The Science of Sleep- A D1 Athletes Journey

Written By Taylor O'Toole

Sleep is arguably the most important part of our health and well-being as humans. Whether you are getting sufficient sleep or not, could make or break how well your brain functions, how well your body recovers on a daily basis, and determine your lifespan. So, the question you should ask yourself before getting in too deep on sleep studies is, how well do you sleep or how well do you think you sleep?

For starters, I am not a sleep scientist or a doctor, I am just someone who has spent the last decade of my life experimenting with my sleep habits and finding out what works and how I can continually improve my sleep. While in college, I was a Division I athlete and was on the executive board of my fraternity, so I had a very busy schedule and regularly had days where my schedule was jam packed from 6:30am - 9:00pm. And during that time frame, I also struggled with depression and suicidal ideation. Needless to say, no matter how hard I tried, my sleep was pretty terrible during that four-year period of my life and the little sleep I was getting only added to my worsening mental health. 

Since that time, I began to focus on my sleep and finding the daily habits that work for me to enhance my bedtime routine and sleep quality. Once I nailed down some of those habits, I saw my overall mental health become more stable, I was able to stabilize my weight better, and felt overall healthier. 

You might be asking what some of the habits are that I got into that helped my sleep. I will get to those at the end, but let’s discuss what sleep is, why it is so important, and what kinds of impacts it has on mental health.

What is sleep? Sleep is a normal body process that allows your body and brain to rest (Cleveland). Every night, nearly every person undergoes a remarkable change: we leave waking consciousness and for hours traverse a landscape of dreams and deep sleep. When we wake, we typically remember little or nothing about the hours that have just passed (Harvard). 

Sleep is broken down into two categories: rapid eye movement (REM) sleep and non-rapid eye movement (NREM) sleep. NREM sleep is typically the first stage of sleep everyone falls into and is the lightest stage of sleep. After this initial stage of sleep, the body goes through cycles of the stages of sleep that last about 90-120 minutes. The first half of the night typically cycles between light sleep and deep sleep. Deep sleep is where the body does its repairing and reinforcing of the immune system. Then the second half of the night, the body cycles between light sleep and REM sleep. REM sleep is where dreaming happens, the brain is stimulated for memory and brain development, and as you may guess, it gets its name from the rapid eye movement that occurs under the eyelids during this sleep stage. Another fascinating thing about REM sleep is that while you are in this stage and dreaming, your brain activity is similar to being awake, but your body goes into this muscle paralyzing state to stop movement while dreaming. 

Why is sleep important? Sleep is important to the human body because we spend nearly one third of our lives sleeping. “The National Sleep Foundation recommends an average of eight hours of sleep per night for adults, but sleep scientist Matthew Walker says that too many people are falling short of the mark” (Berkeley). Dr. Matthew Walker, an expert in the field of sleep science and professor of neurobiology, explains the importance of sleep by saying, “lack of sleep — defined as six hours or fewer — can have serious consequences. 

Sleep deficiency is associated with problems in concentration, memory and the immune system, and may even shorten life span” (Berkeley). Matthew Walker goes on to talk about in his book, “Why We Sleep”, that if you regularly sleep less than seven hours a night you double the risk of cancer, increase chances of heart disease, increase possibility of development of Alzheimer’s, increase chances of anxiety, depression, and even suicidal thoughts. On the contrary, if you are getting enough sleep, your body restores its immune system, refines its metabolic state, controls the appetite, and improves its abilities to learn, memorize, make choices and decisions. Getting sufficient sleep is beneficial for our overall health and helps our bodies function more efficiently. 

What impacts does sleep have on mental health? As explained earlier, REM sleep is where the brain does its developing and recovering, so when you are sleep deprived, it typically results in mental fatigue and effects on the mental state. The Sleep Foundation explains:

“Historically, sleeping problems were seen as a consequence of depression, but growing evidence suggests that poor sleep may induce or exacerbate depression. Anxiety disorders have a strong association with sleeping problems. Worry and fear contribute to a state of hyperarousal in which the mind is racing, and hyperarousal is considered to be a central contributor to insomnia. Sleeping problems aren’t just a result of anxiety. Research indicates that poor sleep can activate anxiety in people who are at a high-risk for it, and chronic insomnia may be a predisposing trait among people who go on to develop anxiety disorders.” (Suni, Dimitriu)

Overall, a consistent habit of sleep deprivation wreaks havoc on the human body, but more importantly, on the brain and on the mind. Symptoms of depression, anxiety, and suicidal ideation will worsen will continual poor sleep, but there is ways to combat it and improve your sleep and mental health!

Dr. Matthew Walker, Dr. Andrew Huberman, and The Sleep Foundation all have great tips and tricks for improving your sleep. Some of the tips and tricks are:

  1. Set a bedtime and stick to a consistent sleep schedule.

  2. Leave time to wind down and find methods from calming your mind.

  3. Reduce caffeine, tobacco, and alcohol in the afternoon/evening.

  4. Dim lights at least an hour before bed.

  5. Sleep in a dark room. Blackout curtains if possible.

  6. Reduce the temperature of your room. 65 degrees at night if possible. 

  7. Melatonin supplement could be helpful in aiding sleep.

  8. Get sun first thing in the morning after waking. 

This list may seem like a lot to implement, but start small, pick one to start with and progressively add more as you feel your routine becoming more consistent. Sleep is vital to your overall well-being, and even more so to your mental health. Below is a list of resources and podcasts that give way more in-depth research on sleep and more helpful tips and tricks from the leading experts in the field of Sleep. 

Resources

  1. Why We Sleep: Dr. Matthew Walker

  2. Sleep is your superpower | Matt Walker https://youtu.be/5MuIMqhT8DM?si=go0VUC__Zwdi8bI4 

  3. Matthew Walker’s 11 Tips for Improving Sleep Quality https://www.masterclass.com/articles/matthew-walker-on-improving-sleep-quality 

  4. Andrew Huberman Toolkit For Sleep. https://hubermanlab.com/toolkit-for-sleep/ 

  5. Dr. Matthew Walker: The Science & Practice of Perfecting Your Sleep | Huberman Lab https://youtu.be/gbQFSMayJxk?si=3L7iV-ubuDaTto8Q 

  6. Joe Rogan Experience #1109 - Matthew Walker https://www.youtube.com/live/pwaWilO_Pig?si=xE_asPLP8yA-fRS5 

  7. Sleep Is Non-Negotiable: Dr. Matthew Walker | Rich Roll Podcast https://youtu.be/xTvxa0Rlhpg?si=4iNgtD8cRN4vcHGG 


Citations

Taylor O'Toole
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