Category: Sleep education videos

Medically reviewed by:

Carlos Del Rio-Bermudez

Carlos is a neuroscientist and a medical & science writer  with more than eight years of research experience in  the  field of Neuroscience. Prior to working full time as a  medical writer, he was a postdoctoral researcher at the  University Hospital of Bern (Switzerland). Carlos  obtained  his PhD from the University of Iowa (USA),  supported by the Fulbright Program.

Some of the areas Carlos focuses on are RNA  therapeutics, Rare Diseases, and REMS/RMPs. He has  authored multiple original research papers in top  journals in the field, book chapters, and periodicals.  Carlos has also participated in international scientific  meetings; most notably, he was invited to present his  dissertation research at the 2018 Gordon Research  Conference on Sleep Regulation and Function.

Night shift workers struggle with bad sleep, fatigue, drowsiness, poor concentration, headaches, and mood swings on a daily basis. Things are so bad that one in three night-shift workers have insomnia, and up to 90% report regular fatigue and drowsiness at the workplace. If you consider that two out of five people work unusual shifts, with more than three million people in the US working only at night, the scale of the problem becomes evident.

We all know that insomnia can turn your life upside down, impacting your ability to complete daily tasks. Importantly, chronic insomnia may lead to more severe consequences such as an increased risk of obesity, diabetes, heart disease, inflammation, and mental disorders such as anxiety and depression.

Shift work disorder is recognized by the International Classification of Sleep Disorders, and it affects people working in the medical field, police, factory workers, truck and Uber drivers, among others. These people usually need to be highly alert, and when their performance is impaired due to lack of sleep, consequences can be devastating.

So, is there anything a night shift worker can do to protect their health and prevent a disaster in the workplace?

Well, yes.

Watch our video to find out!

We reviewed over 20 articles to bring you the best science-backed information and help you win a battle against insomnia even when you have to do shift work.

Why Is It so Hard to Work Night Shifts?

Even the most flexible sleepers have a hard time adjusting to working at night and sleeping during the day, and there is a perfectly reasonable explanation for that.

You see, people are diurnal, meaning that we are naturally active during the day, and we rest at night. This cycle is dictated by our internal biological clock, also known as the circadian system.

One part of the hypothalamus, the suprachiasmatic nucleus (SCN), is our master clock. Among other important functions, it tells different parts of our brain when it is time to sleep, and when we should get up to be active. It does so by controlling the secretion of certain hormones and important bodily functions such as temperature regulation.

For instance, when the sun goes down, and we experience darkness, the SCN activates a tiny brain region called the pineal gland to produce melatonin, a hormone that reduces alertness and signals sleeping time. In other words, a high level of melatonin in blood makes us sleepy and sends a message that it is time to seek rest. In the morning, melatonin levels drop, while another hormone called cortisol sparks. Cortisol plays a role in being awake and alert, and its levels stay high during the day, to finally drop at night.

And how does a tiny part of our brain know when to start secreting these hormones?

The answer is light.

Light is the primary stimulus that tells our brain it is time to start secreting melatonin in the evening and to stop it in the morning.

Whereas most of us are allowed to doze off at night, soon after melatonin kicks in, night shift workers are “forced” to stay awake when sleep is naturally expected to occur. This leads to sleep and circadian rhythm misalignment, and difficulties working at night.

But once you know how your circadian system functions, it’s a lot easier to take control of it and make your night shifts a lot more tolerable.

Getting in Control of Your Circadian Rhythm System

Let’s be clear: There is no magic trick to adjust to night shifts instantly. However, you can try out different strategies that may alleviate the undesired effects associated with working at night.

Here are some science-backed tips to readjust your circadian clock, and minimize the consequences of night shift work:

Control Your Light Exposure

You’ve learned by now that light is the most significant environmental cue used by your biological clocks to set their time in relation to the day-night cycle and regulate sleep. Thus, controlling light exposure seems like the most logical way of adjusting your inner clock.

However, not all light is the same. It seems that blue light (~460 nm) has the highest potential to suppress melatonin production. So, you can pretty much use it to trick your brain into thinking it’s supposed to be active during the night. You can do that by exposing yourself to bright lights from table lamps, lightboxes, and overhead lamps at the beginning of your wake period and during the night shift. It is also vital to dim the lights at the end of the wake period so that your brain can start producing melatonin and induce sleepiness.

Research has shown that bright light exposure at night can improve the functioning of night shift workers. Their nocturnal alertness was much better, and they also enjoyed more daytime sleep once their shift was over; these effects are thought to be mediated by delayed melatonin secretion.

