Here’s my schedule for today:
- 5:30 – wake, activate, and pack for day
- 6:30 – lift with team
- 8:00 – work in library
- 9:00 – breakfast
- 9:30 – Environmental Chemistry
- 11:00 – Practice (10 x 24 second hills)
- 1:00 – homework for Anatomy Lab
- 2:00 – Anatomy Lab
- 4:30 – home for dinner
Usually, Thursdays are my hard day. I’m often running on fumes because of a busy week and not the best sleep on Tuesday and Wednesday. But today was a great day, and I attribute it to prioritizing my sleep this week.
My Oura ring, AKA the most effective sleep tracking wearable technology on earth, has offered me priceless insight into my sleep habits and patterns. I learned that I’m usually “awake” for at around an hour throughout every night, so eight hours is really seven hours. I’ve also discovered that I don’t get nearly as much REM sleep as I should, leaving me to feel more tired and less energized even if I’m asleep for 8 hours.
So for me to get the best quality sleep, I should be in bed for at least 9 hours. That’s a pretty ridiculous precedent for a collegiate student athlete business owning podcaster, but it’s what I do best on. It’s how I thrive. But it can’t be how I had a great Thursday today—last night I was only in bed for 7.5 hours.
The key is the weekend. While most college students use the weekends to relax and stay out late with friends, I catch up on sleep. On Friday and Saturday nights last week, I clocked 10 hours each. I’ve discovered this allows me to cheat a couple days during the week. While the goal is no cheating and 9 hours each night, this added insurance definitely makes a difference.
Sleep more. It’s the simplest antidote to better health. Before going to the doctor, try getting a week of good sleep. Coupled with filtered water and whole food diet, your health issues might become a thing of the past.