Everybody wants the latest hack for recovery. I realized how ridiculous it was that I was scheduling time for my Normatec recovery, ice baths, infrared sauna, etc., all while skipping out on the best aid in recovery – sleep. There were several things topics that I read about that influenced my prioritization of sleep:

Sleep and ghrelin/leptin: Ghrelin and Leptin are your hunger and satiety hormones, respectively. When lacking sleep, you get the combined effect of a ghrelin spike and leptin levels falling, leading to overeating.
Sleep and the glymphatic system: The glymphatic system is responsible for the clean-up of beta-amyloid plaques and toxins, and becomes highly active during sleep – particularly in the deep sleep phase. Another factor to consider here is glycation, or when toxins can bound to glucose and become “sticky” and, thus, harder to get rid of. As a former boxer who is concerned with the onset of CTE and Alzheimer’s, I abstain from sweets before bed and keep a close eye on my deep sleep levels for this reason.
Sleep (Deep Sleep) and growth hormone: Growth hormone levels also spike during the deep sleep phase of sleep and are necessary for a good night’s sleep.
Sleep (REM) and mental health: Lack of REM is often linked to depression and other mental health disorders.

Now that I’ve talked a little about the importance of sleep, I wanted to discuss a little about my protocol and the things that I look for in my sleep. I currently self-track my sleep using an Oura ring, and often point others to the Oura Ring Sleep Stages Guide as a great guide towards sleep information.