And it seems that the benefits associated with light therapy are not restricted to continuous exposure. According to one study, shorter intervals of light exposure work just as well as lengthy episodes of exposure. In this study, 25-90 minutes intervals of bright light were almost as effective as constant 5-hour exposure to produce robust phase shifts of the internal clock.

But besides using bright light during the night, you need to find a way to escape sunlight during the day, as it will suppress your melatonin production, and leave you unable to fall asleep once you get home from your night shift.

So, wear sunglasses on your way home, and invest in blackout curtains or a sleep mask to block daylight from entering your bedroom. Keeping your bedroom dark is essential for switching your body into sleep mode.

In summary, controlling light exposure is an efficient way to aligning your inner clock to your new schedule. If your schedule allows it, spend some time in the sunlight after waking up, as it could help you readjust your inner clock to your work/sleep schedule.

Caffeinate Wisely

Caffeine is a stimulant many people rely on to increase alertness and productivity. And it can do wonders for night shift workers, but only if used wisely.

Studies show that caffeine is useful for improving performance in night shift workers. However, drinking a high dose of caffeine at the start of your shift might not be the best approach. Research showed that workers who consumed smaller amounts of coffee throughout their shift performed better, and had periods of extended wakefulness. It looks like a steady consumption of smaller amounts of coffee leads to improved alertness, better cognition, as well as fewer accidental naps.

But know when to stop!

A study published in the Journal of Clinical Sleep Medicine showed that consuming caffeine 6 hours before bedtime had a significantly disruptive effect on sleep. So, you should have the last sip of coffee more than 6 hours before you plan to go to bed. Thus, it is a good idea to limit your caffeine to the first half of your working shift.

It takes a little planning, but you will surely experience fewer insomnia symptoms and feel more energized if you learn to time and control your caffeine intake during your night shift.

(If Possible) Take Naps during Your Shift

Many people don’t like naps because the sleep inertia takes over after they wake up. They actually feel groggy and worse after taking a nap. Lucky you, there might be a trick to avoid this.

Having a quick 20-minute nap will fuel your batteries and increase alertness without feeling tired afterward. That is because when you limit your sleep to about 20 minutes, you avoid reaching deep stages of sleep, making it easier to wake up.   Research shows that this might be the only way to avoid drowsiness after waking up, as other techniques for battling sleep inertia, like washing your face with cold water, are not sufficient.

Ever heard of “coffee napping”? For most benefits, try combining your coffee with a nap. Since caffeine needs about 20 minutes to kick in, drink coffee before you go for a power nap. Science has demonstrated this to be a hugely effective technique to reduce sleepiness and improve performance and alertness among night workers.

If you are not able to rest during your working hours, remember that even taking a nap before  night shift can improve performance!

Other General Tips

There are other things you can do to manage your sleep and avoid insomnia if you are a night shift worker, such as:

• Consider taking melatonin supplements. Studies show that melatonin supplements could help night shift workers struggling to sleep during the day. However, it is still not clear whether it could help reduce fatigue and increase performance during night shifts. And you should always talk to your doctor before taking these supplements, and seek their advice on improving sleep hygiene.
• Create a regular sleeping schedule. Research shows that the prevalence of insomnia is a lot higher in workers who rotate shifts. That is because their brain and body can’t fully adapt to a changing environment, so their inner clock is all over the place. By sticking to a regular work and sleep schedule, you will get better quality rest.
• Watch your diet. When your inner clock is disrupted, so is your metabolism. In fact, a 2017 meta-analysis showed night workers to have a 23% increased chance of becoming overweight or obese. That is why it is vital to try to eat as healthy as you can. Plan your meals and bring healthy snacks to work instead of eating junk food.
• Control indoor temperature. The best sleeping temperature is in the mid-60s degrees Fahrenheit. Set this temperature in your bedroom to quickly fall asleep once you’re back from work.

Closing Down

A transfer to night shift may be hard at the beginning, but with proper planning and the use of our science-backed advice, you’ll become a night owl in no time! You will get the best results if you combine all the strategies we’ve covered.

Experienced night shift workers probably have a lot more useful advice on how to beat insomnia and get better sleep.

So, let us know in the comment section what you’ve found particularly useful to maintain your sleep and focus, even when working night shifts for a long time.

The formula for gaining lean muscle mass is simple – Train, eat, sleep, repeat.

All too often, people focus on the gym and the kitchen to change their body composition, but the truth is, what happens while you sleep matters just as much, if not more. 

