This is a presentation I gave to the Dundee and Angus College Social Science students on Friday 28th November 2014. This is all I have learned about why and how to get better sleep.

1. Sleep Hacking
Kieran McNairn

2. Part 1 - Introduction
Why is it important to get good sleep?
● Add more time to your day
● Cognitive benefits
● Health benefits

3. Cognitive Benefits
Everyone uses the “brain is a muscle” analogy, let’s use a different one!
● What is learning?
● Crop rotation
● Fallow fields
● Consolidation and sleep
Optimal sleep = optimal learning

4. Health Benefits
● Melatonin & circadian rhythm
● Stress and immune system
● Stress repair through melatonin secretion
● Speculated health benefits
Taking steps to better quality sleep increases melatonin secretion

5. Part 2 - What Is Sleep?
Sleep is not just falling asleep, being unconscious and then waking up
Sleep is a gradual movement through five predictable stages

6. Part 3 - Zeitgebers
Zeitgeber is "time-giver" in German and is the name given to those exogenous
cues which affect endogenous rhythms.
● Body temperature is important for regulating sleep
● Melatonin can be manipulated by getting daylight during day and blackout
at night
● Sound should be kept to minimal.
● Cancel out noises with white noise (or even the sound of rain on your
phone or stereo or whatever)

7. Part 4 - Your Routine
The following points are related to specific changes you will have to make to
your daytime routines
● Maintain consistent sleep schedule (yes, even at weekend..)
● Exercise regularly (raises body temp, so easier for it to be cooler at night)
● Don't use sleeping aids (pills and the like)

8. Part 4 - Your Routine
● Avoid stimulants - don't have caffeine after 2pm (I don't have caffeine
after noon)
● Avoid alcohol as much as possible
● Stay hydrated at all times
● Avoid foods that are taxing to digest (high in sugar & saturated fats)
● Leave 4hrs between eating and sleeping - give your body time to digest

9. So, alcohol...
Let’s see how alcohol affects your sleep…

10. Part 5 - Preparation
Going to sleep…
● Set state anchors associated with bedroom by only using bed for sleeping
● Ideal sleep environment is cool (18-21c)
● Breath through nose when in bed - if this is hard use nasal strips
● Sleep on back or side, not on front. Sleeping on front puts pressure on
organs, and neck

11. Part 5 - Preparation
How you wake up is important too!
● It is important to wake up in light sleep cycle or after REM sleep
● This can be hard so use sleep tracking apps or use weekends to figure out
how long your sleep cycles are roughly
● Use more gentle alarm that brings you to waking gradually

12. If you find it hard to settle and go to sleep because you have too much on your
mind, try this strategy.
● Create external brain by writing everything you are thinking about in a
notebook - I use a journal app on my phone before bed to unload
● Avoid doing things that trigger emotional responses or excite your brain
before bed
Can’t sleep?

13. Power naps
● Naps in the afternoon for a short time are really good for your brain - like
a reset button
● Don't sleep for longer than 60 mins at the very most to avoid going into
deep cycle as this can mess your circadian rhythm for night time sleeping

14. How to fail
Implement everything in here all at once and you will fail.
You can’t just go “cold turkey” from your bad sleep addiction
● Change one or two for a week or so
● See what works
● Keep the changes that work
● Try another one or two
● Repeat

15. Happy Sleeping!
Any questions?
Ask away!
If you have questions later…
● E-mail me: thekieran@gmail.com
● Facebook - Social Science group