Sleep

Picture this: a doctor hands you a pill promising a memory boost, increased focus, improved mood, weight management, increased immune strength, a healthy heart, and a longer life, among other amazing benefits. Would you take it? Believe it or not, this is a real solution currently being offered! Surprisingly, this pill is not some high-tech medication. It’s consistent, quality sleep. Sleep is a one-size-fits-all solution for a more mentally and physically healthy life. 

Sleep is of the brain, by the brain, and for the brain. It is a restorative process that you engage in everyday, causing physical changes to your mind and body. As sleep researcher Dr. Matthew Walker put it, “Sleep is not a luxury. It’s a non-negotiable biological necessity.” Yet, in the United States, 35% of adults do not get enough sleep (Liu et al., 2016). According to the American Academy of Sleep Medicine, 1 in every 3 people have at least one insomnia-related symptom and 1 in 10 have clinical levels of insomnia (2022). Impaired sleep is one of the greatest predictors of mood disorders like depression and anxiety in addition to other adverse consequences. 

Sleep plays a significant role in our mental, emotional, and physical health, thus it is an area of noteworthy importance in the mission of mybestself101.org. This module will teach you about sleep, help you recognize areas where improvement is needed, provide you with the tools to make those improvements, and encourage engagement in activities created and supported by sleep and positive psychologists. With time and consistency on your part, this module can help you reach a point where you feel all the benefits of the “magic pill”. Sweet dreams, indeed!

IMPORTANT: How to use this module

Unlike the other modules on mybestself101.org, this module is not meant to be read from start to finish. Some material is general information meant for all readers while other material is designed to provide custom-tailored interventions, education, and resources to those with a specific need for them. At the beginning of each section, we will inform you what material is meant to be read by everyone and what material is optional.

Contributors: Bryce Klingonsmith, Tommy Rowan, Andrea Hunsaker, Chase Williams, Chade Gonter, and Eve Barton

We also wish to acknowledge Dr. Matthew Walker, who we cite throughout this module, for his efforts in making sleep science practical and accessible. His dissemination of the latest and greatest sleep research was highly influential in the creation of this module.