What’s the right amount of sleep for me? How can sleep benefit my body? If I don’t get enough sleep, what are the consequences? I have trouble sleeping, so how can I fix it?
In a society of workaholics, you hear these questions again and again. Maybe you’ve asked one of these questions yourself. For whatever reason too much work, too much tech, too much to do we’re sleep-deprived people.
The problem is so prevalent, Huffington Post’s Ariana Huffington wrote an entire book called “The Sleep Revolution” dedicated to it.
Now, another prominent public figure is weighing in. Actress Gwyneth Paltrow takes on the problem of poor sleep in her book, “Goop Clean Beauty”, in which she advocates for “clean sleeping.” Clean sleeping is basically the practice of prioritizing sleep above all else.
Clean sleeping includes going to bed before 10 pm, getting nine to ten hours of sleep a night, limiting caffeine use, exercising regularly, repeating a sleep ritual, and buying a copper-infused pillowcase, which is supposed to help with beauty sleep.
But is she right? Let’s analyze the merits of clean sleeping from a scientific perspective.
Doctors Weigh in on Clean Sleeping
A number of doctors are speaking out about Paltrow’s clean sleeping recommendations. Dr. Robert S. Rosenberg, a board-certified sleep medicine physician, is not so sure Paltrow is right. According to Rosenberg,
“The key is that one size does not fit all, and I am afraid [Gwyneth Paltrow’s] book, pushing for at least eight hours, and even better, nine hours, is not factually based. I am also concerned that those doing fine on less than eight hours of sleep may decide to try to make themselves sleep longer, based on her system. When they find that they are unable to do so, this can lead to anxiety and trouble sleeping.”
Rosenberg is referring to a body of research that indicates the amount of sleep you need depends on your genetics and your circadian rhythms. Although doctors recommend eight hours of sleep for most people, each person is different.
If you try to get more sleep than you need, you’ll throw off your rhythm, which can have negative effects.
Paltrow seems to be advocating for a sleep schedule that works for her, but that doesn’t mean it will work for everyone. Her regimen might even be detrimental to you.
Another expert goes one further in regards to Paltrow’s recommendation of nine to 10 hours of sleep. According to Jerry Siegel, Ph.D. and professor of psychiatry at UCLA, “Ideally we should go to sleep naturally and awaken naturally.
Stress and other causes of sleep loss are detrimental. But 10, or even nine hours of sleep in adults is associated with a markedly shorter lifespan, not a longer one.”
So, getting nine to 10 hours of sleep per night could actually shorten the length of your life? Sounds extreme, but according to the Division of Sleep Medicine at Harvard Medical School, your circadian rhythms are also involved in regulating appetite, hormone release, and metabolism.
Consistently throw your rhythm off by getting too much sleep, and you’re training your body to be arrhythmic, which will hurt you in the long run.
So what, if any, are the merits of Paltrow’s clean sleeping practice?
The Merits of Clean Sleeping
Paltrow places quality sleep as the top priority, ahead of diet, and says poor sleep leads to problems with metabolism, hormones, and appearance.
She’s partially correct: a regular sleep schedule of six to eight (maybe nine, but not 10) hours a night is one of the things that keep people healthy, accomplishing more for the body than a combination of taking vitamins, getting exercise, and washing hands.
Since circadian rhythms are tied in with hormone release and metabolism, she is right that good sleep regulates appetite and energy levels. On those nights you don’t get enough sleep, you’ll notice your appetite is higher than normal the next day.
That’s because sleep-deprivation reduces a hormone called leptin, which suppresses appetite, and increases levels of ghrelin, a hormone that stimulates appetite.
But there are many other things that keep you healthy, including jogging for 11 miles a week, regularly increasing your heart rate to 140 bpm, and eating five veggies or fruits per day. Sleep is part of the overall health picture, and it’s not scientifically accurate to say, “Sleep is king.”
If you prioritize sleep but neglect a good diet, your health will suffer.
Paltrow also says you should limit caffeine intake “to support the gut and adrenals,” and to ultimately sleep better. Most of us take caffeine in the form of coffee, and there’s no evidence coffee negatively affects gut health. In fact, a study showed the opposite.
Adults who consumed three cups of coffee a day for three weeks had no decrease in native gut bacteria, and experienced an increase in a “bacterial group of reputed beneficial effects.”
But according to The Sleep Foundation, caffeine can cause insomnia if you drink it past a certain hour of the day. Dr. Safwan Badr, former president of the American Academy of Sleep Medicine, recommends limiting caffeine consumption to before lunch. Decreasing caffeine intake can also help reduce symptoms of restless leg syndrome.
Elsewhere, Paltrow recommends exercising regularly before noon to “reset your body’s circadian rhythm.” There’s no doubt regular exercise promotes overall health and good sleep. But you don’t have to do it in the morning.
Morning exercise is best for night owls, while afternoon exercise benefits early risers. As far as the circadian rhythm part goes, natural light or a sun lamp will also provide the necessary reboot.
Another one of Paltrow’s recommendations makes good sense. She says you should separate your bedroom from your workspace and from electronics, making it a palace of sleep.
Phones and computers emit blue light, which, if you’re plugged in at night before bed, confuses your mind, because you’re used to getting blue light during the day when you’re wide awake. Dr. Badr says you should refrain from watching TV in bed and working on your computer before bedtime.
Keep your bedroom dark and relaxing.
Paltrow is all about the sleep ritual, and Badr also agrees you should adhere to a sleep schedule. This will click your mind into sleep mode through association.
As for the copper pillowcase and the bedtime before ten o’clock, there’s no scientific backing to these claims. Simply go to bed when you’re tired. Each person’s rhythms are different.
But if you have to wake up at six every morning, and you need eight hours of sleep, there’s some merit to going to bed at 9:45 or so, because it takes about 10-15 minutes to go to sleep.
The only thing you have to worry about with your pillow is whether it supports your neck and head properly. Paltrow’s copper pillowcase is probably the result of a well-played marketing campaign.
See Also: Restless Nights: Six Soothing Tricks to Get You to Sleep
Just Sleep, Exercise, and Eat Right
Stick to the primary pillars of good health and do what makes you feel healthy. Don’t ignore nutrition because you’ve been getting a solid eight or nine hours of sleep each night.
Paltrow may be ecstatic about her regimen, but that doesn’t mean it’s right for you. In the end, she’s just like your neighbor: she may have some good advice, but you know what’s best for your own house.
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