Do you know why you crave sugar?
Or, how about why your body might store more body fat instead of burning it?
Do you really know why your memory starts to fade faster than you thought it would?
The domino effect is a simple concept. By identifying the starting point of your problems, you can help prevent unwanted outcomes.
But the hard part is finding the first domino. Many of the breakdowns we experience are the grand illusion.
We think we slow down because we’re older.
We think our body stores fat because our metabolism slows down.
We think cognitive decline is inevitable.
But that is usually misdirection that has you focusing on the wrong dominos.
We’ve published 510 issues of Arnold’s Pump Club, and we've noticed that sleep is strongly linked to many health struggles.
If you can fix your sleep, you can protect your health in more ways than you can imagine.
In this weekend special, we’ll discuss how resetting your sleep habits can completely reprogram your body to feel better and function the way you want.
The Surprising Reason You Crave Sugar
Do your taste buds seemingly shift from wanting healthy foods to craving more sugar on the weekend? The reason could be your bedtime routine.
Research suggests improving your sleep hygiene can help reduce the amount of sugar you eat (and reduce the total calories and fat you eat daily).
The craziest part of the research is that scientists were not trying to get the participants to eat less sugar. They examined people who slept less than 7 hours per night, gave them tips on improving sleep quality (cooler beds, avoiding caffeine before bed, following the same schedule every night, limiting screen time, etc.), and then checked to see if sleep or behaviors changed.
The tips helped people sleep 50 minutes to 1.5 hours more, resulting in them eating nearly 200 fewer calories per day and about 10 grams less sugar. And that happened without making any diet recommendations.
Suffer From Anxiety or Depression? Do A Heat Check
Some surveys are filled with worthless data. Others provide clues to solving a more significant issue.
Data suggests that those who sleep too hot are nearly twice as likely to be diagnosed with feelings of depression or anxiety. And it might be much more than a coincidence.
A new study published earlier this year found a strong relationship between elevated body temperature and increased severity of depressive symptoms, indicating that individuals experiencing higher body temperatures tend to report more significant depressive symptoms.
Researchers analyzed data from more than 20,000 international participants who wore a device that measures body temperature and also self-reported their body temperatures and depression symptoms daily. The results showed that with each increasing level of depression symptom severity, participants had higher body temperatures.
It’s also unknown whether the higher body temperature is an issue with self-cooling or whether people heat up more — or both. But other studies suggest that your inability to cool at night could explain the increase in depression, anxiety, and low energy.
According to researchers, the hotter you sleep, the more you decrease slow-wave sleep, which is the restorative part of rest that keeps your brain healthy.
And just two nights of less slow-wave sleep leads to a 31 percent decrease in positive mood. Additional research found that people who sleep less than six hours per night are 2.5 times more likely to experience depressive symptoms because sleep deprivation breaks your body’s ability to regulate emotions.
Together With Eight Sleep
Slow-Wave Sleep Protection
If slow-wave sleep is the key to a good night of rest, keeping your brain healthy, and fighting off depressive symptoms, you’ll want to find ways to chill out at night. The good news is you can protect your slow-wave sleep by managing your body temperature.
New research suggests that chilling your body during sleep can help you fall asleep faster and enjoy higher-quality rest throughout the night. In fact, those who slept on a temperature-controlled mattress spent more time in slow-wave sleep, fell asleep quicker, and experienced better overall recovery (as measured by HRV).
Dozens of studies suggest that a bad mattress is the reason for poor sleep quality. Many mattresses claim to keep you cool, but only one has published research to support its claims.
If you’re going to invest in a mattress, we tested six different options, and the Eight Sleep earned our respect as the best option for all types of sleepers (including overtired parents).
The Eight Sleep pod is clinically proven to give you up to one more hour of quality sleep per night.
In the study, those using the sleep pod fell asleep faster, slept longer, had fewer sleep disturbances, and had more energy the next day. Specifically, they increased their deep and REM sleep, improved cardiovascular recovery, and reported feeling calmer and more comfortable.
The hardest part about sleep is that your body reacts differently at night. The new Pod 4 from Eight Sleep is built for personalization, and it was unlike anything we’ve seen. It adjusts to your body’s sleep cycle to help you sleep well every night. The latest technology means you can adjust the bed without your phone, and sensors can detect when you snore and adjust the bed to help you rest better, clinically reducing snoring by up to 45 percent.
