full book but you

still want to get them most important

information out of the book use short

form short form offers summaries and

book guides as well as audio book guides

and exercises for some of the most

popular books out there so make sure to

check them out through my affiliate link

let's start with one of the most common

beliefs that everyone needs exactly 8

hours of sleep a night it seems like

eight is really the perfect number it's

that magic number but the reality is

completely different some people need

more sleep and some people need less

sleep the necessary amount of sleep can

really vary from from person to person

it is usually between 7 and 9 hours of

sleep but there could also be bigger

variations so maybe you might only need

6 hours or you might need 10 the amount

of sleep that we need can also change

throughout our lives but also depending

on our daily activities I mean for sure

you've noticed that when you're working

out you need to sleep more because your

body needs more rest a way to figure out

how many hours of sleep you need is to

sleep without setting an alarm clock and

seeing after how many hours you wake up

naturally I found that 8 hours is

actually the perfect amount of time for

me but I've also found out that that

only works when I go to bed at around

10:00 and wake up at 6:00 if I go to bed

way later I will also sleep way more

than those 8 hours but I feel way more

groggy and Grumpy in the morning the key

is really to focus on how you feel when

you wake up and also how you feel

throughout the day if your energy levels

are somewhat constant throughout the day

and they don't dip very low after

lunchtime you are probably getting a

good amount of sleep do not focus on a

random number of hours that you need to

sleep in the night but actually try to

figure out what is the perfect amount of

sleep for you if you're enjoying this

video make sure to subscribe for more

content like this and follow me on my

Instagram and my Tik Tok next app is the

idea that you can catch up on sleep

often times we'll go through the week

sleeping five six hours every night

maybe even less thinking that we will

just catch up on it on the weekend

that's just fine right I mean there

won't be any health

consequences that is actually wrong

because inconsistent patterns of

sleeping actually mess with our internal

sleep clock it really throws our body

off and as a result the quality of sleep

also decreases as with so many things

consistency really is key when you start

sleeping at around the same time every

day and wake up at around the same time

you actually get way more out of those

hours that you're sleeping you will feel

way more energized your energy levels

won't just fall throughout the day and

also it will be way easier to wake up

I've really tried this out and I noticed

that when I had a consistent and sleep

schedule I would feel so much more

rested but whenever I would fall back

into this unhealthy habit of going to

bed at random times and waking up at

random times I would feel way more tired

I would drink more caffeine and often

times after lunch I couldn't even

function let's talk about alcohol a lot

of people think that drinking actually

helps you sleep better there are

multiple ways in which alcohol affects

your body and because of some of them

you might feel a little bit sleepy kind

of drowsy maybe more relaxed and as a

result you think you will sleep better

but while alcohol might help you to fall

asleep faster and go to bed without

overthinking and tossing and turning it

doesn't actually improve the quality of

your sleep it actually disrupts the

amount of REM sleep that you get and REM

sleep is that part of sleep that

actually makes us feel rested personally

I have periods of time where I

completely give up drinking usually it's

either because I don't feel like

drinking or for example before I ran my

half marathon I didn't drink for 6 weeks

before that and I definitely notice the

difference because on weekends I

wouldn't wake up feeling tired and I

wouldn't wake up with a headache so

while I definitely understand the appeal

of alcohol it is not something we need

in order to function the next one is the

idea that naps ruin your sleep and that

you should never nap I really disagree

with this one even just personally I

love my naps I love a good power nap but

that is the point there's a right and

wrong way to nap and short naps 20 to 30

minutes actually boost your product

productivity they boost your energy

levels but if you're sleeping for 2

hours in the middle of the day you

probably wake up feeling very groggy

very grumpy and your productivity will

be affected by that it's also important

to time your naps correctly I would

definitely not nap in the afternoon or

early evening because that will

definitely interfere with your sleep but

a 30 minute lunchtime nap for me is the

Ultimate Energy booster the next idea is

that if you cannot sleep you're just not

trying hard enough and you should just

stay in bed and keep trying it can

happen that we wake up in the middle of

the night and often times our instinct

is to just stay in bed and stare at the

ceiling hoping we will fall back asleep

the thing is if we don't fall back

asleep immediately this can actually

have negative impacts because we start

to associate our sleeping space our bed

with negative emotions with this feeling

of trying to go to sleep but not being

able to as a result getting frustrated

and it's all a negative cycle the

solution is to get up completely leave

your bed and do something calming listen

to some calming music read a little bit

with dimmed lights and return to your

bed only when you feel ready to sleep

and you're actually feeling sleepy this

way you keep associating your bed with a

restful place and your body is more

likely to fall asleep easily this one is

actually really surprising because a lot

of people think that more is better when

it comes to sleep and that is actually

false overs sleeping is actually a thing

and sque squeezing in a few extra hours

of sleep is not guaranteed to make you

feel more rested like we discussed in

the beginning there is a certain amount

of time that is perfect for you and if

you sleep an hour or two more you might

wake up feeling way more tired than you

would if you slept one less hour

surprisingly oversleeping is actually

defined as sleeping more than 9 hours

consistently if you're sleeping 9 hours

after a party or after you've gotten to

bed late that is fine but if you

consistently sleep more than 9 hours

hours that is not a good sign and it may

be detrimental for your health so in the

long term it is a good idea to try to

get consistent amount of sleep and

consistently the same amount of sleep

without oversleeping or

undersleeping and finally let's talk

about caffeine I feel like the health

and wellness industry has shifted to see

caffeine as a negative thing it is

definitely known that caffeine can

interfere with sleep but that doesn't

mean that caffeine is bad all around it

helps us be more alert it helps us

improve Sports Performance as well as

cognitive performance and if used

correctly it won't impact your sleep

drinking caffeine in the morning is fine

as long as you don't do it after

lunchtime I try to stick with one or two

coffees in the morning and then if I'm

feeling tired and sleepy after lunchtime

I might drink a green tea or a black tea

or just scrap some water maybe some

sparkling water to get some some bubbles

for some reason they make me feel more

alert I don't know you don't need to

completely give up caffeine but you need

to time it correctly and keep in mind

that caffeine has a very long halflife

which means that after about 5 hours

half of the amount of caffeine you

consumed is still in your body and that

can add up also caffeine takes about 20

minutes to act so if you're drinking a

coffee and you don't feel the effects

immediately don't just go and grab

another coffee just wait a second just

have some patience with all of these

tips you should be equipped to get the

best night of sleep so good night

bye-bye