New research shows that sleep is more effective at increasing lean muscle because of its role in the rest and recovery stage of training. It’s during sleep where the real repair and growth takes place that helps you change your body composition and increase strength once and for all. 

Now you might be thinking, but Kelly, I’m not a good sleeper, so is the opposite happening? The answer is a big fat YES. Being sleep deprived encourages the loss of muscle mass and hinders recovery after a tough workout. If you’re sleep deprived long enough, it can even lead to weight gain and the countless health issues that arise with obesity. 

So if you’re not seeing the results you feel like you should have in the gym, then it’s time to take a close look at your sleep. Otherwise, you could be wasting your time getting in those extra reps. 

So how does the sleep and muscle growth process actually work and what can you do tonight to get those biceps, quads and calves that you’ve been dreaming about?

Learn how pivotal sleep is for muscle growth and what you need to know in order to make the most of your time in bed. 

 If you’re a bodybuilder, athlete, weight lifter or someone simply looking to improve their physique, then this post is for you.

How to Develop Muscle?

To get started, consider what two functions your body needs in order to develop lean muscle. The first is Stimulus and the second is Repair. 

The first phase takes place while you exercise. As you workout your muscles through weight-bearing movements, microscopic tears develop within the muscle fibers. These tears lead to damage of the muscle, which is considered the stimulus required for the body to trigger a response. 

Once the stimulus occurs, your body receives a signal to begin repairing the muscles. The repair stage is when your muscles go through the process of hypertrophy, which involves tissue conditioning & formation of new muscle matrix. Proper repair requires nutrition, hydration, and rest

Although some people may feel that they’re resting by watching Netflix on the couch, the truth is the only real way to let your body truly rest and recover properly is through high-quality sleep. 

Yet not all sleep is created equal, especially when it comes to muscle repair. 

Sleep for Muscle Repair

While you sleep, you cycle through four stages of sleep every 90 minutes or so. No matter what, it’s important that all four stages take place for total mind and body repair, but there’s one stage that’s hyper critical for muscle growth. That stage is slow wave sleep otherwise known as deep sleep. This is the last stage of Non-REM sleep and takes place right before you begin dreaming in REM sleep. 

In a healthy sleeper, slow wave sleep comprises of approximately 40% of total sleep time and the majority of it happens in the first half of the night. During this stage, your blood pressure drops, your breathing becomes deeper and the activity in your brain slows down. By doing so, the blood supply becomes more available to your muscles, bringing with it, extra oxygen and nutrients that facilitate healing and growth.

During slow wave sleep, two critical anabolic hormones are released that aid in the reproduction and generation of cells. These are testosterone and human growth hormone or HGH for short. Both of which are primarily produced while you sleep and then taper off during the day. 

Now these hormones are so important to this conversation, we’re going to do a little deep dive into them. 

First, testosterone. Now testosterone is necessary for protein synthesis, which is what repairs all those little microscopic tears in your muscles from your workout. Although your body does produce testosterone during exercise, sleep helps to keep your levels high and it also provides the longest period of time your body has between meals to really work at synthesizing. 

Likewise, as much as 75% of your human growth hormone is released while you’re resting at night. HGH is the primary compound that stimulates tissue growth during hypertrophy. It does this using the amino acids present in the proteins that we eat, which are being synthesized with the help of testosterone. Even one night of sleep loss will cause a sharp decline in the secretion of HGH, which will not only lead to a loss of muscle mass but also a reduction in exercise capacity. 

So not only will you not get stronger but your current exercise abilities will be reduced if you’re not getting enough deep sleep. 

Now another hormone that sleep influences is cortisol, which is a catabolic or muscle-reducing hormone that counteracts testosterone, stops the production of melatonin and is most associated with feelings of stress. Getting enough sleep keeps your cortisol levels balanced during a 24-hour period leaving you with enough energy for your training sessions and more opportunity for muscle growth. Sleep deprivation, on the other hand, can increase your cortisol levels by up to 45%, which can interfere with tissue repair and growth, while also leaving you feeling unnecessarily stressed or anxious. 

Over time, these hormonal imbalances will prevent an athlete from recovering properly and can open the door to overtraining injuries. 

 Sleep for Mental and Emotional Stability

It should also be mentioned that your mental and emotional stability are both important when training. It is, after all, easier to grind out a workout when you’re enjoying the process and happy to be at the gym. If you’re not getting adequate rest, your mood will suffer and you’ll be less motivated to workout. Your nervous system will also be drained and unable to handle the stress of a heavy workout, leaving you more likely to hang out on the couch making poor life choices. 

