Maximising Your Sleep Game: A Guide to Stages of Sleep and Best Habits 🌱

Learn about the different stages of sleep and the optimal habits for each stage to take your slumber game to the next level. Make every wink count!

Sleep – the unsung hero of our daily life. We often underestimate its power and potential, thinking of it as an obligatory period of rest and nothing more. Yet, sleeping well can give us an edge over our competitors, boost our cognitive functioning, and help us outperform at every level. If we're leaving this to chance, we're truly missing a trick. Let's delve into the world of sleep and explore how we can optimise each stage for our benefit.

Stage 1: The Light Sleep Stage – Initial Relaxation

The initial stage of sleep, often termed as light sleep, is when we start to unwind and transition from wakefulness to sleep. It's a delicate balance, where you're not quite snoozing yet but are descending into a drowsy, relaxed state.

Optimal Habit 1: Establish a Tech-Free Zone

To promote tranquillity during this stage, it's crucial to disconnect from technology at least 30 minutes before bed. This means turning off your phone, laptop, and television. If you can extend this tech detox to an hour, even better. You're setting up a quiet, distraction-free environment conducive to relaxation and, ultimately, deep sleep.

Stage 2: Light Sleep – Deeper Relaxation

In the second stage of sleep, you descend into a deeper state of relaxation. Your heart rate slows down and your body temperature drops, setting the stage for the next critical phase – deep sleep.

Optimal Habit 2: Regulate Bedroom Temperature

A cool and comfortable bedroom is essential for promoting better sleep. Aim to keep the temperature around 18°C, which is considered optimal for restful sleep.

Stage 3 & 4: Deep Sleep – The Restoration Phase

These stages are the restorative phases of sleep, crucial for your body and mind to recover, grow, and rejuvenate from the day's exertions.

Optimal Habit 3: Time for Relaxation

Embrace relaxation techniques such as mindfulness, meditation, or deep breathing exercises. These activities aid in releasing stress and tension, which can obstruct deep sleep.

Stage 5: REM Sleep – The Dreamland

The fifth stage of sleep is known as REM (Rapid Eye Movement) sleep, also known as dreamland. This stage plays a vital role in memory consolidation and cognitive functioning.

Optimal Habit 4: Mind Your Diet

Avoid heavy meals, caffeine, and alcohol near bedtime, which can disrupt your sleep pattern. Instead, opt for a light snack like turkey or cherries, known for their sleep-boosting melatonin content.

Sleep Cycle – The Key to Nailing Sleep Cycles

The whole process of cycling through these stages of sleep takes about 90 minutes, with 4-6 cycles required per night for us to feel refreshed and rejuvenated.

Optimal Habit 5: Consistent Sleep Schedule

Maintaining a consistent sleep schedule is paramount. Make it a habit to go to bed and wake up at the same time every day, weekends included. Consistency is key. If you're using the Oura app (I'm a big fan).

Embarking on a journey to improve your sleep game? Adopt these optimal habits to leverage each sleep stage to your advantage.

Unsure about how to kick-start your journey? Enrol in the Free 5-Day Tiny Habits® Method Course (ask for sleep habits when you sign up), and we'll have you up and running within a week. Visit MarkChannon.com Tiny Habits to get started.

And remember – better sleep means better performance. So let's level up our sleep game together! Don't forget to like, comment or share this post if you found it helpful. Happy sleeping!

Quick Tip: Outsmart Procrastination