Why Sleep Deserves a Promotion in Your Life (Plus the Practice That Finally Fixed Mine)
- amyransullivan
- 7 hours ago
- 7 min read
Feeling the effects of the switch to Daylight Saving Time this morning? Perhaps a little more run down that usual for a Monday? If yes, that’s your body asking you to prioritize sleep.
Yes, yes, I realize what a tall order that is in this crazy, busy world. It’s worth your while, though. Sleep is foundational for good health, including brain health, weight management, immunity, and mood. Here is some of the science behind why good sleep is so darn important, what finally got my sleep on track, and other tips to help you maximize your ZZZZs.
A few highlights of the science
Sleep, circadian rhythm, and aging are tightly linked. Disturbances in any of these systems often occur together and reduce day‑to‑day function.
Sleep is more necessary than food or water.
Mice that don’t experience REM sleep only live 5 weeks. They only make it 3 weeks without all 5 stages of sleep.
Several days without sleep cause oxidative stress, mitochondrial breakdown, and loss of locus coeruleus neurons - the cells whose loss accelerates cognitive decline in Alzheimer’s models.
Poor sleep increases chronic disease risk. Insufficient or fragmented sleep is linked to coronary heart disease, high blood pressure, obesity, stroke, and metabolic dysfunction.
Sleep deprivation weakens immunity.
Sleep‑deprived mice showed higher mortality after sepsis.
Sleep‑deprived humans are more vulnerable to respiratory infections like colds and flu.
Insomnia is the most common sleep disorder and is associated with depression, impaired cognition, dementia, and delirium.
Sleep loss accelerates brain aging.
Not just older folks, even a sleep‑deprived 20–30‑year‑old brain can appear 1–2 years older. Thankfully, some recovery sleep can reverse these changes.
Being awake too long mimics alcohol intoxication.
17 hours awake ≈ BAC of 0.05%
24 hours awake ≈ BAC of 0.10% (U.S. legal driving limit is 0.08%)
Sleep is essential for memory. The brain consolidates long‑term memories at night—sorting, organizing, and storing information that cannot be processed during waking hours.
Sleep clears amyloid plaques. The glymphatic system removes beta‑amyloid—waste proteins linked to Alzheimer’s—only during sleep.
Slow‑wave sleep (SWS) matters.
A 2024 study of adults 60+ found significantly less SWS in those with elevated beta‑amyloid.
SWS supports toxin clearance and memory consolidation.
Poor sleep and amyloid buildup create a vicious cycle.
More amyloid → less deep sleep
Less deep sleep → more amyloid accumulation
Result: impaired memory consolidation
Sleep protects even those with genetic risk. In a study of ~700 older adults, APOE‑E4 carriers who slept soundly preserved memory and thinking skills better than poor sleepers with the same gene.
Sleep and the scale - In terms of our waistlines, when we’re tired, we tend to eat more, and usually crave things like sugar that won’t sustain us as well as other choices
The “magic number” is 7–8 hours.
In the Nurses’ Health Study (15,000+ participants), sleeping ≤5 hours or ≥9 hours was associated with lower cognition.
Sleeping outside the 7–8 hour window aged the brain by ~2 years.
Ok, great, so how do we get into this beautiful sleep schedule?
What finally worked for me was training myself to get up at the same time, no matter what. Ironically, my mom gave me this exact advice for years. “Decide when you want to get up and count back from there 8 hours.” Did I listen? No way. I was too young with too many important things to do to heed her sage advice. She was right on the money, though.
The most important step - find your why.
And I only did it after I had a reason that made me excited to get up. For me, that is morning meditation. For you, that might mean relishing a few precious minutes of quiet time before your household starts rumbling awake or your Slack messaging starts going berserk.
It took about a month for my body to adjust to a 6 am wake‑up and a 10/11 pm bedtime. Some days were brutal. But I wanted to join “my people” and feel accomplished by completing something important to me right after waking.
Perhaps you're reading this and thinking that you have absolutely nothing worth rising earlier for. Or you're brainstorming all sorts of places you’d like to tell me to shove this advice. I hear you.
What if we allow for a minute to let go of any feelings you have toward your job and/or responsibilities, and allow a reframe of the question?
If I gifted you an extra 30–60 minutes every morning — fully rested — how would you use it?
Let yourself dream. No rules. No responsibilities. Just time for you.
Here are a few (IMO) fun reasons to rise
Snuggle with a pet, kiddo, or SO. Even a pillow. A cushion of quiet chill time before emerging into the day
Enjoy coffee in silence. These days I love quietly sipping my coffee and peering out the window at people heading to work, walking their dogs, or the cats meandering around my front porch.
Watch the sunrise
Move your body - a morning workout, dance, or stretch, to get the blood pumping through your veins
Journal and reflect
Read (maybe not the news if that tends to stress you out)
Work on a hobby - spend 30-minutes when you’re fresh, painting, writing, whatever lights you up.
Simply enjoy not being rushed. Those around you might appreciate it too.
Curate a morning routine for yourself that you love so much that you’ll shift heaven and earth to adhere to it. Start slow. Know it’s going to suck for a minute. Focus on the reward of the morning ritual. Look forward to it each night. Celebrate it as you experience it each morning. Slowly add things if that makes sense until you have a morning you can’t wait to enjoy.
Tips for getting to bed earlier and maximizing your ZZZZs
The most important thing - consistency.
A similar bedtime and wake time are key to maintaining a solid sleep habit and feeling rested. (My mom knew what was up!) Count back 7 -8 hours from when you want to regularly wake up, and that’s your new bedtime goal.
9 Additional Tips for Better Sleep
Tip 1 - Keep your bedroom cool—68-72 degrees is ideal.
Tip 2 - Turn off all electronic devices two hours before bedtime.
Tip 3 - Take time to unwind: Light reading is a perfect way to slow down the day’s pace,
but choose a paperback, hardback, or e-reader that doesn’t emit blue light.
Tip 4 - Try light stretching and breathing, relaxation techniques, or an easy
meditation. Tip 5 - Don’t drink caffeine after 2 pm or before if you’re sensitive to it.
Tip 6 - Enjoy a cup of chamomile tea.
Tip 7 - Create a journal or a gratitude list and write in it a few minutes before bed.
Tip 8 - Say no to sleeping pills; instead, if you need some help, try natural sleep aids
such as GABA, melatonin, L-Theanine, or lemon balm.
Tip 9 - Discover the root(s) of your insomnia. Whether medical, psychological, or lifestyle related, knowing why you’re stuck up at night is the first step to fixing it.
My long and tumultuous quest for good sleep
The version of me who struggled with sleep for years would have hated these recommendations, at first. I struggled for years and tried all sorts of solutions: sleeping pills, TV and movies in the background, alcohol and drugs, exercise, meditation, diet changes, yoga, and therapy.
What actually helped?
Exercise, healthy lifestyle choices, and working through what caused me anxiety, such as learning how to advocate for myself at work and in my personal relationships. What has kept my good sleep consistent is finding a morning routine worth getting up for and putting myself to bed at roughly the same time every night.
Not always easy, but absolutely possible and fundamentally important for your health, cognition, and longevity. And guess what, my friend, you are absolutely worth it!
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