100% agree with this. The science-backed and well-researched information cuts out all the rubbish that influencers and social media want you to see. I’m loving these videos from Dan and find them both informative and relatable as I’m on a similar fitness/health journey at the moment myself and it’s nice to know there are others doing the same 😊 keep up the great work Dan / GCN … if he doesn’t get fired from someone telling his boss! 😂
I’m not quite sure why I like these videos so much, but I do. I think it’s the balance of informative science delivered in an everyday way plus Dan’s delivery as an ordinary bloke with ordinary vices trying to be as healthy and fit as anyone reasonable can be. Keep it up Dan and thanks.
In the states, woke up in the middle of the night, couldn’t fall back to sleep, saw this video mocking me. Not only does GCN (lovingly) remind me of the bikes I cannot ride post procedure, it now reminds me of the sleep I’m not getting. Thanks 😘😜
Dan, just one thing that I'd add: drinking any fluids (not just alcohol) before sleep seems to have negative impact on sleep quality. E.g. if I drink anything just before bedtime, I wake up and need to pee. After that, sometimes I fall back to sleep quickly, other times I'm awake for an hour or more... I'm personally trying to adopt a 3-2-1 rule. No food 3hrs, no drinks 2hrs and no blue screens 1hr before bed time. Works for me. Great series!
This isn't true for everyone though. I personally tend to sweat a lot during the night and feel like I need extra water, before bedtime as well as during the night. I have a good bladder, though, I rarely have to get up to go to the toilet.
I love Dan's openness, honesty and just plain display of being a working real human in a modern world, paying the bills, holding things together, having a beer once in a while and working on it! The insight that one needs to 'practice at sleep' is so true and so counter intuitive...especially to those of us that are 'night owls'
Alcohol was my biggest sleep killer, and health risk. When I quit, I started dreaming again, vividly and intensely. I have a constantly changing schedule as a touring musician and part time college professor. Some short and intense tours we refer to as "The sleep deprivation tour". Regular exercise/cycling, sleep and an overall regular schedule is challenging, however I feel so much better in all of that craziness since I quit drinking. That was single best factor in a healthier lifestyle, for me at least. Good luck Dan!
Another great video Dan. Speaking from personal experience, removing alcohol entirely has been a game-changer for me. In addition to shedding in excess of 50KG in under a year, my sleep has improved to a point where I value a good night's sleep far more than the five-minute hit a drink in the evening would give me. I honestly believe that improved sleep has been a foundation for many of the other positives I've recently achieved. Keep up the good work - these videos are spot on.
Absolutely love how honest you are about your journey! This is very valuable to people to understand that the path is not simple and to allow yourself some missteps, but to keep going!
Enjoying this series by Dan. I’m retired now but not long ago where I worked we had an initiative to do 10,000 steps a day. We had teams, and none in my team were regular exercisers unlike me who commuted 32 miles a day. As team leader, some in my team privately told me independantly that since they had been doing the 10,000 step exercise they had started having dreams in their sleep again which they were not expecting as an outcome.
Another fabulous video! I myself recently had a lightbulb moment regarding sleep, and the effects of not getting enough. So I started to not have late night/lie in at weekend, and try to eat earlier in the evening so I’m not kept awake by gastric reflux. And boy, what a difference! Not only can I focus better on my job and musical activities, but not being so tired means I’m not constantly snacking in an attempt to find more energy. What a win!
I've found that having the sleep tracker has given me a more intuitive understanding of what is good or bad for my sleep. It also works reminder that bed time is approaching and I need to begin nightly routines instead of doing those things when I'm supposed to already be in bed
Dan, once again this next installment of your "better health journey" is both educational and inspiring. Absolutley loving this series. Thank you so much for this. Cheers mate.
This is a wonderful video series! As a former athlete who was surprised by a few health issues in my late 30's, it has been great watching and learning from Dan. Great job GCN!
Dan...continued luck with your personal journey. With regards to the videos, you site a lot of information that you either state or imply is based on the scientific literature. I might suggest that you provide references for these nuggets in the show notes or as subtitles within the video as you site the specific study. I find many RU-vid videos from "experts" fail to provide such useful information. Continued success in your efforts, and thanks for your series on longevity and healthspan.
