- Author: Shawn Stevenson
- Publisher: Hay House Uk
- Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
- Link Amazon : Book Sleep Smarter
- Pages: 204
- Time to Read: 3 Days
🚀 The Book in 3 Sentences
- Sleep is one of the most important factors when talking about self-improvement
- Good Sleep results in better skin health more youthful appearance, emotional regeneration, better relationships and an overall more healthy body
- People and society, in general, should value sleep more and
🕵🏼Who Should Read It?
This book is for everyone and will change the view of sleep, everyone. In schools, the value of sleep is not taught and we don’t learn what detrimental effects sleep deprivation has on our life. There is not one person on this earth that does not see drastic changes in their body’s and mind’s health if they are deprived of sleep. The Book is not that long and is an easy read so it will improve sleep for everyone that read it and this with not much effort
☘️ How the Book Changed Me
The Book changed my awareness of sleep and the importance of good sleep. I knew that sleep was important since the body and mind heal during sleep and rebuild the torn muscle tissue during the day. But I did not know the exact science behind sleep and all the hormones that are evolved in the process. The book gave me practical tips for improving overall sleep and also the quality of sleep
✍️ My Top 3 Quotes
“By failing to prepare, you are preparing to fail.” Stevenson, Shawn
“Sunglasses can be like a 7-foot-tall NBA All-Star and block sunlight’s shot at getting to your eyes.” Stevenson, Shawn
“Rock socks.” Stevenson, Shawn
📒 Summary + Notes
The Value of Sleep
Stevenson explains the Value of sleep simply and states:
Sleep is the force multiplier. It will magnify the results you get from your food and movement most amazingly if you allow it to.
This sentence is the most simple way two describe what sleep is and in the following chapters, he explains why that is.
The Morning
The first hours of your day have a big impact on your overall sleep quality and in general your whole day. Because of that, it is important to wake up consistently at the same time during the whole week so your sleep cycles are not disrupted. If it so happens that you stay up late because of work or a party it is important that you wake up at the same time so that your inner clock does not get confused if you sleep until 2 pm.
It is vital for your body to get enough water and sunlight in the morning to secure your sleep cycle.
Also, it is shown by numerous studies, that working out in the morning improves your sleep length and the time spent in the deep sleep stage.
With this knowledge consider doing the practices of the miracle morning. The summary of the book “Miracle Morning” is available under this link:
The Day
It is very important to get as much sunlight during the day as possible. Humans have sleep cycles also called the circadian timing system which is heavily impacted by the amount of sunlight a person gets.
The circadian timing system along with the scheduled release of hormones helps to control your digestion, immune system, blood pressure etc. Sunlight triggers your body to produce optimal levels of daytime hormones and neurotransmitters that regulate your biological clock.
One of the most vital compounds affected by light exposure is serotonin which is the feel-good hormone. This hormone is vital to obtain during the day because it is the hype man for melatonin which is another important hormone for good sleep quality. The counterpart of melatonin is cortisol which is named the bad guy in the media although it really is the superstar of the hormones. Cortisol gives you the energy and gusto to get up and it enables you to be awake and alert.
It is important to note that when melatonin is up cortisol is down and when cortisol is up melatonin is down. Because of this correlation, it is important to control your melatonin level with the amount of sunlight you expose yourself to during the day. And to control your cortisol levels with meditation, not drinking coffee, exercising in the morning or during the day and so on.
The Evening
A crucial part of a good night’s sleep is to get to bed at the right time and stick to that.
It’s been shown that human beings get the most beneficial hormonal secretions and recovery by sleeping during the hours of 10:00 p.m. to 2:00 a.m.
You should not use any digital devices 90 minutes before sleep time because their blue light will signal your body to be awake and alert. Also, the electrical signal of your digital devices is felt by receptors on your skin which disrupt the brain wave pattern called delta waves which are the most reliable marker of deep sleep.
The Night
In the Night the action of sleeping is taking place. This act can be disrupted if your room is not completely blacked out. This is because of the before talked about the function of light exposure on your hormones.
The temperature of your room also plays a big role in your sleep. Studies have found that the optimal room temperature for sleep is really quite cool at around 16° to 20°C.
Another crucial element is fresh air and negative ions in your room. This can be insured with plants in your room or an oil diffuser.
During your sleep, it is important that you do not compromise the body’s ability to heal itself with a bad posture. Many experts will tell you that sleeping on your back is the ideal position to be in with many benefits and just one downside: The likelihood of snoring increases. Other than that it is the best position for your spine and your digestion. One last important note for your sleep is: to get a good quality mattress and get rid of any excessive pillows that bring your spine into unnatural positions.
I hope you are now equipped with tips and tools to improve your sleep, your health and with that your ability to achieve great things. Leave a comment about how you like this book and I hope I will see you reading the next Blog.
With regards
Devin Hasler