“I'll sleep when I'm dead” is a badge of honor worn proudly by those who embrace a “hustle” mentality. But the irony is this way of life will actually kill you. And when you're dead, you're not sleeping. You're not creating, either.
For whatever reason, we creatives have a tendency to sacrifice sleep at the altar of our work before anything else. God forbid we binge-watch Netflix less or stop bringing our smartphones to bed. The trouble is we're doing more harm than we realize to both our health and creativity by burning the candle at both ends.
This week's guest on The Portfolio Life is a bestselling author, sleep expert, popular podcast host, and fitness authority, Shawn Stevenson. Shawn and I recently spent a week together at a speaking gig in the Philippines, and I can tell you he is the real deal.
Listen in as we talk about the drastic effect of one day of sleep deprivation, common sleep myths, and how you can hack your health to perform at a higher creative level.
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Show highlights
In this episode, Shawn and I discuss:
- Why the quality of your sleep matters more than the quantity
- The optimal time to stop consuming caffeine
- Combatting the norm of perpetual exhaustion as a badge of honor
- The truth behind your genes
- How Shawn went from NFL level speed to the spine of an 80-year-old in high school
- Why deciding to get well is a crucial step in your health
- 3 pillars of changing your life from the inside out
- How the time of day (or night) impacts your dietary choices
- Creating a culture in your home of honoring sleep
- Why you can't pay back a sleep debt
- The “Money Time” sleep window
Quotes and takeaways
- “If sleep is for suckers, I'm a lollipop.” –Shawn Stevenson
- The assimilation of nutrients is magnified by movement.
- “There's a difference between doing work and actually being effective.” –Shawn Stevenson
- We are 60% more reactive to negative stimuli when sleep deprived.
- A great night of sleep starts the moment you wake up in the morning.
- Create a bedtime ritual for yourself, not just your kids.
- Fix your gut to fix your sleep.
[share-quote via=”JeffGoins”]Sleep is not an obstacle, it's a catalyst. Sleep is a force multiplier.
Resources
- Sleep Smarter by Shawn Stevenson
- Flux app
- Shawn's blog & podcast
- Podcast sponsor: Tribe Theme by Notable Themes
Do you get enough sleep? How would you rate your sleep quality? What do you want to change about your sleep? Share in the comments
Click here to download a free PDF of the complete interview transcript.