Excellent topic. Sleep has been something I have struggled with for the majority of my life. Dan you are a great presenter. I hope someday you can get on top of your addictions. You never get a "Holiday from them".
I struggle massively with sleep, can get to sleep fine (most of the time) but if I am still asleep after 4 then thats a huge result. Tried many of the things Dan says, even the drugs dont seem to help, and when they have I have felt awful the following day.
Thanks, GCN. This series is very interesting and has a "you can do it, too" vibe that I appreciate. As a woman of a certain age, getting enough sleep has been an issue for a number of years. Thank you hormones. Sadly, this leads to issues having enough energy the next day as well. Still, I'm working on it and trying to remind myself that, counterintuitive though it may seem, doing less on a tired day can be less helpful that pushing on a little and doing a bit more. Still nice to get out and have the sun and fresh air, even if the ride is dead slow.
Aside from a bike, purchasing a fitness band has been one of the best investments I've made in helping me to understand why I feel the way I do some days. Not only does it analyze my sleep, it also gives me a stress score and "body battery" (ie, energy level) so I can compare my rest and activity levels with how I am feeling. I don't focus on hitting specific targets (and therefore don't get stressed out when I see lower scores), but only look for changes from day to day. It's been great for me to see how different factors (like eating a bag of chips/crisps for dinner) can affect my well-being. On the sleep side, I find what can affect me is my hydration level. Often I would go to bed and feel stuffy, not because the room was warm but because I was dehydrated. I find having at least 1 glass of water before bed resulted in a much better sleep. Amazing work again you guys, I'm loving this series (probably because I'm a decade older than Dan!).
As someone who cycles and is struggling with both sleep and cycling motivation (as well as motivation for a lot of other things), this is a really good video. I know that if I can sort the sleep out several other problems will naturally sort themselves out in time, but breaking the bad cycle is still a challenge.
Well done to the editors on this one! I noticed that since cutting back on caffine and setting bedtimes, I feel so much better after a heavy workout/run/ride session. I have to do 16 hour shifts montly (sometiems more) and with just 5 hours of "sleep" I feel like a zombie. I really cherrish sleep now
Thanks for sharing Dan. I’ve noticed via my Garmin that my sleep quality and HRV is worse if I don’t eat balanced meals and stay hydrated during the day.
A comprehensive video! Your idea of a few beers (7 or 8) is clearly different than mine! 🙂 Re: the importance of natural light, that's a big issue here in northern Finland - nearly 24h light during the summer and 2h a day in winter. Not possible to get natural light on winter mornings unfortunately, so lots of feeling constantly groggy. Some people like to use bright lights but in my experience they didn't really help
Another great vid regarding the importance of getting enough sleep. The only downside is that as you age getting up for a pee is a real nuisance and obviously impacts on sleep quality. Certainly having alcohol close to bedtime doesn’t help either. Anyway, keep up this educational real life series, it’s excellent!👍👍👍
Great summary. I feel like it's something we all know now but it's hard to put into practise in the long term. I've always been a night owl, in my 20's I could happily get by with 4-5 hours a night, and a big lie in on Saturday. Now I'm getting about 6 hours a night but I can feel it's definitely taking its toll. Your point about wanting to be better about it and sticking to it is good... maybe I just need make a concentrated effort to stick with a regular (earlier) bed time.
Thank you Dan for another informative instalment. It's worth noting though that I am watching a 'How to sleep better' video late at night instead of trying to improve my sleep health 😄
Omg my sleep sucks. I rode 26 miles yesterday, I’m a month in on my cycling career, and I was so exhausted I couldn’t sleep! I fell asleep for like 20 mins, wake up. Fall asleep for 30 mins and wake up. That went on for 3 hours and then I actually fell asleep for the night at midnight.
Great topic. My wife LOVES her sleep and she has found all the hacks. Just like said here: no alcohol, no screen 30 min prior to sleep, fixed bed times, no caffeine the 2nd part of the day dark room and eye mask, no food before sleep but also hot bath or shower before bed, chamomile/green tea, cooler temperature in the room, et voila!
This video series is simply genius! Thanks so much for putting this and the others together. Imagine this, ...I was so motivated to improve my sleep that I immediately felt guilt trying to watch this faster to get to bed earlier! How ironic!
