Chris Newport talks with Dr Catherine Darley. She is a naturopathic sleep specialist in Seattle, WA. She works with individuals, organizations and healthcare professionals on sleep strategies for optimal performance. 

Dr Darley explains how sleep is critical in shaping our days, which she thinks of in 5 domains. The 1st domain of sleep is physical performance. For athletes, this is where sports improvement occurs. 

Here's some stats:

• In a basketball study, shooting improved by 9% with 10 hours of sleep. 
• For swimmers, they are faster off the starting blocks with more sleep.
• In tennis players who are getting 9 hours of sleep increase their accuracy of serves by 6%.

The 2nd domain is cognitive performance, where the brain is able to do everything from remembering things to doing complex problem solving. Then there is physical and mental health. Lack of sleep can put you at risk for increased risk of hypertension, obesity, anxiety, depression and more. The final domain is emotional intelligence, or how you get along well with others. 

REM sleep is important for memory consolidation and emotional stability. There is also stage 1, 2 & 3 of non-REM sleep. Stage 2 sleep has a function for learning. Stage 3 sleep is particularly important for athletes, which is when the majority of growth hormone is released, which is critical for athletic recovery. It’s also the type of sleep that is hard to wake up from. We cycle through each sleep stage multiple times at night. 

Naps are a great performance enhancing strategy, so long as the timing is correct. Dr Darley explains how either short or long naps are ideal in order to cycle through the sleep stages properly. 

Light exposure suppresses melatonin, the “hormone of darkness,” which is important for the best sleep. She discusses red and yellow light versus blue light, which is the main light created from phones, TVs, and electronic devices which will suppress melatonin production. She recommends preparing our environment with what she calls a “bedroom check.” It’s important that it be very dark. Ambient temperature should be 65 degrees or cooler. Sleepwear and sheets should be made of natural fibers vs synthetic fibers. She also recommends having layers in order to adjust the temperature appropriately. 

Discuss your supplement strategy with your healthcare providers. We talk about why higher doses of melatonins are not beneficial, since the psychological dosing supported by the research is 0.3-3mg. Dr Darley also discusses l-theanine and why she likes to start with that supplement for sleep before doing to melatonin.

Consider your ability to process caffeine, especially relating to proximity to bedtime. Dr Darley recommends withdrawing from caffeine or alcohol for 7-10 days, taking note about how your

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