Sleep as a key pillar of good health and performance StellarCast

During this podcast, Stellar Recruitment’s Managing Director, Shaun McCambridge, sits down with Specialist Fatigue Consultant, Naomi Rogers. They discuss the importance of sleep, particularly how it can impact on performance, along with tips on healthy sleeping habits. Naomi also shares valuable insights on measuring the quality of sleep, the science behind sleep and the benefits of meditation and mindfulness.
Naomi’s Highlights:
2:57 - How much is enough sleep?
4:33 - The downside of poor sleep
5:55 - Upside of taking time to get quality sleep
7:12 - Recommendations on measuring the quality of sleep
8:15 - The tangible impacts of sleep on our ability to operate machinery safely
13:08 - Circadian rhythms and whether sleep personalities are fixed
16:28 - Infrared light and its impact on circadian rhythm
20:12 - The impact of exercise, diet, alcohol, smoking, caffeine and sugar on sleep
22:14 - The best tips for a good sleep
24:06 - The science behind breaking the sleep pattern
28:05 - View or benefits of a power nap
30:27 - The power of meditation and mindfulness on sleep


How much is enough sleep?
Studies on performance have shown that in order to keep performing at high levels, a minimum of 8 hours of sleep is required. In addition, the study also indicated that having 6.5 hours of sleep can have long and short-term implications on health.

The downside of poor sleep
The short-term impacts derived from low quality sleep include an individual being lethargic and slow. The immune system is typically lower, particularly in winter. The long-term impacts include weight gain, obesity, diabetes, and various heart conditions.

Upside of taking time to get quality sleep
When you have had a long, fulfilling sleep, it can help with embracing the day and increasing overall performance. This includes memory retention, longer concentration levels, and quicker reflexes. If you are studying the night before a test, a good night’s sleep can help with retaining the information and performing better during the test.

Recommendations on measuring the quality of sleep
The best quality of sleep is one with routine. If you are going to bed at the same time each night and waking up at the same time, you will have drive and energy to operate at your best capacity during the day.

The tangible impacts of sleep on our ability to operate machinery safely
When operating heavy vehicles or cars on the road with sleep deprivation, a range of performance is impacted. With limited sleep, micro-sleep tends to take over where the brain needs to shut off to make up for the lost sleep. This leads to decreased concentration and focus, resulting in high-impact fatigue accidents.

Circadian rhythms and whether sleep personalities are fixed
We generally have a 24-hour circadian rhythm. There are a variety of sleep personalities and individual sleep needs; some are morning people, and some are night people. 5% of the population are true short sleepers, 5% are true long sleepers and the rest fall within the average 8-hour rhythm. However, waking up when your body wants to rather than waking up to an alarm is the most beneficial for your circadian rhythm.

Infrared light and its impact on circadian rhythm
Early morning light is important for alerting the brain that it is time to start the day. The brain knows what time of day it is from light level. However, having heavy lights or screens on at the end of the day can trick the brain into thinking it is still daytime, limiting the ability to fall asleep easily.

The impact of exercise, diet, alcohol, smoking, caffeine and sugar on sleep
The more you exercise, the better-quality sleep you will get and the more you will have energy to exercise further throughout the day. Exercise, nutrition, and sleep are the three main pillars for a healthy lifestyle. Where possible, refrain from drinking caffeine as it will limit your ability to fall asleep easily. It is recommended to turn off devices 1 hour before