Stevenson - Sleep smarter: 21 essential strategies to sleep your way to a better body, better health, and bigger success

This book is intended as a reference volume only, not as a medical manual. The information given here is designed to help you make informed decisions about your health. It is not intended as a substitute for any treatment that may have been prescribed by your doctor. If you suspect that you have a medical problem, we urge you to seek competent medical help.

Mention of specific companies, organizations, or authorities in this book does not imply endorsement by the author or publisher, nor does mention of specific companies, organizations, or authorities imply that they endorse this book, its author, or the publisher. Internet addresses and telephone numbers given in this book were accurate at the time it went to press.

Portions of this book were previously published by Model House Publishing in 2014.

2016 by Shawn Stevenson

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or any other information storage and retrieval system, without the written permission of the publisher.

Book design by Amy C. King

Illustrations by Paul Girard

Cartoon on page 107 reprinted with permission from Scott Metzger.

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data is on file with the publisher.

ISBN-13: 9781623367398 hardcover
ISBN-13: 9781623367404 ebook

We inspire and enable people to improve their lives and the world around them.
RodaleWellness.com

I still remember the feeling when my grandmother put me to sleep at night. I felt happy, I felt loved, and I felt excited about what the next day would bring. This book is dedicated to her. I will never stop representing her and sharing all of the incredible gifts that she saw in me.

Its my sincerest wish that you not only get the best sleep possible, but that your life is happier, healthier, and full of success because of it.

CONTENTS

F OREWORD

S leep suffers from a PR problem and desperately needs rebranding. Sleep isnt sexy. Sleep is a necessary part of life, though most of us scrape by with as little as possible. Most physicians and public health officials ignore it as a cornerstone of optimal health. Sleep just seems like a no-brainer, so few people have paid attention. Until now.

It turns out that sleep can make or break your ability to lose weight, age slowly, prevent cancer, and perform at a high level. Thats because sleep regulates most hormone production. Sleep is part of your circadian rhythm, meaning that it occurs under a repeatable, 24-hour process and is determined by the light-dark cycle of your environment. At least 15 percent of your DNA is controlled by circadian rhythm, including your b xodys repair mechanisms.

You may be saying to yourself, Thats fine, Dr. SaraIll just take an Ambien and call you in the morning. Sadly, pharmaceuticals arent the answer. Taking sleeping medication, even as little as one pill 20 times per year, has been shown in three large studies to be associated with increased mortality. Plus, your favorite prescription sleepers add only about 30 to 40 minutes of sleep to your schedule, and not necessarily high-quality sleep. Put another way, popping a prescription isnt the solution because poor sleep isnt usually from a single cause.

We need a broader-based solution. Thats where Shawn Stevenson comes in.

I first met Shawn about 2 years ago, when he was a guest on my podcast. Hearing his voice, I secretly wondered how a health expert could be so cool. I tried to categorize him as a nutritionist or a trainer, but he didnt fit the mold. I listened to him tell his dramatic story of growing up in some of the harshest conditions for any child, and his story of transformation as a teenager stunned me and made me want to know more.

You see, Shawn rose above the despair of inner-city life as a scholar athlete with a lot of promise. Little did he know that his ticket out would get shut down early. He was in track practice performing a 200-meter time trial with his coach, and as he came off the curve into the straightaway, he broke his hip. Not from trauma or a fall, simply from running all out. It wasnt until years later, when he was 20, that he finally got the correct diagnosis of degenerative bone and disc disease. He had two herniated discs at L4 and L5/S1. Doctors told him: Stop competing as an athlete. Nothing can be done. Take these medications for the rest of your life.

That was a defining moment, because Shawn decided that the message from conventional medicine wasnt good enough. So he took on his diagnoses with the tenacity and focus of a sprinter and figured out on his own key principles of functional medicine: that your body cannot create and regenerate tissues if it doesnt have the necessary raw materials, and that you cannot turn over your power to a well-meaning health professional who offers no hope. In functional medicine (the type of systems-based medical care that I provide where we address the root cause of symptoms), we call it a pleiotropic solutionan approach that addresses nutrition, exercise, stress response, relationships, and self-care.

He began upgrading to organic food and increasing micronutrient density. He didnt like vegetables, so he started juicing to sneak in the benefits. And perhaps most important, he upgraded his sleep. Six weeks later, he had lost 28 pounds. His acne cleared up along with his chronic joint pain. His energy was unprecedented. Nine months later, his physician stared at his MRI scan in disbelief: Shawns two herniated discs had healed, and he had regained lubrication in his discs. He even grew a half-inch taller. He completely reversed the degeneration.

Shawn learned that we have to take it upon ourselves to make the first steps in achieving the health we want. And hes on a mission to show you how.

Sleep is when growth hormone is released, so that your body can maintain and repair muscle and decrease belly fat. Sleep helps to consolidate your memory and literally changes the cellular structure of the brain by providing a wash of cerebral spinal fluid that removes the damaging molecules associated with neurodegeneration.

When your sleep suffers, you suffer major consequences beyond the dark circles under your eyes. Youre probably grouchy and not fun to be around. Key relationships and parenting suffer. Work productivity declines. Your level of cortisol, a key stress hormone, is higherand that makes you eat more and store belly fat. Your thyroid slows down. Insulin doesnt work as well, and your blood sugar gets out of whack. You cant clear the gunk out of your brain or soul. Your risk of cancer is quadrupled depending on the duration and volume of your sleep debt. You increase your risk of diabetes, metabolic syndrome, and heart disease.

When you improve your sleep by using the tips in this book, youll likely experience the following benefits:

Better skin health and a more youthful appearance

Emotional regeneration and better relationships

Decreased risk of stroke and cardiovascular disease

Fewer accidents

Lower levels of inflammation

Enhanced function of the immune system and lower risk of cancer and infection