Fantastic video, as usual in this series ! At 38, I'm also trying to get to the best shape of my life, and hopefully maintain most of it for a long time. Dan, physio here, I can't stress enough the importance of being careful with the gym. Your shoulder and elbow pain might very well be related to an excessive workload. Joints, tendons and bone density adapt as you lift weights, but not as fast as muscle. What helped me recover from serious overuse injuries (and preventing new ones) is the Mechanical Stress Quantification concept. I highly recommend to anyone reading this to learn about this. It was a game changer for me, it can be for you ! Cheers 😚
Phenomenally well-researched video! Really impressed; I have an autoimmune condition, but also love training, so have done a lot of research into these kinds of things, and seeing it so well presented in an easily accessible format is really amazing!
Sleep is life`s nectar. I have a chronic pain disorder and sleep i do not a lot of. Cycling and gym workout i cant get a proper recovery from- But im happy i can train nevertheless🥰
Watching this right before I go to bed might not have been the best way to get a good nights sleep, but it was very informative for the coming nights sleep! - Great video 💪
Some super useful stuff there, Dan. I think for me, making good sleep a priority is one of the trickiest to realise. Rearranging my daily routine to incorporate the 'small things' that have a significant effect are my biggest challenges: No early coffee, no after-work beer and exposure the 'real' sunlight, for example. Haven't tried a tracker, but may give 'Whoop' a go. It seems to have helped you. Thanks :-)
I really look forward to this series of GCN videos when new episodes are released. I learn a slew of new and interesting information about health and happiness in each episode. It is great to be along for the ride with Dan. I tend to be a good sleeper but decided to use the Apple iPhone "Sleep" function to sound a tone 45-minutes before my target go-to-bed time to ensure I get enough sleep. It is a great way to prepare for bed in a relaxing way. After I hear the tone, I prep to-dos for the following day, lower light levels around the house, watch/listen to relaxing content on TV or stereo, or read a book in bed, and then it is lights-out. The best part is that the smartphone blocks all audio/visible alerts for incoming calls, messages, email, etc. while the device remains on while in sleep mode. I can focus on myself until the morning wake-up tone sounds eight hours later. The wake-up alarm tone is mellow but somehow wakes me from deep sleep. I look forward to the next episode in the series. Thanks again. Sleep tight!
Have found sugar just before bed will fuel another hour and a half of wide awake. Low lighting makes a big difference for me too. If I'm going from bright lights to bed I've made my peace with the fact it will take a while for my body to adjust. Also just use phone light if i need to go to to toilet middle of the night rather than lighting up whole rooms
I’ll just add that getting a sleep study done can change your life- I did. I use a CPAP and it transformed me - no more PTSD and anxiety from low oxygen sleeps. Made me a more patient dad, partner, better worker and Most importantly- cyclist😂 I also use a black shirt over my eyes to keep light out as it works better- or a beanie . And ear plugs for noisy neighbours or camping etc Ps I live in Oz so 18deg c at night is bloody cold- but yes agree a cooler room equals better sleep.
Love this series Dan, keep em coming. My favorite 'item' to improve my sleep quality has hands down been my ChiliPad. I was hesitant to buy it due to the upfront cost, but it's night and day difference when I don't have it. Plus, I save money on my heating and cooling bill. Other items that have improved my sleep quality would be a good eye mask, ear plugs (I have snoring dogs), and mouth taping--I look like a crazy person when I'm about to fall asleep. A late meal and alcohol really affect my sleep quality, so I've essentially eliminated alcohol entirely and limit late meals if possible. My whoop has been great at tracking what helps and hinders my sleep.
As others have commented these videos are brilliant Dan.. no product promotions just your real world experience and your journey 😊 your really capturing the audience.. 😊 great job dude keep up the great work. Have to say I don’t sleep more than about 6hrs I’ve always been the same, I do go to bed early same time and get up very early, I ensure I don’t watch stressful tv programs, I do sometimes have a little something to eat before bed which I find helps for me to go to sleep. I drink de caf after about midday although I have on occasion drank a normal coffee and fell straight to sleep 😅 I use an eye mask to.. I used whoop band for a while but to expensive for me.. Pete 🚴🏻👍
I've found Ashwahgandha helps calm the mind for those whose minds tend to buzz with thoughts or anxiety when they get into bed. It comes in chewable or tablet form and has seriously changed my sleep - and health. Loving these videos, Dan. 10/10.