As members of the positive corner of the internet, we love getting you deals on the best productions.
As members of the positive corner of the internet, we love getting you deals on the best productions. Use the code “PUMPCLUB” to save up to $350 OFF the new Pod 4 by Eight Sleep, including a risk-free 30-day trial. Eight Sleep currently ships within the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, Australia, and select countries in the EU.
We are paying customers, and, to us, it’s one of the investments in your health.
How Sleep Protects Your Brain
It’s not just your mood that gets affected by poor sleep. A recent study examined the relationship between sleep duration and cognitive health.
Scientists found that short sleepers experience a 30 percent faster rate of cognitive decline than those who sleep at least 7 hours per night.
The study analyzed data from a large cohort of adults who were followed over several years. Participants reported their typical sleep duration and underwent regular cognitive assessments, including memory, attention, language, and executive function tests.
Participants who slept less than 6 hours per night showed a significantly faster cognitive decline rate than those who slept the recommended 7-8 hours. The decline was most pronounced in areas such as memory and executive function.
Short sleep duration was also associated with a higher risk of developing mild cognitive impairment (MCI), a precursor to dementia.
The researchers suggested several mechanisms by which sleep might influence cognitive decline, including the role of sleep in clearing neurotoxic waste products from the brain, regulating mood, and supporting memory consolidation and neural plasticity.
We mentioned the importance of slow-wave sleep above, and — once again — it’s an essential ingredient of keeping your brain young.
You experience four stages of sleep. The first stage stages are lighter, and the third stage is where you have the slow-wave deep sleep. When you don’t get enough slow-wave deep sleep, the study found that you can decrease your learning and memory storage capacity by up to 40 percent.
The Original Longevity Hack
According to researchers, maintaining an irregular sleep schedule can lead to a shorter life.
Sleep regularity is associated with up to a 48 percent lower risk of all-cause mortality, 39 percent lower risk of cancer mortality, and more than 50 percent lower risk of cardiometabolic mortality.
Irregular sleepers refer to people who go to sleep at different times or consistently shift between different sleep durations. So, if you wildly vary when you sleep and wake or dramatically shift how much you sleep each night, either can potentially cause health issues.
Instead, create a consistent sleep schedule that has you sleep a similar number of hours and go to bed and wake at a similar time.
Why You Always Feel Hungry
Ever wonder why you seem to crave cheeseburgers more after staying up late? Contrary to popular belief, overeating from a lack of sleep does not result from having more available hours to eat. It’s because the desire for unhealthy snacks becomes hard-wired into your circuitry.
Scientists have found that your body produces more ghrelin—the “hunger hormone”—when it lacks sufficient rest. Researchers from the University of California at Berkeley have found that you’re driven to want higher-calorie comfort foods when you are tired.
And that’s just half the story.
Leptin is a hormone that’s produced in your fat cells. The less leptin you produce, the more your stomach feels empty. Leptin is controlled by your fat cells, which is why leptin drops when you lose weight.
The more ghrelin you produce, the more you stimulate hunger while reducing the calories you burn and increasing the amount of fat you store. In other words, you need to control leptin and ghrelin to lose weight successfully, but sleep deprivation makes it increasingly more difficult.
A mountain of research suggests that a lack of sleep triggers areas in your brain that increase your need for food by depressing leptin and increasing ghrelin. And while the amount of sleep you “need” can differ, at least one study showed that the domino effect of disruption can begin when you sleep less than seven hours per night
Research appears to show that poor sleep can make you hungrier, increase cravings, and push you towards the sugar and fat-loaded foods you want to limit.
When the participants reduced their sleep to just 5.5 hours, they consumed an additional 385 calories per day, most of which came from snacks. This increase in calorie intake represents a 55 percent rise compared to their usual intake during normal sleep.
Furthermore, the study found that these additional calories mainly came from carbohydrates, particularly at night. Participants consumed more sweet and salty snacks, such as cookies, chips, and candy, indicating a potential link between sleep deprivation and the brain's reward center.
And it can all happen fast. A study published in the Journal of Sleep Research found that even a single night of poor sleep can cause a shift in your hunger hormones, and the cumulative effect is even worse over time.