So not only should you prioritize sleep to grow your muscles but you should also prioritize sleep so that you’re prepared to grow your muscles. To do so, make sure you’re getting 7-9 hours every night, sticking to a schedule, getting to sleep by 10 to increase deep sleep, reducing stress before bed, sleeping in a cool, dark environment and finishing your last workout and meal at least a few hours before bed. 

The Bottom Line

To recap why, when it comes to increasing lean muscle mass, getting consistent high-quality sleep will do the following:

•   It will increase your body’s secretion of the anabolic hormones testosterone and human growth hormone
•   It will deliver extra oxygen and nutrients to your body
•   It will build new cells and replenish torn muscle tissue
•   And it will decrease the catabolic hormone of cortisol

If you do these things by focusing on sleep, you will change your body composition, increase muscle mass, recover faster, and be better prepared for your next training session or athletic endeavor.

References

1. https://academic.oup.com/jn/article/145/6/1178/4644372
2. https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/BF00964680
3. https://academic.oup.com/sleep/article/7/4/339/2750295
4. https://estudogeral.sib.uc.pt/bitstream/10316/45875/1/cias2016_64.pdf
5. https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s00431-018-3124-z
6. https://europepmc.org/abstract/med/26868641

To caffeine or to sleep, that is the question? 

Hey friends! It’s 2 p.m. somewhere, which means someone is reaching for their 6th cup of coffee right now to try and push through the rest of the day. Hey, we’ve all been there. In fact, it’s estimated that up to 90% of American adults consume some type of caffeine on a daily basis.

And for good reason. Caffeine is a powerful natural substance that improves mental and physical performance. Just one dose can significantly enhance exercise performance, mental focus, fat burning and cognitive output for several hours after ingestion. And in our increasingly busy world where we need to perform at our best from sun rise to sun set, it’s pretty much the easiest thing we can grab to stay functioning. 

Heck, even the US Special Forces uses it to enhance performance and awareness in their troops. 

But do we need to be so dependent on caffeine in order to perform each day? In this video, I’m going to explore this question while discussing the sleep and caffeine cycle, when you might prioritize one over the other and if we even need caffeine the way we think we do. My name is Kelly Benson and I’m a performance sleep specialist and proud coffee lover, so I’m excited to dive in. 

How Does Caffeine Enhance Our Performance?

Caffeine is one of the cheapest, easiest and safest stimulants available. It’s found naturally in over 60 plants including the coffee bean, tea leaf and cacao pods. These days, it’s readily available in almost every form, including drinks, snacks, chews, gels, sprays, gum and pills.

Caffeine works to help us feel more alert and wired in part because of how it’s received by what are called adenosine receptors, which are located in your brain. Adenosine is a central nervous system neuromodulator that has it’s own specific receptors. During the day, it builds up in the bloodstream and bind to its receptors, which then slows down neural activity, causing you to feel sleepy. By the end of the day, enough adenosine has been created that your level of sleepiness will reach a critical peak and you’ll soon find yourself drooling on your pillow. However, caffeine has the ability to bind to the same receptors, but without reducing neural activity. The two of them essentially battle for the same receptors, with caffeine being a little stronger than it’s opponent adenosine. This then increases neural activity when it otherwise would begin slowing down. 

In other words, caffeine prevents your brain from feeling sleepy. 

By activating neural circuits, caffeine also causes the pituitary gland to secrete hormones that cause the adrenal glands to produce more adrenalin. As the fight or flight hormone, this increases your level of attention and gives the whole system a burst of energy. It’s this feeling that many coffee drinkers are so eager for each morning. 

With moderate consumption, it has incredible effects on many cells throughout the body, including muscle cells and brain cells. It’s quickly absorbed into the bloodstream and reaches peak levels within just 30-90 minutes and remains high for 3-4 hours. While it’s in our system, it improves focus and energy, increases alertness and speed, activates muscles and increases thermogensis and helps us feel more positive and happy. 

In other words, caffeine is nature’s most beautiful performance enhancer. 

Now although there is no real nutritional need for caffeine, moderate intake is NOT associated with any recognized health risks and in fact, may have some profound benefits. According to Harvard Health, moderate consumption has been linked to a longer lifespan and a reduced risk of cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes and cirrhosis to name a few. Now when I say moderate, I mean three 8 oz. cups of coffee or 250 milligrams. More than six cups of coffee per day is considered excessive and could have negative health effects, in fact a dose of 500 mg or 600 mg of caffeine can affect you much like a low dose of an amphetamine.

