Sleep isn’t a luxury—it’s a fundamental need that shapes our daily lives in ways we often overlook. It’s the foundation of all healthy behaviors, yet its significance is easily dismissed amidst our busy lives.

Have you ever experienced cravings for comfort foods after a night of too little sleep? That craving isn’t a random occurrence; it’s our body’s cry for a quick energy fix, compensating for the lack of restorative sleep.

My Motivation

My motivation for embarking on this challenge runs deeper than a desire for better sleep alone. I’ve witnessed firsthand how my compromised sleep quality has affected various facets of my life:

• Stalled fitness progress: Despite a considered workout program and earnest efforts, the lack of quality sleep has hindered my progress, leaving me feeling drained and demotivated.
• Less energy during the day: Each day has become a battle against fatigue and struggling to find the energy needed to navigate life’s demands.
• Cravings and health impact: When I get less than 6 hours of sleep, I experience cravings for sweets or comfort foods, which affects both my eating habits and overall health—not to mention my waistline.
• Weakened immunity: The more restless nights I endure, the more susceptible I become to falling sick, affecting many aspects of my life and relationships.
• Emotional turbulence: Irritability and forgetfulness have crept into my daily interactions, straining relationships and hindering productivity.

These challenges aren’t just isolated inconveniences—they’re interconnected, casting a shadow on my overall well-being, daily performance, and relationships. Perhaps you’ve faced similar struggles or noticed other effects of sleep deprivation/not enough sleep/poor quality yourself.

Understanding the profound impact of sleep on every aspect of my life, I’ve committed myself to this challenge—a journey to reclaim the vitality and balance that quality sleep offers.

Join me in acknowledging that better sleep isn’t merely an aspiration; it’s an essential ingredient for a fulfilling life.

What’s Next?

In short: data gathering.

Embarking on this journey toward better sleep involves understanding our individual sleep patterns and the factors influencing them. Over the coming week or two, I’ll be actively collecting data about various aspects of my sleep to gain deeper insights into my sleep quality and identify potential areas for improvement.

Here are some key data points I’ll be focusing on:

1. Sleep duration: Recording the number of hours I spend sleeping each night.

2. Bedtime and wake time consistency: Maintaining a consistent sleep schedule to observe its influence on sleep quality.

3. Sleep quality: Using a sleep diary I’ve created to rate my sleep quality on a scale from 1 (worst sleep ever) to 10 (completely rested and refreshed), considering factors like restfulness, interruptions, and overall satisfaction.

4. Emotional state: Recording daytime stress levels and emotional well-being and how they might affect my sleep.

5. Bedtime routine: Documenting pre-sleep activities and their duration to identify patterns affecting sleep.

6. Screen time: Tracking the time spent on electronic devices before bedtime and its impact on my sleep.

7. Caffeine/Alcohol Intake: Noting the consumption of caffeine or alcohol and observing their effects on sleep quality.

8. Food habits: Tracking what I ate, how much, and at what time to determine if this affects my sleep in any way.

9. Exercise: Monitoring the intensity and timing of workouts to analyze their correlation with sleep patterns.

10. Environmental Factors: Noting room temperature, darkness, and noise levels in my sleep environment and their impact on sleep.

By collecting and analyzing this data, I aim to gain a comprehensive understanding of my sleep habits and their impact on my overall well-being. This will require some self-honesty as well—admiting that my screen habits and bedtime routine are definitely not ideal.

I’ve created a sleep diary to track all this data. If you’d like to download to try it for youself click below.