The optimum sleep routine for longevity

“Oversleeping can be a sign of underlying conditions, like heart disease, hypothyroidism, depression, and other chronic illness,” adds Marchetti. “It can also alter hormone release, like those that impact hunger cues, and is associated with increased headaches, difficulties concentrating, daytime sleepiness and fatigue, and poor sleep habits.”

As a general rule, seven hours seems to be the sweet spot. Although, as we’ve written elsewhere, there is no hard and fast rule as to how much rest each of us needs. If you’re trying to focus on this, investing in a sleep tracker or Oura ring can be a huge help.

Is sleep really that important?

“Randy Gardner did just over eleven days as a science project in the mid-sixties without any obvious serious decrements to his health, but such behaviour is certainly not to be encouraged,” says Stanley. In fact, acute sleep deprivation can lead to drowsiness, mood disruption, impaired cognitive function, memory deficits, vision and hearing impairments, muscle tension, and increased risk of accidents.

“Just a 24-hour sleep deprivation has been likened to having a blood alcohol concentration of 0.10%,” says Marchetti. “A few days of sleep deprivation can cause hallucinations, irritability, cognitive impairments, and paranoia,” she adds.

The best time to get your head down

Human beings are designed to sleep at night and be awake during the day, and as such, Marchetti says sleeping when it’s dark outside is best as it aligns us with our natural circadian rhythms. “The prolonged sunlight in the summer months may mean night owls are more apt to sleep during the daylight hours due to the delayed shift in their circadian rhythm,” she adds.

Whenever you drop off, it’s important that you’re sleeping long enough to explore all four stages of sleep: N1, N2, N3, and REM. “Human growth hormone is released in N3 sleep, which is also known as slow wave sleep,” says Marchetti. “This is the stage that is critical for restorative sleep, as it bolsters immune function and allows for bodily recovery and growth,” she adds. “On the other hand, REM sleep is essential for cognitive functions like memory and learning, which is also important for general wellness.”

Should I battle through jet lag?

While it’s important to try and line up your sleeping habits with the sun, obviously this won’t always be possible if you’re travelling, or working night shifts. If you do feel a bit out of whack, health and longevity expert, Dr Alka Patel, recommends a daily dose of sunshine – even if you’re exhausted.

“Morning sunlight stimulates the suprachiasmatic nucleus (SCN) in the brain, which is crucial for setting your circadian rhythm, the internal body clock that dictates your sleep-wake cycle,” she says. In other words, a little sun exposure can help get you back on track. Not to mention that sunlight triggers serotonin production, which Patel explains is a neurotransmitter associated with mood, focus, and calmness, helping you drop off.

Are naps a good or bad idea?

The jury is out on naps, with some data indicating they have cognitive benefits, and other studies suggesting they’ll mess up your nocturnal snoozing. In terms of sleep for longevity, it’s the latter that’s likely to have the most impact, which indicates that naps are off the table.

“The literature comparing monophasic sleep to polyphasic sleep is mixed,” says Marchetti. “As a rule of thumb, if an adult is struggling to sleep at night, it is recommended that they reduce or eliminate napping during the day in efforts to consolidate nighttime sleep.”

What’s the most important sleep routine?

Everyone has their own sleep hacks, and finding what works for you might initially come down to trial and error, whether that’s improving your mattress or pillow or trying to play around with the temperature in your room. That said, if you were to do one thing and one thing only to boost your sleep – and therefore your health – Marchetti recommends sticking to a routine.

“The most important aspect of sleep is regularity,” she says. “Often, we get caught up in the number of hours we’ve slept, instead of the quality of that sleep, or how regular it becomes. Going to bed every day at the same time and rising every day at the same time (regardless of how you slept that night) is the best thing someone can do to feel refreshed in the morning.”

Via gq-magazine.co.uk