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Deep Sleep and How to Get More

As someone who has been interested in deep sleep, I was pleased when Fitbit rolled out the sleep stages. Over the last few weeks, my deep sleep has plummeted, and I've tried a few things to improve it. One in particular has worked really well, that I'd like to share.

 

But first, what is deep sleep, and why is it important, especially to people engaging in fitness. Deep sleep is the most mysterious part of sleep, because we're not awake, we're not consciously dreaming. Really, there's not much going on at all, mentally. And that's important, to give us a break from thinking so we can process and integrate our experiences.

In terms of physical health, deep sleep is critical. Potent hormones such a GH and IGF-1 are released during deep sleep. These hormones are linked to physical health as well as performance. When I don't get enough deep sleep, my strength workouts really suffer. Interestingly enough, getting a small amount of overall sleep affects me less than getting 8 hours of sleep, but very little deep sleep. That's how important it is.

I read a lot of articles and papers online about getting more deep sleep. But almost all of them were just generic advice on getting more and better sleep. They didn't focus on deep sleep itself, which is what I'm trying to improve. So I began experimenting...

 

Since deep sleep is a kind of oblivion (from the mind's perspective), there's no real conscious way to make it happen. While there are many tricks to falling asleep, or inducing dreams, the realm of deep sleep seems less traveled.

So what's worked for me? First, is acknowledging I can't consciously put myself into deep sleep, because the very nature of deep sleep is unconscious. This may seem obvious, but it was an important realization to me. Because deep sleep occurs near the beginning of the sleep cycle, before REM, I feel the "getting to sleep" portion of the night is the most important aspect of getting deep sleep.

Recently, when I can't sleep, I've taken to just getting out of bed, have some water, read a little. Just forget all about getting to sleep. Last night I went to sleep when ready, instead of when I should. I got less than 6 hours sleep, but my deep sleep was greatly increased. Today's workout I hit two personal records (squat and overhead press), and felt fine afterwards, despite not much sleep. It will be interesting to see the relationship between amount of overall sleep compared to deep sleep. For now, my experience says the amount of deep sleep is critical to physical performance.

Would love to hear other's thoughts on the subject.

Edit 2/24/2018:

Compilation of tips and links from the first 8 Pages:

 

Source: https://www.ted.com/talks/dan_gartenberg_the_brain_benefits_of_deep_sleep_and_how_to_get_more_of_it?...

There's a great guy Shawn Stevenson. He's written a book called Sleep Smarter - it's well worth a read. Also you can check him out on You Tube

Terry Gross on Fresh Air recently interviewed sleep scientist Matthew Walker.  Walker is the director of the Center for Human Sleep Science at the University of California, Berkeley.  He has written a book titled Why We Sleep.  Terry Gross' interview with him was most interesting.  Here's the link: http://www.npr.org/sections/health-shots/2017/10/16/558058812/sleep-scientist-warns-against-walking-...

There are some other suggestions for improving sleep on the pages linked below. I think there are a few that may be questionable as to their effectiveness. But what hasn't been mentioned much in this thread is the role of diet and gut health may play in promoting enough deep sleep. That being said, I feel as though the line can be blurred here between what's specifically helpful for deep sleep vs sleep in general (light and REM stages). 

https://www.alexfergus.com/blog/how-to-increase-deep-sleep

https://selfhacked.com/blog/methods-to-fall-asleep-insomniac/ 

 

Stress

Gratitude list

Write down worries

I think in various ways we’re all saying the same thing - mental stress. Getting 10k steps isn’t just about getting the steps, it’s about carving out that time for yourself. So is disconnecting from electronics. When I take care of my mental self, I get deep sleep. I barely got any exercise over Christmas, but my sleep was excellent because my anxiety was low. That’s going to be different for each of us, but I think the core of it is the same - making time toward the end of each day to spend time doing the thing that makes us happy. For me, it’s keeping my caffeine consumption low during the day and then reading a book before I fall asleep. For someone else, it’s digging in the dirt. But what I heard on this forum is a lot of anxiety and not a lot of time carved out of the day to take care of our inner selves. That’s the greatest treat we can give ourselves these days - the gift of time for ourselves. Maybe that sounds hokey, but that has been the biggest thing for me, more than what I eat or drink or if I use F.lux on my devices (I do). I know that’s easier said than done, but I hope my experience helps someone get better sleep tonight

