Nir Eyal, an expert at the intersection of technology and behavior, dives into the secrets of achieving great sleep. He discusses the surprising impact of our beliefs about sleep and how they can affect cognitive function. Discover practical, drug-free strategies to combat insomnia, like reading dull books and using mantras to banish nighttime worries. Nir also highlights the importance of maintaining a regular bedtime and tracking sleep patterns for a better rest. Get ready to rethink your approach to sleep!
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Quick takeaways
Quality sleep is essential for cognitive performance and health, yet many individuals overlook their actual sleep duration due to misperception.
Implementing practical strategies like engaging with dull reading or using calming mantras can effectively reduce sleep-related anxiety and improve rest.
Deep dives
The Importance of Quality Sleep
Quality sleep is crucial for cognitive performance and overall health, reducing the risk of conditions like diabetes, heart disease, and obesity. Many adults struggle with sleeplessness; for example, 14.5% of U.S. adults reported difficulties falling asleep in 2020. The quest for sleep often leads people to quick fixes such as supplements or sleep aids, which can become distractions rather than solutions. Recognizing that insomnia is not primarily a biological issue can help individuals focus on more constructive responses to their sleeplessness.
Rethinking Sleep Perception
People commonly overlook that their perception of sleep quality can significantly skew their understanding of restful sleep. Research shows that insomnia may exist on a spectrum, and individuals with sleep misperception often underestimate the amount of sleep they actually receive. Studies indicate that even during REM sleep, those with sleep misperception feel awake and anxious, reinforcing their concerns about sleeplessness. Understanding that individual sleep experiences can differ allows for a decrease in anxiety, promoting better relaxation and potentially improving sleep quality.
Effective Sleep Hacks
Practical strategies can help alleviate the anxiety around sleeplessness and promote better rest without medication. Engaging with a boring e-book is suggested as a method to redirect attention away from racing thoughts, enabling a gradual drift into sleep. A calming mantra, such as 'the body gets what the body needs if you let it,' combined with deep breathing can also reduce stress about waking up during the night. Additionally, maintaining a consistent bedtime and tracking sleep patterns can foster a more positive belief about one's sleep quality, ultimately leading to improved rest.
A few years ago, I started waking up at three o’clock every morning. Over the years, I’d read many articles about the importance of rest, so I knew the research was unequivocal: Quality sleep supports cognitive performance and lowers the risk of diseases and health conditions such as type 2 diabetes, heart disease, stroke, obesity, and dementia.
Knowing that, I’d toss and turn in bed, disappointed that I wasn’t following through on my plan to get seven to eight hours of shut-eye. It was on my schedule, so why wasn’t I asleep?
Nir And Far, a podcast about business, behaviour and the brain by Nir Eyal. If you enjoy this podcast, please subscribe on iTunes and leave an iTunes review. It will greatly help new listeners discover the show. Please visit my website Nir and Far for other info about my writing, books and teaching: http://www.nirandfar.com/