Restful sleep is essential—it's the only way our bodies can regenerate optimally and perform a number of important processes. But what if your sleep quality leaves something to be desired? Then it's time to optimize your sleep routine.
Sleep routine: Why is restful sleep so important?
While you sleep, your body carries out many important and complex processes. Only if you regularly consume enough and high-quality Sleep get, these processes can take place optimally.
regeneration
During sleep, your body goes through various phases of regeneration. Damaged cells are repaired, and growth hormones are released to build muscle and repair tissue.
At the same time, your blood pressure drops while you sleep, which in turn relieves the strain on your heart and reduces the risk of cardiovascular disease.
Mental health
Especially during REM sleep, your brain processes emotional experiences. This helps to mentally "reset" you so you can start the next day feeling balanced.
Lack of sleep, on the other hand, often leads to increased irritability and susceptibility to stress.
Cognitive functions
Restful sleep even improves your mental performance because your brain stores information during sleep and can therefore absorb new impressions the next day.
If you don't get enough sleep, it affects your ability to concentrate - difficulties in thinking and reacting are often the result.
Hormone regulation
During sleep, your body regulates important hormones with different functions: Leptin and Ghrelin for example, are responsible for the feeling of satiety and the stimulation of appetite.
If sleep deprivation disrupts the delicate balance between these two hormones, it often leads to cravings the next day. Chronic sleep deprivation can therefore increase the risk of obesity and Insulin resistance increase.
Strengthen the immune system
Even short-term sleep deprivation impairs the function of the so-called T cells, which eliminate infected body cells and thus prevent, for example, the spread of a virus in the body.
Those who get enough sleep are also better protected against illness.
Temperature regulation
Our body temperature peaks in the evening before bedtime. Thermoregulation is part of the so-called circadian rhythm (more on this later) and, with the temperature rise in the evening, ensures that we can fall asleep optimally.
Our body temperature then drops again overnight, reaching its lowest level in the early morning hours. It fluctuates by up to 1 degree throughout the day.
What exactly is biohacking?
Biohacking is based on the idea that we can actively and independently improve our physical and mental health. The goal: to increase our performance, extend our lifespan, or address individual health problems.
Biohackers try to get the best out of their body and mind.
The most important components of biohacking include:
- Healthy eating
- Sports and exercise
- Supplements
- Light therapies
Ultimately, however, every biohacker experiments with different measures to get the most out of themselves. Therefore, there is no single biohacking routine.
The circadian rhythm
The circadian rhythm is our body's internal biological clock, which controls many physiological processes. It follows a roughly 24- to 25-hour cycle and influences not only our sleep but also hormone secretion, body temperature, blood pressure, and many other functions.
The The most important stimulator for the circadian rhythm is light. During the day, light hits receptors in our eyes, which transmit the stimulus via many interfaces to the suprachiasmatic nucleus in the hypothalamus. The result: In daylight, the stress hormones Cortisol, serotonin and adrenaline are released.
But it is not only our sleep that is influenced by the daily cycle: Our cortisol levels also play a role here: It rises slowly overnight until it reaches its peak around 8:30 a.m.
As a so-called stress hormone, cortisol influences your blood sugar and lipid metabolism. It has anti-inflammatory effects and delays the excretion of water.
The natural counterpart of cortisol is the sleep hormone MelatoninWhen the light intensity decreases, more melatonin is released - your body calms down.
By the way: Stress also keeps your cortisol levels high. The result: You cannot relax and sleep worse.
Last but not least, our gastrointestinal tract also normally follows a circadian rhythm. We get hungry about every four to five hours, but at night our appetite slows down. Leptin and ghrelin are primarily responsible for this regulation. The intestines take advantage of the nighttime quiet to transport their contents further.
Circadian Hacking
The term "circadian hacking" is increasingly being used when discussing biohacking and sleep rhythms. Circadian hacking involves consciously influencing the circadian rhythm. The goal: to specifically adapt the internal biological clock to personal or external demands.
One thing is certain: While you can "hack" a lot of your sleep, your chronotype remains largely the same. This means that an owl who tends to be active at night won't become a lark who wakes up at the first ray of sunshine, even with lots of tips and tricks.
The best tips for optimizing your sleep
Owl or lark?
Owl and lark – these are the so-called chronotypes. While larks are active early in the day, owls become active late in the day and into the night.