Calm app and meditation

 

Timings

I've read and heard from more than a few sources that getting to bed before 10pm is recommended

 

They say if you go to bed at 10am, you get the optimum sleep and recovery etc

Having a set routine is really critical for the body to know when to shut down and repair

 

Tools

Linking up the sleep stage monitoring so that the deep sleep enhancing sounds are played through a small speaker at the relevant periods so as to increase the effectiveness of the deep sleep in regenerating the body and mind

 

Since deep sleep occurs mostly at the beginning of sleep, I'm going to try falling asleep listening to some delta waves. You can use anything that will play music. If you search youtube for "delta wave sleep" or "binaural beats", there are lots of selections to choose from

Ear plugs

Using electronics at night definitely has an effect on sleep and deep sleep. I've used a freeware program on android and windows called F.lux. What it does is adjust the color spectrum of these devices to more naturally follow the changes of day and night. Since then, I picked up a pair of blue-blocking glasses, that I wear while watching TV at night. They work really well

Pillow spray

Memory foam bed topper

 

Vitamins

No vitamin B apart from morning time

Magnesium

Vitamin D

I am trying a new supplement to help with falling asleep. It's called ZMA--and is zinc, magnesium and B6. I haven't changed any other aspect of sleep hygiene, to hopefully isolate the effect of ZMA. After two days of taking it at bedtime, my deep sleep % has gone from 10 to 18. Maybe someone else will get similar results?

 Try Prebiotica before you go to sleep. I saw this in a BBC documentary about sleep. It can push your deep sleep up about 9%

 

Various  

No alcohol (I only had about 2-4oz on occasion at night, but this really affected deep sleep), no screen time 2 hours before bed.  Stress also plays a big factor - I think it's actually the worse contributor to lack of deep sleep

I've made a few adjustments that seem to have increased my deep sleep time. 1. Shutting off the screens about 90 minutes before bed. 2. Drinking homemade "sleepy tea" with chamomile, valarian, lavender, hibiscus, red raspberry leaf and stevia. 3. Downloading the "Calm" app and doing at least a 5 minute meditation from their sleep options right before falling asleep. Also, having a routine that I am sticking to, which includes these things, plus writing a gratitude list and putting on on my humidifier/diffuser with lavender essential oil in it and reading if there's time. I managed to increase my deep sleep from about 8% to 16%, so something is working

I suffered from severe insomnia for most of my life.  Over the last 10 years I’ve been able to get that under control using various tricks, and I’m happy to see that my new Fitbit confirms that, averaging 1.5 hours of deep sleep.

I’m happy to share in case it can help someone else, but these are well known tricks.

- In bed by 10:30 most nights (my usual was midnight to 1am)

- No wine/juice caffeine in the evening on weekdays (after 4 for caffeine).

- No talking about work/problems after 8:00

- Enough physical activity during the day (I’m a bit of a couch potato, hence the new Fitbit! )

- No electronics after 9:30 (tv seems ok for me but it’s not in my bedroom)

- Eliminated sources of light in my bedroom (chargers, iphone, window)

- Up by 10 max on weekends to maintain a sleep pattern

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Work out...eat... sleep...repeat!
Dave | California

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481 REPLIES 481

@1SallyJo12 wrote:

Thanks for posting the link for the video – great information.  What type of device can I get that produces the delta waves for deep sleep? 


You can use anything that will play music. If you search youtube for "delta wave sleep" or "binaural beats", there are lots of selections to choose from.

Work out...eat... sleep...repeat!
Dave | California

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According to my app I had a pretty textbook night's sleep last night.  Have to say it didn't feel like it as I am full of cold, have a cough and sore throat and didn't feel like I'd slept well at all!

IMG_0125.PNG

 

 

 

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I have read a lot of deep sleep since I have a problem sleeping because of my husband's snoring. 

This is one of the active forums I found discussing sleep and sleep issues, so I thought you might know something. I read on http://ohealthyeah.com/how-to-stop-snoring/ that a chin strap can help, but I've never heard of it previously.

