Issue #280: Sleeping for the Holidays
Good morning. It’s Tuesday, December 19th.
Today’s Quick Win
From the Lab: Sleep During the Holidays
Speed Read: Longevity Cities
Tuesday QR: Homemade Granola
“Sleep is the ultimate performance enhancer.”
Number of Americans who say their sleep gets “worse” during the holidays. (source)
From the Lab
Before we talk about how to optimize our sleep going into the New Year - just know that the absolute most important thing is to enjoy the time with friends and family.
None of the tips today should prevent you from having the time of your life during the holidays - I can’t think of a better medicine for longevity than living it up during the next two weeks.
Alright, with that caveat…for the next 2 weeks - let’s hurry up to slow down!
This week is crazy - trying to finish up everything at work, buying those last minute gifts, and fitting in time for some holiday parties or recitals.
Although, some companies are forgoing big parties this year - yes, it’s to cut costs, but also for parents who can’t get sitters and the 60%+ of employees that don’t drink much.
Regardless of what you’ve got going on, sleep is probably what gets thrown to the bottom of the priority list.
But before you try to fight through this week with coffee and cinnamon spiced lattes (is it weird that Max and I don’t drink coffee?), take a beat. No one wants to be feeling like garbage next Monday (12/25) and just one week of sleep deprivation can have real consequences.
“There is truly no aspect of a human being’s wellness that isn’t eroded by a lack of sleep. Lack of sleep is like a broken water pipe in your home...it will leak down into every nook and cranny of your physiology.”
In fact - just one week of sleep of less than 6 hours changed the regulation of 711 genes - including those affecting our circadian rhythm, oxidative stress, and metabolism.
And could significantly limit our REM sleep - which happens mostly in the second half of our nightly sleep.
Basically - not enough sleep crushes our health.
Holiday Sleep Protocol
Here’s the plan to optimize sleep the next two weeks until 2024:
1. Wake Up at the Same Time Every Single Day ⏰
If you’re up late and then sleep in - it will set you back on that schedule the next night. So try to keep the same schedule as much as possible.
That goes for next week too - when the holidays are over and you’ve got some extra time until New Year’s it’s really easy to sleep in.
Look I’ve got a 3-yr old that likes to wake us up everyday. So if he’s still zonked out and I can get a little extra time with no school or work for a day or two I’m going to take it.
But don’t do this every day next week and then pay the price for that when we get back to work in 2024.
Maybe find out if you’re actually a morning person or night owl HERE.
2. Maximize Your Time in Bed 🛏️
The science puts us at 7-9 hrs of sleep for most people.
But remember - this isn’t the amount of time in bed. It’s the time actually sleeping.
There’s a metric called “sleep efficiency” that measures the percentage of time of sleeping to the total time in bed. The goal is to get this over 90%.
PRO TIP: If you’re having a problem falling asleep - after 20 minutes get out of bed and hit the reset button. Try light stretching, reading a physical book, writing in a journal - anything to get you tired so you can try again.
3. Stop Eating & Drinking 3 Hours before Bed 🍷
With all the late night festivities it’s not going to be easy to stop the drinking and the desserts.
We’ve covered this in the past (Issue #104) - alcohol isn’t a sleep aid. It’s a sedative that fragments our sleep cycles and prevents us from getting REM sleep. Part of the hangover is the poor sleep - in addition to the body flushing out the toxins and overall dehydration.
Enjoy the wine or bourbon - just saying, you’ll feel better if you cut yourself off way before you call it a night.
Same goes with food - especially those simple carbs (aka cake, pie, cookies). The digestion heats up our body which is the opposite of what we want to go to sleep.
PRO TIP: If you have a late night meal - try a warm shower before bed to cool your internal temp back down before hitting the sheets.
4. Caffeine for Breakfast Only ☕
Adenosine increases throughout the day and boosts our sleep pressure to make us tired. But caffeine is an adenosine receptor and blocks it from doing its job - so we don’t feel tired when we should. (Read more in Issue #13)
It has a half life of 12 hours - so half that cup of coffee (or cinnamon latte) is still in our body at midnight. Try to avoid the late afternoon urge for that pick-me-up or that after-dinner coffee.
Want more?
👉 Check out the Thrive25 Bedtime Routine to put this all together!
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Speed Read
Health & Longevity in the News
More Than a Workout: Gyms are now getting into the market of more than weights and bootcamp classes. IV drips, biological age tests, and even peptide and weight-loss injections might be coming to a gym near you. (WSJ)
Meditation Alternatives: Not ready to meditate during the holidays? Here’s some other ways to become more “mindful” that might work for you. (Yoga Journal)
Longevity Cities?: At the recent Climate Conference in Dubai, they talked about how our cities, and where you choose to live, can impact our health and how this is directly connected to sustainability and planetary health. (Forbes)
Tuesday QR | Homemade Granola
Enjoy the health benefits of homemade granola, seasoned with cinnamon and naturally sweetened with maple syrup. This easy recipe features nutrient-rich ingredients like rolled oats, walnuts, and coconut flakes, offering a fiber boost and healthy fats. Almond butter creates delightful nutty clusters, and dried cranberries add a tangy twist. Perfect for a healthy, customizable breakfast or snack, with a delightful aroma to fill your kitchen.
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The information in this newsletter is for informational purposes only and may not be appropriate or applicable based on your individual circumstances. Thrive25 Labs, Inc. does not provide medical, professional, or licensed advice. Please connect with your healthcare professional for medical advice specific to your health needs.