That said, not all individuals respond the same way to caffeine and some may have a more difficult time processing it. It’s also possible to build a tolerance to caffeine, which happens to people who consume it on a daily basis. They’ll find that it’s less effective as a stimulant and may cause withdrawal symptoms like headaches, nausea and difficulty sleeping if they don’t take it for 1-2 days.

Which! Brings me to the love-hate relationship between caffeine and sleep. 

Caffeine and Sleep

Although caffeine isn’t necessary Unhealthy, it does have to be consumed strategically and carefully. With a half-life of around 6 hours, your body will still be processing a 9am cup of joe until the late afternoon hours, even if the noticeable effects have worn off. Now for most people who just have one, maybe two cups before noon, this won’t impact their sleep. However, most American adults are now drinking more cups of coffee and consuming them well into the afternoon to get through all of life’s increasing obligations with some semblance of high-performance. 

When you increase your caffeine dose and you consume it later in the day, your sleep is guaranteed to be negatively impacted. The adenosine receptors, which should be helping to make you feel sleepy aren’t able to, because they’re blocked by the caffeine compounds. This will cause you to feel wired and alert, much like someone with insomnia, when you should be getting tired. 

Studies have even shown that caffeine may delay the timing of your internal body clock, which signals to your brain when it’s time to go to bed, leading to a possible circadian rhythm disorder that may stick around even if you stop consuming caffeine. 

To make matters worse, caffeine can also restructure the architecture of your sleep entirely and reduce the amount of deep sleep, which is the phase that’s critical for physical and mental rejuvenation. 

Consuming caffeine 6 hours before bedtime has been shown to reduce total sleep time by at least 1 hour and cause greater micro arousals through the night, leaving you niiiiice and groggy the next day. Now the older or more sensitive to caffeine you are, the stronger these effects will be too. 

By overdoing it on caffeine and not sleeping well, you’ll initiate a painful cycle of caffeine dependency and deteriorating sleep. You’ll begin feeling like you need more in order to function, but then experience worsening sleep and other possible side effects like anxiety, irritability, rapid heart beat, nervousness and more aggressive caffeine crashes. Soon, the caffeine won’t give you the same enjoyable high as before and you’ll develop a caffeine tolerance. 

Around this time, you’ll realize that your performance levels are starting to decline and you may be well on your way to developing a more chronic poor sleep pattern. By not sleeping well, you’ll be susceptible to impaired muscle growth, mental fatigue, slow healing, changes in cognitive function, reduced immune system and a susceptibility to weight gain, to name a few. 

And unfortunately, the answer isn’t in another cup of coffee. But rather, a detox from caffeine and a focus on sleep. Which! brings me to my recommendations.

How to Use Caffeine to Enhance Your Performance?

No matter what, caffeine should never be used as a substitute for sleep or poor sleeping habits. The FDA has even cautioned consumers that products marketed as “energy shots” or “energy drinks” are not alternatives to sleep.

If you haven’t developed a caffeine dependency yet and your sleep is good, then stick to healthy caffeine habits like having your last dose no later than 2 PM and consuming no more than about 250-350 mg per day. If your body doesn’t tolerate caffeine well, then reduce this amount and consume it earlier in the day. 

If you’re interested in strategically taking caffeine purely as a performance enhancer for sporting competitions or fitness, the recommended dose ranges from 1.5 to 4mg per pound of body weight taken one hour before exercise. For a 150 pound person, this corresponds to 225 to 600 mg, which is a big enough range to allow for personal experimentation. 

Now if you’re someone with caffeine dependency and poor sleep, you may benefit from a caffeine detox of a few weeks and then reinstating the habit slowly and carefully. Be warned that withdrawal symptoms will take place and you may feel worse before you feel better, but it’ll help to reset your sleep and health in ways that’ll make you feel better than before. If you’re going to wean yourself off coffee, we recommend doing so under the supervision of a licensed medical professional. 

Lastly, it’s important to know that you do not need caffeine in order to perform optimally. It is a performance enhancer, which means it can only elevate the mind-body performance capabilities you naturally have. By focusing on getting high-quality sleep, eating well and exercising often, you may find that you don’t even need caffeine. 

If that’s you, enjoy not spending $6 on daily double shot lattes and instead go buy yourself a performance-enhancing mattress.

Did you know that the timing of your workout may positively or negatively impact your sleep? There are two main reasons you may be interested in knowing more. Either you’re training for something like a race or competition AND you’re not sleeping well. Or you really want to optimize your sleep and are curious to see if shifting the timing of your workout could help.