 

Does anyone know something of this? 

 

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@LittlebrookLyn, feel better. That's not a bad chart at all. Wished it was mine last night.

 

@maria5877, I've heard of them. Those and the "air vents" that fit inside the nose are highly rated on amazon. 

Work out...eat... sleep...repeat!
Dave | California

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I suffered from severe insomnia for most of my life.  Over the last 10 years I’ve been able to get that under control using various tricks, and I’m happy to see that my new Fitbit confirms that, averaging 1.5 hours of deep sleep.

I’m happy to share in case it can help someone else, but these are well known tricks.

- In bed by 10:30 most nights (my usual was midnight to 1am)

- No wine/juice caffeine in the evening on weekdays (after 4 for caffeine).

- No talking about work/problems after 8:00

- Enough physical activity during the day (I’m a bit of a couch potato, hence the new Fitbit! :D)

- No electronics after 9:30 (tv seems ok for me but it’s not in my bedroom)

- Eliminated sources of light in my bedroom (chargers, iphone, window)

- Up by 10 max on weekends to maintain a sleep pattern

 

I’m only human, so I cheat a few times a week and accept that I won’t sleep as well, but at least I know what to do to get a good night’s sleep! 🙂

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at Work-inprogress; this is interesting.  I too have battled with insomnia since I was in college.  It seems that my body has become used to only getting 4-6 hours.  Although I wake up full of energy with 4-6 hours of sleep, I feel that I should get more and that if I do, I might feel even more energized.  I'm going to try a few of your suggestions.  Thanks for posting.

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I just switched from a Charge HR to a Charge 2 and i'm loving the extra features, but it's opened my eyes a little to possible underlying issues.

I mostly wake up feeling tired and struggle to get out of bed. I start work at 7am 2 weeks out of 3 so i'm still getting used to going to bed at 9/10pm

 

Learned a lot from this forum that i'm hoping to put to the test.

Saturday was the first day I had sleep stats with this device and I only got 6% deep sleep (32 mins out of 6hr 50min sleep). I put this down to drinking the night before and a very blocked nose.

I've been struggling to breathe through my nose for a couple of weeks so I'm back to using a nasal dilator. It seems to help but I've not gotten results using that yet as I fell asleep too quickly last night and forgot about it.

I was up to 15% deep sleep( 1hr 30min out of 8hr 19min) last night but felt awful when I woke up and still couldn't open my eyes, so i'll definitely be monitoring it going forward and see if there's a correlation for me.

My other half has been getting up during the night to go sleep on the couch for the past week due to my snoring 😞 


 

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Hi everyone. 

I got my fitbit 2 weeks ago and the main thing I've noticed is I can sleep anywhere from 7-9hrs a night but have NEVER gotten more than 12min of deep sleep a night!!! Twelve!!! I've also tried to research deep sleep specifically and can't find anything on it. I go to sleep every night around 10, I don't use electronics an hour before and I never have any problems falling asleep. I do toss and turn a lot throughout the night bc I have chronic back pain issues and therefore don't stay asleep very well. I have restless sleeps but it really concerns me that I'm not getting enough deep sleep especially since it's so crucial to my physical well being. I'm thinking of asking my Dr to send me to a sleep clinic to see if there's something else going on. I guess I just don't know at what point you accept that this is just how it is or if you seek a medical opinion. Would love to hear thoughts. Is twelve min or less of deep sleep that abnormal or am I just part of a group of ppl that that's just unfortunately how it is? 

The only thing I have left to try is get more exercise bc I average about 5-7000 steps a day. I am on my feet all day for my job so I don't sit still often. 