Your chronotype is largely determined by genetics. However, you can still influence it to some extent—for example, through light, food intake, or exercise.
However, you should adapt your sleep routine to your chronotype as best as possible.The more closely you match your natural rhythm, the better.
Light & Movement
Your sleep routine begins during the day—it sounds strange, but it's true. Spending time outdoors, soaking up natural light, and exercising will support your circadian rhythm.
In addition: An investigation was able to show that exercise and sport are an effective solution, especially for sleep problems - and probably also improve sleep quality in the long term.
The study "Physical activity affects overall quality of sleep": Of the 2600 participants, those who exercised for at least 150 minutes per week slept significantly better and also felt more alert during the day.
The reason for this: Sport promotes the reduction of stress hormones and improves the regulationAt the same time, exercise increases the release of serotonin – and this is what your body can convert into melatonin in the evening.
Avoid caffeine
How exactly we react to caffeine varies greatly from person to person. One thing is certain: caffeine blocks the effects of adenosine, a neurotransmitter that "makes us sleepy." So, if we have caffeine in our bodies, it's harder for us to fall asleep and stay in deep sleep phases.
This is exactly what a study confirms: Subjects consumed caffeine at different times before bedtime. Compared to the control group, all subjects experienced measurable sleep disturbances – even when caffeine consumption occurred six hours previously.
It is therefore better not to consume any caffeinated drinks after 2 p.m. - or even to avoid them completely.
Avoid alcohol
Not surprisingly, alcohol also disrupts your nighttime rest. It leads to a reduction in REM and deep sleep phases, aggravates respiratory problems, causes you to wake up more often, and, last but not least, makes you go to the bathroom more often.
One Twin study, which began in 1975, showed that even moderate alcohol consumption was associated with poorer long-term sleep quality in subjects. Of course, it would be best to abstain from alcohol completely – because alcohol not only negatively affects your sleep, but also many other bodily processes.
Optimize your bedroom
Your bedroom also plays a big role in your sleep routine. But what's the point of optimizing your sleeping area?
- Temperature: Keep the room temperature between 15 and 18 degrees - the optimal temperature for adults.
- Bed linen: Use breathable, possibly even thermoregulating bedding.
- Light: Install blackout curtains or blinds to keep your bedroom as dark as possible.
- Quiet: Make sure your sleeping environment is as quiet as possible - if in doubt, earplugs will help.
- Keep things in order: Clutter can subconsciously cause stress. So keep it tidy—and minimalist.
- Air: Ventilate regularly (especially before bedtime). Indoor plants like snake plants, for example, can improve air quality.
- Fragrances: Maybe you can Smells like lavender or chamomile help you fall asleep.
Use a weighted blanket
Weighted blankets are becoming increasingly popular – they are said to calm the parasympathetic nervous system and thus reduce stress. These blankets are usually filled with small glass beads and weigh around seven kilograms.
There is hardly any scientifically sound evidence for the supposedly positive effects of such blankets so far – and it would be difficult to implement. After all, there is no such thing as a "placebo weighted blanket." Subjects would know immediately whether it is a weighted blanket – or not.
However, many people report positive effects of weighted blankets, especially for anxiety or restlessness. So, you can give them a try without worry.
Find a sleeping position
You've probably seen a video about supposedly "correct" sleeping positions at some point. First, the good news: If you don't have any health problems or other limitations, whatever feels good is fine.
Things look a little different with:
- Neck or back pain
- Snoring or obstructive sleep apnea
- Reflux and heartburn
- Lung diseases
- pregnancy
The Probably the healthiest sleeping position is lying on your backThis allows the spine to assume its natural shape and distributes body weight evenly. However, for people with breathing problems, lying on their back is not ideal.
As you can see, your optimal sleeping position is very individual. However, if you're currently suffering from sleep problems, it might be helpful to take a look at your sleeping position.
Use sleep phases
If you are woken up during a light sleep phase, it is much easier to get up. However, if we are torn from a deep sleep phase, this is much more difficult for us. A solution to this problem is so-called Sleep phase alarm clock.
The over-the-counter versions measure physical activity, are designed to detect the different sleep phases, and then wake us up during a less deep phase. Instead of specifying a specific time, you specify a time frame in which you would like to be woken up.
These alarm clock models are often not suitable for people who generally sleep very restlessly - i.e. who move around a lot.
