Tim Spector, microbiome expert: “A poor night’s sleep is the equivalent to having had two double gin and tonics”
Stressing the importance of getting a good night’s sleep, Spector outlined the bedtime habits that help us to rest properly.
An old saying claims that sleep is the only force capable of taming any beast. And it’s true. So powerful is its effect that, even when we get it every day, it can still work against us. It’s not just about the number of hours spent with your head on the pillow, but the quality of that rest.
Yet despite being widely accepted as common sense, the message does not seem to have fully taken hold in today’s society, where few people question the importance of sleep, but far fewer make it a real priority.
“In the top three of things we need to get right”
One person eager to emphasize the value of proper rest is Tim Spector, a microbiome expert who spoke candidly about the subject earlier this year in an interview with ZOE.
“We’re now measuring [sleep] more than we used to,” Spector said, adding: “People look at sleep quality, sleep duration, we have much better scientific data, and it all suggests that it’s in the top three of things we need to get right. As well as exercise and as well as diet, sleep is important.
“A poor night’s sleep is the equivalent to working having had two double gin and tonics. Your brain isn’t working well."
In fact, Spector himself has himself sought to up his sleep game, in a bid to be at his best during the day. “I’ve made a conscious effort this year to try to improve my sleep quality and duration,” he revealed. “I go to bed half an hour earlier.”
“It’s got a circadian rhythm just like you do”
Spector says he tries “not to eat or drink within two hours of going to bed”, because “there’s some evidence that that reduces your sleep quality”.
He explained: “If your body is too busy still digesting your meal, the whole body is not in sleep mode. And so you may not get as deep and relaxing a sleep. It may stop you from sleeping as profoundly as before."
What people do before bedtime is just as important as the environment in which they sleep, Spector stressed. “You shouldn’t exercise just before bed, or eat or drink anything that’s going to mean your body has got to deal with that while it’s trying to put you in this relaxed state,” he said.
The microbiome is Spector’s field of expertise, and he believes it plays a central role in sleep quality. “Giving your gut a rest is putting it into sleep,” he noted. “It’s got a circadian rhythm just like you do.”
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