Took me a long time, 9 months of sleep deprivation (well, I slept plenty, just didn't rest) and help from the Sleep Clinic in Edinburgh to get my sleep sorted properly. Then again due to other health issues everything is out of wack.
Another good episode. Alcohol seems to be such a wide problem in so many parts of our well-being. I’d be interested in an episode on it and maybe joining you in a group of abstainers for a few months to feel the benefits
Useful tips for sleep that help me: put some mediation music on and do some foam rolling/stretching before breathing exercises with legs elevated (great after a hard cycle/run earlier in the day), finally read a few pages of a book 😴
As a teeth grinder I really appreciate my mouthpiece and as a mouth breather (only when sleeping!) I also sometimes tape my mouth shut. Both these things seem to help my sleep quality. I'm also interested in CBD but don't have much experience with it.
Thanks for this input, has encouraged me to make a " better sleep" actiin plan. I just need to stick to it, hard when you work a 12 hour shift and do an 11 mile cycle commute at each end, sleep qaulity definetly needs to improve.
When older I find injuries take longer to heel. I don’t skip gym days I work around them. This keeps the routine going and most results of lifting are achieved. ,
I feel that the most relevant data for my sleep is the HRV graph. If the number doesn't go around a 100, I'm getting ill, haven't recovered properly or just slept badly. The bad sleep is usually obvious when I wake up, others not so much.
Great series Dan Lloyd. I’ve always struggled with sleep but now listen to comedy audiobooks and podcasts that I’ve heard a hundred times. This switches my thinking off as they’re not serious and I know what’s coming. Though Alan Partridge or Athletico Mince can still make me laugh after a hundred listens. Without this my brain goes off on a spiral of evermore stimulating thoughts. There are lots of pillow speaker options available to avoid disrupting any bedfellows.
A really good video Dan. I used to only sleep 3 to 4 hours a night! I eventually went to the doctors and discovered I had sleep apnoea. I now use a mask and a CPAP machine which meant I now get 6 hours plus. I also agree with Alcohol and Caffeine so do as you have suggested already. (I drink decaf coffee after midday) keep up the good work!!
Thanks Dan we love these - keep on! Just an observation - there was a mention of the effect of sleep on testosterone for men, but no consideration of the sleep issues which are women-specific - menstrual cycles, menopause. Appreciate may not be your area of expertise but be good to get someone to cover that. (Ps. @Manon we miss you - Manon’s recent videos were a great example of this).
Very interesting video. I have been using a Garmin wearable and it's transformed my attitide to alcohol. It's SO deleterious to sleep quality and bad sleep makes your training less useful. I prefer training and being fit/fast to the pleasure of beer.
Brilliant info as always, really well presented too Dan. I love my sleep and so knew a lot of the info but you added some additional info that I didn't know about. What I thought was super important is how you discuss those successful people who dont sleep a lot. No doubt there are people who follow their example and are, or will in the future, pay the price.
Wearing a WHOOP for the last 4 years has greatly improved my sleep habits. I used to be one of those 4.5- hours of sleep people. Now it's closer to 7-8 by going to bed at the same time (ish) evry night.
I'm waiting for you to cross the threshhold to when you do not want to drink or smoke any more. Personally I smoked my last cigarette on january, 13, 2007 at a time when a great positive change came into my life and I wanted to try out how it feels, when you taste the food you prepare lovingly. Soon I enjoyed the benefit of breething freely, climbing staires without puffing after half a floor level, too. Alcohol faded out quickly after seperating housholds without any conscoius effort. While fifteen years ago I even did research which vinery to visit during summer holidays, I neither miss any bit of the vine culture or local beer culture nor the feeling of the alcohol, nor the bad sleep. But I do enjoy a tomato that tastes like one, a good cheese or a coffee prepared of recently roasted freshly ground beans. In both the above cases I took advantage of social changes - in one case of a positive one in another case of one that I experienced as a positive one - despite of it reversing the first one. Monitoring your change with your love for numbers hopefully helps you and many others to be aware enough of all the benefits, to cross the threshhold. Though I still love the smell of someone smoking a cigarettes passing by a Café in the street, I have not been tempted to smoke for one and a half decades at least. And of alcoholic beverages I have lost any positive connotations whatsoever.
