The Importance of Prioritizing Sleep for Optimal Health
Throughout most of human history, we slept when we got tired. Whether you were a hunter-gatherer sitting around the campfire telling stories about the stars or a medieval peasant retiring at sunset, once darkness fell and your melatonin began rising, you generally went to sleep. If you wanted to stay awake you had to make an effort, either by lighting fires or candles or otherwise forcing the issue. The default was sleep when sleepy.
Today it’s reversed. If we want to get to sleep at a reasonable time, we have to make an effort. There are a million worries, devices, and streaming services vying for our attention that we must ignore or reject. Our houses are filled with artificial lights whose blue wavelengths disrupt our melatonin production, tricking our bodies into thinking it’s still daytime. We may even have jobs that require us to stay awake long into the night.
It’s a total mess.
That’s why Primal Blueprint Law #6 is “Get Plenty of Sleep.” It’s not something we can take for granted anymore. We have to make a concerted effort just to approach the ancestral sleep expectations of our ancient genes.
Because without adequate sleep, everything in the body goes wrong:
- Cortisol goes up: the stress hormone cortisol rises in response to sleep deprivation, increasing our risk of gaining body fat, opposing the beneficial effects of our sex hormones, and setting the stage for degenerative diseases.
- Brain function declines: When we don’t sleep, our mental performance suffers. Our memory is worse and our reaction time is slower. And one of the best predictors of dementia later in life is poor sleep.
- Physical performance suffers: Poor sleep makes exercise harder to do and more dangerous, throwing off our balance and making us more prone to mistakes. Driving on a bad night’s sleep is arguably as dangerous as drunk driving.
- Immunity plummets: Inadequate sleep is a strong predictor of getting sick. The less you sleep, the more likely you are to succumb to all the bugs floating around.
- Cravings increase: After a bad night’s sleep, junk food is literally more attractive to your brain’s reward systems.
Sleep is a physiological non-negotiable.
You have to make sleep a priority.
- Set a bedtime, and stick to it.
- Get a bedtime routine that lets your body know it’s time to sleep.
- Get natural light throughout the day, especially in the morning.
- Turn off electronics two hours before bed. If you must use a device, wear blue blocking goggles.
- Handle all your responsibilities during the day so nothing is left hanging over you.
Finally, heed all the other Primal Blueprint Laws, because they all work together. Exercise, sunlight, and healthy eating habits all promote better sleep—and vice versa.
Thank you for reading!
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* This blog reflects my personal views and opinions and isn’t intended as medical advice, but I hope it will be informative and inspiring as you pursue a healthy, fulfilling life.