The ObservatoryThe numbers of sleep
What sleep loss actually does to body and mood, in numbers rather than feelings
How it works
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Sleep loss is not just an unpleasant feeling. It can be measured as concretely as blood sugar or blood pressure. Here are some of the most consistent findings.
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Why does it work?
The reaction-time impairment after a sleepless night compared with blood alcohol content is based on Williamson & Feyer (2000). That two weeks of sleep restriction to 6 hours a night can produce as poor attention as a full night without sleep comes from Van Dongen, Maislin, Mullington & Dinges (2003). The recommendation of 7–9 hours follows the overall consensus in sleep research (for example Hirshkowitz et al., 2015).
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Sleep: letting go of the day
In bed, with the lights off: a quiet guided practice that leaves the day behind and carries you toward sleep.
Exercise12 minSleep hygiene
Set a fixed lights-out time, a screen-free wind-down before it, and a cooler, darker room: the habits that do the most for sleep.
Session10 minWinding down for the night
A still routine that helps the body shift from the day's state to sleep's. Ten minutes before you turn off the light.