Why You Crave Carbs When You're Tired And How To Improve Sleep
Jan 15, 2024
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In this discussion, Shawn Stevenson, an expert on sleep and wellness, joins neuroscientist Andrew Huberman and Dr. Cindy Geyer, a triple board-certified physician. They delve into why sleep deprivation leads to carb cravings and how managing stress can improve overall health. The trio explores the impacts of light exposure on sleep quality and the essential role of nutrition and exercise in supporting sleep hygiene. Listeners receive actionable tips on enhancing their sleep environment and routines for better health and vitality.
Sleep is crucial for optimal health, disease prevention, and weight control.
Light pollution, particularly from electronic devices emitting blue light, disrupts the production of melatonin and elevates cortisol levels at night, leading to poor sleep quality.
The podcast emphasizes the significance of sleep for overall health, disease prevention, and weight control, and suggests strategies such as exercising in the morning, avoiding processed foods, supporting the gut microbiome, minimizing nighttime light exposure, and maintaining a healthy lifestyle to promote restful sleep.
Deep dives
Importance of Sleep and its Impact on Health, Disease Prevention, and Weight Control
Sleep is crucial for optimal health, disease prevention, and weight control. Lack of sleep can lead to insomnia and insufficient sleep, which affects overall health. The podcast episode discusses the basics of sleep hygiene and features conversations with experts on sleep cycles, the impact of blue light on melatonin, the importance of honoring circadian rhythm, and practical tips to improve the sleep environment. Sleep deprivation negatively affects productivity, focus, and performance, similar to being drunk. Proper sleep contributes to balanced cortisol levels, weight regulation, stress management, blood sugar control, and inflammation reduction. Psychological and physical stresses, poor nutrition, hormonal imbalances, and environmental toxins can disrupt sleep-wake cycles. Strategies to improve sleep quality include exercise in the morning, avoiding processed foods, maintaining a healthy gut microbiome, consuming good sleep nutrients like vitamin C, magnesium, calcium, and omega-3s, and minimizing exposure to blue light from electronic devices at night.
The Impact of Light Pollution and the Importance of Morning Sunlight Exposure
Light pollution, particularly from electronic devices emitting blue light, disrupts the production of melatonin and elevates cortisol levels at night, leading to poor sleep quality. Exposure to artificial light suppresses melatonin secretion and delays the onset of sleep. Harvard researchers found that every hour of device use at night suppresses melatonin production for approximately 30 minutes, reducing melatonin levels required for proper sleep. To promote better sleep, individuals can wear blue-blocking glasses at night and engage in at least five minutes of exercise in the morning to reset cortisol rhythm and enhance sleep quality. In addition, exposing oneself to sunlight early in the morning helps synchronize and set the body's circadian rhythms.
Other Factors Affecting Sleep Quality and Strategies to Address Them
Aside from light pollution, certain medications, caffeine, and alcohol intake can negatively impact sleep quality. Stimulant medications, caffeine, and alcohol stimulate the nervous system, disrupt sleep, and impair its quality. Late-night eating and indigestion can also interfere with sleep, as the body requires a fasting state during sleep. Strategies to improve sleep quality include avoiding caffeine and stimulants after noon, refraining from late-night eating, and minimizing alcohol consumption. These factors, along with maintaining a conducive sleep environment, such as keeping a regular sleep schedule and practicing good sleep hygiene habits, can greatly enhance sleep quality and overall well-being.
Summarizing the Podcast Episode on Sleep Importance and Strategies
The podcast episode emphasizes the significance of sleep for overall health, disease prevention, and weight control. Lack of proper sleep hygiene, exposure to artificial light at night, certain medications, caffeine, alcohol, and late-night eating can all interfere with sleep quality. On the other hand, strategies such as exercising in the morning, avoiding processed foods, supporting the gut microbiome, consuming sleep-enhancing nutrients like vitamin C and magnesium, minimizing nighttime light exposure, and maintaining a healthy lifestyle can promote restful sleep. Prioritizing sleep and implementing these strategies can lead to improved health, better cognitive function, and enhanced overall well-being.
Importance of Light Exposure for Sleep
One of the main insights discussed in the podcast is the crucial role of light exposure in regulating sleep. Bright light exposure, preferably from sunlight, within 30 minutes to an hour of waking up helps stimulate cortisol production, which promotes wakefulness. This timed cortisol release also sets a timer for melatonin release, the hormone that promotes sleepiness. Avoiding bright light, especially within the hours of 11 p.m. to 4 a.m., is also important as it can disrupt sleep patterns. Dimming lights in the evening, using desk lamps instead of overhead lights, and getting some sunlight in the evening can all help optimize sleep.
Supplements and Hypnosis for Better Sleep
The podcast also discusses the use of supplements and hypnosis as tools for improving sleep. The supplement recommendations include Apogenin, a chamoile extract that promotes relaxation, and magnesium, specifically magnesium threonate and bisglycinate, which can help with turning off racing thoughts and promoting relaxation. Additionally, the podcast mentions the use of a free app called Revery, which offers a 15-minute hypnosis session that can help train the brain to relax and improve sleep quality. These supplements and hypnosis techniques can be helpful additions to sleep hygiene routines.
In today’s episode, I talk with Shawn Stevenson, Dr. Todd LePine, Dr. Andrew Huberman, and Dr. Cindy Geyer about the value of sleep and the basics of sleep hygiene.
Shawn Stevenson is the author of the international bestselling book Sleep Smarter and creator of The Model Health Show, featured as the #1 health podcast in the U.S. with millions of downloads each year. A graduate of the University of Missouri–St. Louis, Shawn studied business, biology, and nutritional science, and went on to found Advanced Integrative Health Alliance, a company that provides wellness services for individuals and organizations worldwide.
Dr. Todd LePine graduated from Dartmouth Medical School and is Board Certified in Internal Medicine, specializing in Integrative Functional Medicine. He is an Institute for Functional Medicine Certified Practitioner. Prior to joining The UltraWellness Center, he worked as a physician at Canyon Ranch in Lenox, MA, for 10 years. Dr. LePine’s focus at The UltraWellness Center is to help his patients achieve optimal health and vitality by restoring the natural balance to both the mind and the body.
Dr. Andrew Huberman is a McKnight Foundation and Pew Foundation Fellow and was awarded the Cogan Award in 2017, which is given to the scientist making the largest discoveries in the study of vision. His lab’s most recent work focuses on the influence of vision and respiration on human performance and brain states such as fear and courage. Work from the Huberman Laboratory at Stanford University School of Medicine has been published in top journals including Nature, Science, and Cell and has been featured in TIME, BBC, Scientific American, Discover, and other top media outlets.
Dr. Cindy Geyer received her Bachelor of Science and her Doctor of Medicine degrees, with honors, from the Ohio State University. She completed residency in internal medicine at Strong Memorial Hospital in Rochester, N.Y. and is triple board certified in internal medicine, integrative medicine, and lifestyle medicine. She joined The UltraWellness Center in 2021 after practicing and serving as the medical director at Canyon Ranch for 23 years.
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