Okay, so you’re not happy with your sleep. Specifically, you’re not happy with the amount of Deep Sleep you get.
Every day, you wake up wanting more.
Where's the Deep?
But what to do about it? I mean, you’ve tried everything under the sun. Everything. You’ve even done all 7 things to improve your sleep, and still that Deep Sleep number doesn’t move the way you want it to.
I’m going to share with you the 3 Rules of Deep sleep. These rules will guide you as you navigate the murky waters of sleep, help you to keep it real, and take action.
Ready, class?
The 3 Rules of Deep Sleep
#1 – You Do Not Talk about Deep Sleep
That’s right; don’t talk about it. Don’t focus on it.
If you focus on it–and only it–you’ll miss the forest for the trees.
Deep sleep is a lot like your weight; it’s one part of a whole recipe for living. If you focus too much on what you “Time in Deep” is–and not the whole picture of your sleep architecture, circadian rhythm, your sleep schedule, and how you feel during the day–you’re going to miss out.
You won’t find out how all those pieces fit together and as a result, you won’t figure out what you can do to sleep better and feel better, day after day.
Seriously. Stop focusing on that “Time in Deep” number.
#2 - Deep Sleep Naturally Decreases As You Age
It’s true. Every stage changes as we age, but none decline quite so dramatically as Deep Sleep. There’s no hard, fast rule as to why this happens–though educated guesses abound–but it does appear to be natural.
Sleep based on Age and Sex of Zeo Users
Just like you can never be 25 again, your sleep can’t be, either. A 40 year old will have much less deep sleep than a 30 year old, and a 50 year old even less.
The good news is that Light sleep appears to get “deeper” as we age, potentially helping us retain higher levels of memory processing as we get older.
# 3 – Good Habits lead to Better Quality Sleep
You’ve all heard this before–but it bears repeating because it’s the real deal.
In order to get the best sleep that you can, you need to take care of yourself. What you do during the day affects you at night, regardless of your age. It might not look as dramatic on a 20 year old but trust me, they too can feel it.
If you treat your body badly during the day, then there’s little wonder that your sleep reflects such abuse during the night. Quit beating yourself up. Your body is a temple–and it’s high time you start treating it that way. No excuses.
PS: Those good habits also give you REM & Light sleep (which your body needs!), and are helping to regulate your organs, your memory processing, and your overall health.
Is that it?
But I treat my body right, you say. I’ve got great sleep hygiene, sleep according to my circadian rhythms, have little or no chronic pain, and I still only get a pitiful amount of Deep. Now what?
Try treating it badly. Do everything wrong–and see how it plays out in your sleep. How you feel the next day. Chances are, all those good habits are giving you those precious minutes in Deep that your body loves so much. You know, those ones that you think are insufficient.
Remember: The first rule of Deep Sleep is You Do Not Talk about Deep Sleep.
Class dismissed.
Related posts
- It’s Past Your Bedtime
- 7 Ways to Improve your Sleep Tonight
- Sleep Architecture the Third: Back to the Sleep Cycles
- How Age & Sex Affect Sleep Quality and Quantity
- 4 Simple Steps for Better Sleep
Andi (ZQ: 86) is the editor of Zeology.
By tweet or by post, email or Expert Answer, she makes sure people get the information they need about sleep.
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Must put mouth and mind on mute. Did just see sleep specialist and though I follow the Step program, you make a very poignant remark. The negative self talk, the pushing physical boundaries, exercising while injured, the constant chatter that my mind has been subjected too. No wonder I can’t get d*** sleep. Metaphorically need to flip the switch and use “Containment Theory” to leave my problems securely locked away for the night.
For years, I was suffering from anorexia and compulsive exercise and now recovered but think my sleep stealer is my unconscious rebelling from years of neglect, running on no fuel, literally and figuratively. Have found journalling, blogging, writing in general, and sharing a positive. Must also point out that there are serious implications from improper sleep architecture (avoiding the exact words) which I suffer from including uncontrolled hypertension, chronic treatment resistant inflammation, cause or effect, not quite sure.
Thank you for the gentle nudge to capture the big picture and not get so trapped in the details and particulars, and refocusing on what I learned as “Effectiveness”, “Awareness”, and in my case, “Self soothing”. Another great Zeo blog! Sweet dreams!
Thank you Donna! I’m glad that my post was a gentle nudge along your path to better sleep and well-being.
I’ve certainly beat my body up in the past from working too hard and trying to burn the candle at both ends. It is amazing -and a blessing in disguise- how your body will just decide one day to take its revenge. Writing too, ended up being a great pathway for exploring the self and the wider picture. Sometimes when I’m up at night, I use that quite time to just write everything out. It makes it much easier to handle the fact that I’m awake.
Thanks again for reading! Stay tuned for more!
I’m about to go on another “quantified self” binge. This time, I’ll also be tracking a lot of “good habits” data. So, I’ll be able to test your hypothesis.
Walter
P.S. Deep Sleep rules.
Hi Walter,
Looking forward to it! Please share your results with us on our Facebook page!
Sometimes it’s important to examine the details, for example, deep sleep; mostly it’s better to take the long view. Zeo can be a catch 22 because of all the data it provides: what are my numbers? why aren’t my numbers better after a day when I eliminated most of the sleep stealers? why can’t my ZQ be 80 or better every night?
My sleep has improved as I’ve taken small steps to change what I can: diet, exercise, relaxing an hour before bedtime, reducing caffeine, etc. If I sleep poorly one, two, or three nights, it’s okay. I continue to practice good sleep habits.
My eyes lit up when I read that light sleep may deepen as we age. That’s good news. Thanks for your informative blog post.
Tim (Age:62 ZQ:75 )
Tim,
Indeed, perspective is everything. It’s true that it’s easy to get sucked into the data spiral, but the silver lining is that surrounding yourself with all that data makes you realize that the one bad night here and there is small potatoes compared to good habits.
It’s true. Light sleep does appear to be good for us and can help us out as our Deep sleep declines. Stay tuned for more on that subject!
Thanks again for reading!
Help:
Is there anything I can do to improve my deep sleep? I am 62 yrs old and made all the changes suggested by ZEO for over 2 months. My deep sleep is only about 8 minutes.
please email suggestions pjacques02@snet.net
Much Appreciated
Hi PJ,
If you have good sleep habits and hygiene, and don’t feel rested when you wake up or feel tired many times during the day, then it might be time to talk to your doctor. There could be an underlying health issue that is affecting your time in Deep sleep.
However, if you do feel rested, despite a low percentage of time in Deep sleep, then this could be a feature of your sleep. Remember, everyone’s sleep is different – and we don’t always know why. Yet if you don’t feel well, it’s best to consult a specialist.
Best wishes!
The article you wrote is really nice.
I really liked that article. You should write more about that topic.
Thank you; I’m glad you liked it. We’ve written about Deep sleep in several other articles that I think you would enjoy:
http://blog.myzeo.com/expert-answers-how-is-rem-different-from-deep/
http://blog.myzeo.com/how-can-i-increase-my-time-in-deep-sleep/
http://blog.myzeo.com/sleep-and-marathon-training-going-the-distance/
http://blog.myzeo.com/could-i-achieve-delta-waves-while-meditating-or-by-listening-to-white-noise-tracks/
http://blog.myzeo.com/sleep-architecture/
As you can guess, we love writing about Deep sleep, so stay tuned to this blog for more information.