Regardless of which category you fall into, you’ve probably noticed that you sleep better when you’re working out on a consistent basis. This is because sleep and exercise have a cyclical relationship. Typically, when you work out, you sleep better, and when you sleep better, you have more of an interest in working out. The same is true if you’re not working out, which results in you not sleeping as well and sitting on the couch eating chips while everyone is posting the results of their gym sessions on social media. 

Researchers unanimously agree that movement is good for sleep, but when you move is an interesting factor to consider. So in this article, we’ll dig deeper into the relationship between the quality of your sleep and the timing of your workouts. 

Does the Timing of Your Workouts Really Matter?

The biggest question people have with exercise timing and sleep is whether there are differences between working out in the morning, afternoon and evening. And the short answer is yes. The timing of your workouts does matter when it comes to your sleep, which is helpful to know if you’re a serious or competitive athlete. Yet not everyone is going to follow the same plan because it matters who you are as an individual, as well as your lifestyle and your goals. 

Morning Exercisers

So first up is the morning workout for those early birds out there. If you’re someone who never presses snooze then you’re in for a treat. Research shows that getting aerobic exercise first thing in your day may actually promote deeper, high-quality sleep at night. It’s been shown that people who work out in the morning experience a greater drop of blood pressure at night, which will improve their time in deep sleep. Morning exercisers also fall asleep on average of 11 minutes faster compared to people who work out in the afternoon and 21 minutes faster than people who work out in the evening.

However, morning workouts are only healthy IF you’re getting 7-9 hours of high-quality restful sleep. According to a study conducted by Australian Institute of Sport on swimmers preparing for the 2008 Olympics; early-morning training sessions actually restricted the amount of sleep obtained by the athletes because they didn’t go to sleep any earlier. Since chronic sleep restriction of less than 6 hours per night can impair psychological and physiological functioning, it is possible that early-morning schedules actually limit the effectiveness of training.  

Another thing to be cautious of is that your muscles aren’t as warmed up or efficient in the morning and you’re more prone to injury. This means you’ll need to spend extra time warming up before diving into an intense workout. When push comes to shove, you should always prioritize sleep over working out. This is because the accumulation of sleep debt will only become more destructive to your health, fitness and well-being over time, and working out is not the solution.

The truth is, your body benefits more from sleep than any single workout could provide. So, the rule of thumb is if you haven’t been sleeping well for a few nights and you’re getting less than 8 hours, then choose that extra hour of sleep over a workout. You’ll also probably save yourself a preventable injury and feeling extra crabby at work.

It should also go without saying, if you were up late the night before or have pulled an all-nighter, you 100% need to get rest and not wake up early to place intense physical demands on your body. In general, the words to live by if you’re ever wondering if you should sleep or not? When it doubt, sleep it out. However, if you’ve been sleeping great for the past few nights, you’re getting around 8 hours, then by all means, get up and watch the sunrise for your workout or run.

Evening Exercisers

Now for my friends out there who just love that snooze button, working out in the morning may not be enjoyable enough to make it a sustainable habit unless they’re able to shift their circadian rhythm and get to bed earlier, which is a topic for another video. So for this reason, you may opt for an afternoon workout between the hours of say, 1 and 5pm.

Now you may be saying, but Kelly, the afternoon is when my energy is lowest and all I want to do is run away from work and take a nap.  Okay, I hear you and the afternoon energy slump is completely normal and is actually part of the natural dips in our circadian rhythm. That said, it’s also a good time to work out both from a physiological standpoint as well as to ensure you have enough time for a healthy nightly routine.

You may have heard in the past that your internal body temperature plays a role in how well you’ll sleep, which is true. Yet it also plays a role in how well you work out. This is why rolling out of bed and working out with cold muscles isn’t ideal and why snooze button lovers are not at a total disadvantage. 

Our body’s ability to regulate its own temperature is called thermoregulation and it changes throughout the day. At 5 am, your body temp is lowest at 96.4 degrees. Around 9 am, you’ve reached 97.8 degrees and by late afternoon, you’re somewhere between 99 and 100.4 degrees. Experts recognize that a higher internal body temperature results in more alertness, better memory and improved reaction times, which is why working out in the afternoon is an excellent choice, especially if the workout is intense or requires endurance.

Although we like the fact that working out in the afternoon is better for your workout, the question remains: is working out in the afternoon beneficial for your sleep? As of right now, there’s no compelling research that says working out in the afternoon improves your sleep, but it also doesn’t do any damage to your sleep either. One way it may indirectly improve your sleep is by giving you ample time to eat dinner, socialize and wind down at night. Many people who push their workouts too late into the evening find that they don’t have enough time to fit it all in and end up compromising something, usually their sleep, which is a big no no. 

