Sleep
If there are 3 legs to the stool of longevity, sleep is one of them. It is not an option. Guard it preciously and aim for 7-9 hours each evening for longevity. Sleep is a time that strengthens the wiring underlying our emotional regulation, memory, cognition, creativity.
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Sleep loss amplifies anxiety, depression, and emotional volatility. It supports healthy metabolism: muscle preservation, fat regulation, insulin stabilization. Sleep increases production of cytokines and T-cell efficiency, workhorses that strengthen your immune system and keep inflammation down. Those with chronic sleep deprivation have higher infection risk and systemic inflammation.
Start with good sleep hygiene each night: (1) turn off all digital devices including TV at least 30 min prior to sleeping, (2) deliberately slow down, perhaps play meditative music, a sleepy-time story (Calm is a popular app that has a library of sleep stories), and (3) maintain a quiet, dark bedroom for sleep. If you have some trouble, consider taking magnesium glycinate which induces a calming state (options available under “Nutrition”), over-the-counter melatonin, turn on “white noise” (see recommendations here). Speak to your physician if more support is needed.
References:
(1) Xie et al., Science (2013). Sleep drives metabolite clearance from the adult brain.
(2) Rasch & Born, Physiological Reviews (2013). About sleep’s role in memory.
(3) Spiegel et al., The Lancet (1999). Impact of sleep debt on metabolic and endocrine function.
(4) Besedovsky et al., Physiological Reviews (2019). The sleep–immune crosstalk.