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Hi

I suggest please be patient. I have experienced 15 minutes of deep sleep and also 1hour and
20 minutes of deep sleep and learnt to analyze and found most of the answers many of them from excellent articles available on Fit bit web site. Please do not draw hasty conclusions
I will also suggest try to sleep little earlier every day.I n Naturopathy they say 9 p m is the limit and last meal 2 hrs earlier.
One more thing take one tablet of Glucosamine half an hour after last meal .No Tea for half an hour after or before tab. This tab is also recommended in Fit Bit
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I don’t think that you would want to do this every night but after several nights with 6 - 8 % deep sleep I take a couple of ibuprofen and my deep sleep is greatly enhanced. I don’t toss from side to side getting off of my shoulder. I hope you find a good solution. Good sleeping!
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That is why the tablet I suggested is meant for regular use for longer time and will not have side effect. I am no Doctor but my wife has been taking this tab for over five years We started with the tab produced by Nutrilite which is an international brand and have now changed over to a local brand in India which is much cheaper. The drug is same Glucosamine. There is also an American combination also very effective for all joint problems. The name is Glucosamine Chondroitin &M S M 500/400 mg which helps relieve joint pain associated with OSTEOARTHRITIS.To my mind your problem is not sleep but the pain and you need to work on that.
Wish you well

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So the last few months have been rough with my deep sleep. I was averaging 30 minutes a night. I decided to cut out electronics at night and also to go to bed at a set schedule to see if my body would start to get ready on its own. Sadly it is about day 3 and I am now averaging 15 minutes of deep sleep a night....I don’t think I am going to bring back the electronics but I am not sure what to try before next.

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Hi
How do you expect to change in three days what you have been doing for years? Be patient my friend. Your body is not a machine. I changed my schedule about three months ago and now I am getting up at 3-45 in the morning a few minutes before the alarm. I am sure you will be able to do it.

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Hi Rosalind,

 

I'm averaging roughly the same as you, usually around the border between 6-7h of sleep and between 40-50 min of Deep Sleep. I do sometimes wonder how accurate fitbit is in tracking this. Honestly I've been having some energy problems and thought it related to deep sleep since when I compare it to the benchmark mine is low. So I guess I'm wondering if the people posting here are a group of people with sleep issues or if it's an indicator that it's more common/normal. Also for me personally I've noticed that if I got to bed at 10 I'm not tired enough and so wake up more frequently during the night. If I go to bed an hour later I sleep deeper and without waking up so much.

 

G

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Hi 

As far as Gardening is concerned,Charge 2 recognizes it by awarding you extra active minutes.I have experienced it awarding me between 20 and 30 extra active minutes or even more for an hour of garden work..

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Hi Dave,

i have recently started using my fitbit to monitor my sleep quality. I am having on average 1-1.5hrs of deep sleep. I don’t feel very refreshed when i get up. I feel so drained and tired most of the time. I think deep sleep is also called the ‘beauty sleep’ because it helps to restore your body wear and tear.

I am in similar position and trying to experiment.  I have started reading a book by Guy Meadows- how to sleep well every night. 

Please feel free to leave me comment. Good luck🙂

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I am surprised how this is happening, because with average 1hr+, I am o k. Not very extra ordinary but acceptable. May be you are working harder than you should.

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I think you are right Dave.  I am struggling with getting enough deep sleep. I am over the top with REM and seem to be dreaming all night long.  REM, however, doesn't really add to a "good night's sleep." All other stages are really on target.  The deep sleep stage seems to be critical in feeling refreshed whether or not one has met his or her hour goals.  I am going to take your suggestion and try to refine the "getting to sleep" part and determine if this increases deep sleep. 

 

Sleep tight.........:)

Maria/New Jersey

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An hour of deep sleep isn't bad, though we have to look at the percentage of deep sleep for context. I've had a few nights with deep sleep low enough that the Fitbit chart doesn't have room for the percentage.

 

I added blackout curtains to my bedroom. It's been a big help with waking up during the night and early morning.

 

Last night I feel asleep on the couch, and ended up with a lot of deep sleep. The couch is a lot softer than the bed, so maybe getting a softer mattress might be in order?

Work out...eat... sleep...repeat!
Dave | California

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I think your sleeping on couch was natural sleep because you were not thinking about work or plans for next day and you fell asleep at the time your body intends you to turn off.

When we feel sleepy on couch and go up to bed we commence the thoughts of I need good sleep for next day and I need to get up at certain time in morning. I need to make sure I sleep deeply and I haven't got lots of time to wake up during night and get back to sleep.

Go to bed an hour or 2 earlier, relax, know you are not missing tv, guaranteed to wake refreshed even if no deep sleep, you will be all ready to just close your eyes when feeling takes you.

I suspect you'll end up with more deep sleep as result.






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