Also important: It's difficult to prove whether alarm clocks actually detect sleep phases based solely on movement. Even professional devices in sleep labs sometimes have trouble with this—whether a smartwatch, for example, can even do this is questionable.
As is often the case, the same applies here: try out what suits you best.
Relax in the evening
Peace of mind is the foundation for good sleep.Stress, on the other hand, can disrupt our sleep - Studies show that people with high stress perception sleep shorter and worse - and are also duller and sleepier during the day.
The following tips can help you relax better in the evening:
- Meditate
- Do stretching exercises or yoga
- Autogenic training
- breathing exercises
- Walk in the fresh air
- Drink tea, especially chamomile, lavender, hops or valerian
- Reading a relaxing book
Reduce blue light
Sitting on your mobile phone before going to bed has become quite normal for many people. The problem is blue light. According to a study The short-wave rays can inhibit the release of the sleep hormone melatonin - making it difficult for you to fall asleep.
The solution: Turn off all devices at least 30 minutes to one hour before going to bed - or at least Glasses with blue light filter carry. Bryan Johnson even completely avoids any stimuli in the bedroom.
Eat healthy
A healthy diet also plays a role in sleep: In order to sleep well, our metabolism needs to rest at night. Highly fatty, spicy, or simply very rich meals in the evening hinder this.
Other typical errors are:
- Eating very spicy foods – chili causes our core body temperature and heart rate to remain elevated. Yet we need exactly the opposite to fall asleep well.
- Raw vegetables and legumes – they put a strain on our intestinal flora and prevent us from sleeping well due to the fermentation.
- Raw fruit - Blood sugar fluctuations and fermentation processes disrupt your sleep.
For example, it could be better:
- A light, balanced meal
- Sweet potatoes instead of potatoes: The large amounts of resistant starch are popular with our intestinal flora
- Lukewarm dairy products
- Drink less after 7 p.m. to avoid having to go to the toilet at night
The right supplements
Supplements can also positively influence your sleep-wake cycle. The following supplements are particularly popular for biohacking:
magnesium
magnesium performs many important functions in our body. The mineral supports our sleep primarily through:
- Support of the nervous system: Magnesium binds to the GABA receptors in our brain. GABA (gamma-aminobutyric acid) is a neurotransmitter known for its calming properties—and therefore crucial for our sleep.
- Fewer sleep disturbances: A magnesium deficiency in particular is often responsible for sleep problems - for example, due to restless legs syndrome or classic calf cramps.
Amino acids
Amino acids are the building blocks of life—and therefore also play a crucial role in sleep. Some amino acids serve as precursors for neurotransmitters that control our sleep and wake cycles.
This includes:
- Tryptophan: An essential amino acid that the body needs to produce serotonin, the precursor to melatonin.
- Glycine: A non-essential amino acid that helps lower body temperature so we can sleep optimally.
- GABA (gamma-aminobutyric acid): A non-essential amino acid that reduces the activity of our central nervous system - and thus ensures relaxation.
Ashwagandha
Ashwagandha is a plant whose berries and roots are used primarily in Ayurvedic medicine. This evergreen plant is said to have many different beneficial effects.
Among other things:
- Reducing stress and anxiety symptoms
- Help with insomnia
- More strength, endurance and energy
- Lowering blood pressure
- Reduction of inflammation
Reducing stress plays a major role in our sleep: According to a Meta-analysis Ashwagandha was able to significantly improve the subjects' sleep quality. This is likely due to its GABA-like effect.
That’s why you will also find Ashwaganda in our QNIGHT capsules - that help you relax in the evening.
Melatonin
Melatonin is an important regulator of our sleep-wake cycle. It counteracts the stress hormone cortisol and causes us to feel sleepy and tired. Melatonin supplements ideally need to be taken for several weeks to achieve their full effect. However, melatonin only plays a role in falling asleep—not in staying asleep.
In addition, you should always take any medication at the same time, namely when you normally go to bed. If you eat material at different times, your internal clock gets confused.
Taurine
Taurine is an amino acid that we often know from energy drinks. It is involved in brain development and muscle activity, binds free radicals and thus counteracts Inflammations.
Our taruin levels decrease dramatically with age. The precise effects this has on our aging process have not yet been fully researched. However, it is almost certain that the amino acid plays a significant role.
In addition, Taurine have a calming effect on our nervous system and help lower cortisol levels. The result: you can fall asleep and sleep through the night better and faster.