Night Exercisers

You may have heard in the past that working out at night can negatively affect your sleep because it raises your core body temperature, increases your heart rate and releases adrenaline. Now it is true that a cooler core body temperature and lower heart rate are associated with healthy sleep, but it doesn’t necessarily mean that exercising at night is bad.  In a 2018 study, researchers found that working out at night may improve your rest by helping you get into deep sleep or slow wave sleep faster and stay there longer, which is the stage that helps with tissue and muscle regeneration. The study suggests that by raising your body temperature before bed, you’re actually helping to cool your body down because of the way thermoregulation works.

Similar to when you get out of a warm bath, exercise raises your body’s temperature initially and then allows it to cool off through sweat evaporation on the skin. This cooling off process is relaxing and helps prepare your body for sleep. The one exception is if you engage in really vigorous exercise, like sprints or HIIT within an hour of bedtime, which is stimulating to the brain and releases hormones that keep you alert. Now in addition to peer-reviewed research, I know it can be helpful to hear what real people have to say.

So here it is! In a National Sleep Foundation poll, over 1,000 regular people indicated that exercise improved their sleep no matter what time of day it was. And those who said they consistently exercise before bed said they always sleep better than when they don’t exercise at all. For general best practices of working out at night, do it an hour before bed and be sure you have enough time to lower your heart rate and calm any remaining endorphins through stretching, foam rolling and a calm routine. 

 The Bottom Line

Okay so what’s the verdict here?! At the end of the day, there are compelling reasons to work out in the morning, afternoon and evening. People who work out in the morning may fall asleep faster, those in the afternoon are more energized and have time to wind down, and people who work out at night may experience more deep sleep.

The bottom line is, when it comes to your sleep, the best time to work out is the period that you’ll stick to consistently. As the poll confirmed, working out at any time is better for your sleep than not working out at all, and our body thrives on consistency. The best time should be one that works with your schedule and preferred exercise type, while still saving time for you to have an evening and morning routine and getting 7-9 hours of uninterrupted sleep.

If you’re unsure when this time is for you, ask yourself, “am I a morning or a night person?” And if you really don’t know which time is best for you or you’re a curious, data-driven person, try experimenting with different work out times. Get a wearable device and start tracking your exercise and your sleep. For one week, try working out in the morning, another week in the afternoon and another week at night. At the end of 3 weeks, see which one gives you the highest sleep score and stick with it. 

For my final tip, if you’re struggling to find the time to work out and get 7-9 hours of sleep, then you should rethink your schedule altogether. Both exercise and sleep are essential to performing your best and with the right approach to your daily schedule, you can make them both happen.

Naps can have a profound effect on alertness, productivity and performance; Whether you incorporate naps into your daily routine or opt for nap when you are overly exhausted. Several research studies indicate that daytime napping may come with big advantages–both psychological and professional. Which is why it’s no surprise that big corporations and businesses are now allowing their employees to nap for better performance and productivity.

Read on to find out answers to the following questions:

• How do naps work?
• When is the right time to nap and for how long?
• Can naps be used to improve performance?
• What are some best practices when it comes to napping?

How Naps Work?

Just like sleeping at night, naps help to relieve the build-up of sleep pressure that accumulates throughout the day and makes you feel tired. They essentially recharge your battery.

Naps fall into the category of polyphasic sleep, which means that in a 24 hour period, there are multiple periods of sleep. More than 85% of mammalian species are polyphasic sleepers, but we humans have elected to be monophasic sleepers. This means we typically sleep in one chunk of time at night. 

However, it’s estimated that around one-third of American adults aren’t getting the recommended 7-9 hours of sleep each night and that sleep deprivation costs U.S. companies  a staggering $63 billion in lost productivity. Making now a great time to reintroduce the daytime nap to adults.

Although this goes against societal norms, some evolutionary scientists believed we are meant to be polyphasic sleepers. In fact, some famous nappers include Winston Churchill, John F. Kennedy, Ronald Reagan, Albert Einstein, Ariana Huffington and Arnold Schwarzzeneger to name a few. 

Type of Naps

Now there are different types of naps, including planned napping, energy napping and habitual napping.

You can also consider naps in terms of their length, like a short power nap of 20-30 minutes or a recovery nap of 90 minutes.

For most working adults, it’s the power nap that has significant benefits for performance without many side effects, like feeling groggy upon awakening.