How Sleep Changes Fat Storage
When you drop below six hours of sleep per night, your brain and body give your fat loss goals the middle finger.
A study of 68,000 people found that those who slept less than 6 hours a night weighed an average of 5 pounds more and were 15 percent more likely to be overweight than those who slept more than 7 hours a night.
There appear to be many ways that a lack of sleep disrupts how your body processes food.
Researchers recently studied the relationship between your sleep routine and insulin sensitivity (how well your body tolerates carbs). In other words, the better you sleep, the better your metabolism can handle, process, and regulate the foods you eat.
Not sleeping enough—less than seven hours of sleep per night—can reduce and undo the benefits of dieting, according to research published in the Annals of Internal Medicine.
In the study, dieters were put on different sleep schedules. When their bodies received adequate rest, half the weight they lost was from fat.
However, when they cut back on sleep, the amount of fat lost was cut in half—even on the same diet. Moreover, they felt significantly hungrier, were less satisfied after meals, and lacked the energy to exercise. Overall, those on a sleep-deprived diet experienced a 55 percent reduction in fat loss compared to their well-rested counterparts.
Better Rest Is A Real Performance-Enhancer
Are your workouts lagging? Caffeine isn’t the only way to get stronger and boost your endurance. Research suggests the best pre-workout might not be taken right before you exercise.
A recent review of 77 studies found that getting a good night of sleep is an incredibly powerful way to boost your performance.
The scientists found that any sleep reduction led to an average of an 8 percent decrease in overall performance.
Not getting enough rest caused poor performance in skill acquisition (a 21 percent drop), and significant decreases in endurance, strength, power, and HIIT style workouts. In other words, any type of workout will be worse when you get under 6 hours of sleep.
How To Eliminate 80% of Heart Disease
If you want to be healthier, live longer, and reduce your likelihood of disease, a few behavioral changes can go a long way.
The World Health Organization published a study that estimates 80 percent of instances of heart disease, stroke, and type 2 diabetes could be prevented by practicing six daily habits.
Estimates are estimates, but anything close to an 80 percent improvement is worth the change. The six habits include:
Eating whole, plant-based foods
Sleeping at least 6 hours per day (ideally 7 to 9 hours)
Moving 150 minutes per week
Avoiding tobacco and alcohol
Prioritizing social interactions
As you can see, none of the recommendations require much money — just commitment and consistency.
But here’s the secret: don’t try to improve all of them simultaneously.
Adjusting your sleep is the first domino that makes it easier to eat better, gives you more energy to exercise, and increases willpower to avoid bad habits.
The 5-6-7 Sleep Rule
If you or a friend need more convincing, remember the 5-6-7 sleep rule.
Five: Research suggests that people who get less than 5 hours of sleep on average are twice as likely to get dementia.
Six: Research has also found that people who sleep fewer than 6 hours per night are 15 percent more likely to be overweight.
Seven: People who sleep at least 7 hours per night can live up to 5 years longer than those who don’t get enough shuteye.
9 Ways To Instantly Upgrade Your Sleep
You don’t have to be a victim of poor sleep. Use this guide to improve your rest and protect your health.
Sleep tip #1: Go to bed at a similar time each night. Sleep inconsistency disrupts your circadian rhythms, which harms sleep quality.
Sleep tip #2: Drop the temperature at night. There are many ways to chill your room, but the Eight Sleep Pod is clinically proven to protect your rest. Remember, all Pump Club members save $350.
Sleep tip #3: Don’t sleep with the lights on; keep your room as dark as possible.
Sleep tip #4: Get sunlight into your eyes early in the day to help set your circadian rhythm.
Sleep tip #5: Cut off caffeine at least 9 to 10 hours before you sleep.
Sleep tip #6: Limit technology at least 1 hour before sleep
Sleep tip #7: Cut off food at least 2 hours before you sleep.
Sleep tip #8: Sleep a similar number of hours each night, including the weekend.
Sleep tip #9: Read, talk with a friend, or journal at night. Do something that shifts your brain into something enjoyable and away from anxiety.
We hope you all enjoyed this special report. Remember, you don’t need to make all the changes at once. Start with one or two, make it automatic, and then add new behaviors. The small changes will lead to significant results.
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Publisher: Arnold Schwarzenegger
Editors-in-chief: Adam Bornstein and Daniel Ketchell
