Have you ever wondered if counting sheep before sleep actually works? How about sleeping naked? Or how much sleep should a teenager get? We got your burning questions answered through an interview with Dr. Rochon, biopsychologist from EngineeringSleep.

Dr. Rochon has a master’s in neuroscience and cognitive science with a doctorate specializing in sleep and different stages of consciousness. Studying both biology and psychology, he became a biopsychologist, finding sleep as the perfect link between these disciplines.

“For me, the link between biology and psychology is represented by sleep. Sleep is the most accurate way to touch biological or psychological problems,” says Dr. Rochon.

1. What is the circadian rhythm and why is it important?

The circadian rhythm is the most important part of sleep that people aren’t familiar with. It is a clock inside of your brain that dictates how your body works. Synchronizing this clock with the outside world is critical. The circadian clock is actually in the middle of your brain, controlling your eyes, absorbing light from the sun as well as managing your habits.

Take the example of social jetlag. Social jetlag is when your circadian rhythm is a little bit later. This is when people wake up later during the weekend, which means they have access to light later, desynchronizing their circadian rhythm. For instance, if you see the light at 10am today, then your body will prepare you to see it at the same time tomorrow, instead of earlier. So this is why you are tired on Mondays since your body follows what you told it to do the day before. Therefore, it is best to stick to the same wake-up schedule every day.  

2. Does sleeping naked help with your sleep?

For some people, I think it’s a good idea, but it depends. Chinese medicine actually talks about it since when people sleep naked they can make their surroundings warmer. But again, it’s about lowering your body temperature and the easiest way to cool down is to take off your clothes. I think it’s more linked with the psychology of habits. So if you like to do it, you should do it.

3. When should an average teenager go to sleep? How much sleep should they get?

Teenagers have a circadian rhythm a little bit later than normal people. That means biologically, they are already pushed to go to bed later and wake up later. Why? This is due to melatonin, which is a hormone that tells you it’s dark outside. Melatonin secretion is common for teenagers, so naturally, teens would go to sleep later. And their late social events add to this phenomenon.

What we need to do as teens is to be sure that we wake up at the same time every day instead of sleeping in. Thus, it’s not about how long we sleep, it’s more about how we sleep and wake up. So even if we don’t get enough sleep, we can recover later through naps.

4. Does counting sheep work?

This idea concerns the psychological aspect. Counting sheep is not a bad idea but it works differently for different people. So, the more you can visualize in your head, it’s easier to fall asleep. Yet if you count the sheep just for the sake of counting, it doesn’t work because you will go into sleep control thinking. This is where one story leads to another and another, making it difficult to sleep. It’s also true that if you can relax your muscles through a breathing technique, it’s easier to sleep.

If you have any additional questions or concerns, get in touch with Dr. Rochon!

Website: engineeringsleep.com

WeChat: sleep-cognition

Images: Unsplash, Canva, Pexels, Dr. Rochon

Have you ever wondered why you feel unusually tired on Monday mornings? Or whether sleeping more really help you grow taller? We got your burning questions answered through an interview with Dr. Rochon, a biopsychologist from Engineering Sleep.

Dr. Rochon has a master’s in neuroscience and cognitive science with a doctorate specializing in sleep and different stages of consciousness. Studying both biology and psychology, he became a biopsychologist, finding sleep as the perfect link between both disciplines.

“For me, the link between biology and psychology is represented by sleep. Sleep is the most accurate way to touch biological or psychological problems,” says Dr. Rochon

1. What can you do before going to sleep that will improve your sleep quality?

The most important part is your access to light. The more you dim your lights during the evening, the more easily you will fall asleep and sleep deeply. This should be a part of your routine. When you form a routine in your brain by activating different kinds of behaviors, it will prepare your brain to fall asleep faster and deeper.

Another thing you should do is to cool down your body, so your bedroom should be at about 20 to 21 degrees Celsius. If you want to sleep faster, stay in your living room until you start to have biological signs of sleep like yawning, and then you can go back to your bedroom. Going to sleep is not something passive, it’s active, so you have to prepare for it.

2. Do you need less sleep as you get older?

Instead of sleeping less, I would say we need the same amount of sleep, but as you get older, you will separate this amount. We go back to a baby way of sleeping, where you would sleep for an hour and a half and then wake up and then go to sleep.

3. How much time and when should you nap during the day if you don’t get enough sleep?

The best time is usually approximately six hours after you wake up. It’s usually after lunch, but for some people who wake up earlier, it’s during lunch or before lunch. This time of the day is the best to take a nap for about 20 minutes to 30 minutes so that you don’t go into deep sleep. If you do it, don’t do it on your bed. Do it somewhere that you don’t associate with sleep. Yet, for people who have trouble falling asleep, I don’t recommend naps.

4. Can you really grow taller if you sleep more?

If you have a healthy sleeping schedule, like going to bed and waking up the same time every day, then you will have more growth hormones. The first three hours of your sleep are especially significant since it is considered deep sleep where the most growth hormones are secreted. This is more important for younger children, which means parents should reinforce the time they go to bed. In short, for teens, if you miss the first three hours of your usual sleep schedule, you will also miss the opportunity to excrete growth hormones that day.

If you have any additional questions or concerns, get in touch with Dr. Rochon! 

Website: engineeringsleep.com

Wechat ID: sleep-cognition

Images: Unsplash, Canva, Pexels, Dr. Rochon