In a power nap, you’re only entering into the lighter stages of sleep, which make it easier to wake up from while still experiencing rejuvenating effects. It’s estimated that your concentration and attention levels will improve for up to three hours after a power nap and will not interfere with your sleep at night, as long as you’re not doing it too late in the day.

According to NASA, a power nap was found to improve performance by 34% and alertness by 100% for their pilots and astronauts. It’s even thought to be as powerful if not more than a cup of coffee. Now for information sake, a recovery nap of 90 minutes will be a full sleep cycle and will contain deep sleep and possibly REM. This is the right option for people who are severely sleep deprived and also have the time available. For longer naps of over 30 minutes, the chances of experiencing sleep inertia increase, which is the feeling of grogginess and disorientation that comes with waking up out of deep sleep. Although this feeling should be temporary, it can be tough for someone who needs to perform right away. 

Who is a Good Candidate for Power Naps?

Essentially anyone who obtains less than the recommended amount of 7-9 hours on a nightly basis.

These days, it’s common for parents, professionals, entrepreneurs and athletes to fall into this category since they typically have racing minds before bed, take longer to fall asleep, rely on caffeine for energy, spend more time on technology, enjoy the sun less and have early morning wakeups.

People under higher amounts of stress and pressure also experience more fragmented sleep and have a lower sleep efficiency, which is the amount of time spent in bed versus the amount of time asleep. Also, frequent travelers or people overcoming jet lag can improve their recovery and align their circadian rhythm with morning or early afternoon naps at their new location.

For a more detailed review of jet lag and how to overcome it, check out our comprehensive jet lag video. Similarly, anyone who feels drowsy while driving should pull over immediately to a rest area and take a power nap for safety measures. Lastly, shift workers are great candidates for naps, especially when they have them right before their shift and then consume caffeine. This will help them cope with the challenges that come with a nightly work schedule. 

Performance Benefits of Power Naps?

Aside from being a way to check out of your busy life for a little bit, Naps can be extremely beneficial to a tired person at the right time and place. Naps improve mental alertness & reduce drowsiness. They have a positive impact on cognitive performance after a night of partial sleeplessness and improve your abilities for learning, tactics and strategy making.

Research indicates that when a memory, skill or process is first recorded in the brain (especially in the hippocampal region)–it is still “fragile” and easily forgotten, especially if the brain is overloaded with new information to store more things. Napping seems to push memories to the neocortex, the brain’s “more permanent storage,” preventing them from being “overwritten.”

Other benefits include improved alertness and athletic performance immediately upon arising, such as sprinting, shooting and reaction time. Time spent napping helps athletes recalibrate the body and the mind, which enables greater focus and physical strength. For everyone, naps are a great way to reduce stress, and increase confidence. All of which will help amplify your performance levels. 

 When is the Right Time to Take a Nap and for How Long?

Generally speaking, the best time is to nap is between 2-3 PM, which coincides with the natural dip in your biological clock and is a nice way to digest after lunch. You’ll fall asleep easier at this time and it shouldn’t impact your sleep at night. If you nap too late in the day, you will have decreased your sleep pressure and will find it more difficult to fall asleep.

Be sure to set an alarm for 20-30 minutes so that you don’t sleep for too long and also make yourself as comfortable as possible. If you can nap on a bed and in a dark room, you’ll experience greater benefits. At the very least, wear an eye mask and turn all distracting sounds off.

Once you wake up, get in bright light and do some light physical activity to dissipate any groggy feelings.

Naps before an afternoon workout are also a great idea and will help you feel more alert at the gym. If you find that naps are helping you perform better in the afternoon and evening hours, then add them to a consistent schedule. By napping at the same time every day, your body will anticipate the routine and experience even more success with it. 

The Bottom Line

To conclude, the science behind napping has long been established: A nap during the day can lower stress levels, improve your mood and increase cognitive output. And working a power nap into your schedule is often easy because the ideal length is only about 20 minutes. As a secret, even a 10 minute nap can produce positive benefits and be similar to a meditation session. What you should look for is the right amount of time to restore energy without causing too much disruption to your professional duties or nightly sleep.

By doing so, you’ll be following alongside a few amazing companies that have integrated naps into their operations like Google, Zappos, Huffington Post, NASA and Ben & Jerry’s, as well as elite sports teams like the New York Jets, American Olympic Team, Boston Red Sox, and the Baltimore Ravens to name a few. So if this article hasn’t put you to sleep yet, I encourage you to plan your next power nap!