Key Takeaways: How to Get More Deep Sleep
Deep sleep is the most physically restorative stage of sleep and plays a major role in recovery, energy levels, and performance.
Poor sleep quality can disrupt hormones that regulate hunger, metabolism, and physical activity.
Daily habits like caffeine intake, exercise timing, and screen use affect how much deep sleep you get.
Your sleep environment and pre-bed routine matter more than most people realize.
Learning how to get more deep sleep can improve recovery, body composition, and long-term health.
It seems that in large part, the hectic American lifestyle could be to blame for nationwide sleep deprivation.
With our busy schedules and the ever-increasing social forces surrounding us on a daily basis, we seem to be spending less and less time in bed.
This is because there never seems to be enough time in a day to get everything we "need" done, and so we find ourselves getting up earlier and going to bed later...
Which might not seem like a big deal ... but the reality of the situation is that your sleeping habits can impact your energy levels, memory, appearance, and performance.
A fun fact: one night without sleep can leave you performing like you were legally drunk at a blood alcohol content of .08 percent the following day.
If you’re sleeping poorly on most nights, the negative effects could be worse.
Here's the part most people miss: it’s not just about getting more sleep ... It's about getting better sleep. More specifically, it’s about getting enough deep sleep, because that’s when your body does most of its recovery and repair.
In This Article:
- The Impact of Poor Sleep Quality on Health and Performance
- Understanding Deep Sleep and REM Sleep
- 7 Practical Tips To Improve Deep Sleep
- How Daily Habits Influence Deep Sleep Over Time
- Key Takeaways
The Impact of Poor Sleep Quality on Health and Performance
Chronic sleep deprivation has been linked to a wide range of health issues. Poor sleep can make you more susceptible to colds, flu, and other infections.
It can also contribute to irritability, mood swings, difficulty handling stress, and increased risk of anxiety and depression.
In short, most aspects of life are largely dependent upon sleep.
For example, a number of studies have reported changes to key hormone levels and, recently, how many calories your body burns the day after an ‘all-nighter’.
Additionally, large studies over the course of several years regularly show that decreases in how much you sleep each night can progressively increase your risk of developing obesity and diabetes-related complications (1, 2).
One of the greatest examples of this is that women who sleep less than five hours per night had the highest body weights of women in the study.
In comparison, women who slept a normal amount (7 to 8 hours) had what was considered to be a normal body weight (1).
Poor Sleep Affects Food Intake and Hunger Hormones
One reason sleep loss can influence body composition is its effect on appetite regulation.
While many theories exist, a number of studies have reported that being low on sleep increases the level of ghrelin. This is particularly in the early morning hours (3, 4).
Ghrelin is a hormone that is produced mostly in our stomach, and when produced, it signals our body to be hungry while also decreasing how many calories are burned by the body (5).
These hormonal changes may be one of the body’s first responses to stress and sleep deprivation. Whether directly related or not, research consistently shows that when sleep is restricted, total food intake over a 24-hour period tends to increase
This was the case particularly in foods considered to be snack foods or which could be characterized as calorically dense ... or on the flip side, lacking nutrient density (6, 7, 8). Over time, these patterns can make fat loss and weight maintenance much more difficult.
How Poor Sleep Impacts Activity Levels and Calorie Burn
In addition, studies have also shown that when the body is sleep-deprived, natural levels of physical activity (which will burn calories and help maintain a favorable balance) are decreased (9).
Makes sense, right?
I know when I’m exhausted, I tend not to move around as much. As a whole, these changes all lead to a greater calorie surplus (you’re eating more calories and burning fewer calories). Over time, this will increase body mass and levels of body fat.
Recently, a study reported that just one night of complete sleep deprivation decreases energy expenditure by 5% at rest. But this decrease was 4x greater after a meal was consumed, resulting in a 20% reduction in the number of calories burned by the body (10).
When you combine poor sleep with the stress of regular training and the need for recovery ... the consequences become even more significant.
Quality vs. Quantity: Understanding Deep Sleep and REM Sleep
Sleep isn’t just about how long you’re in bed. The quality of sleep you get matters just as much.
Sleep consists of two types of slumber: REM sleep includes rapid eye movement and dreaming, while non-REM sleep includes four stages ranging from light to deep sleep.
Each night, you pass through 4-6 cycles of REM and non-REM sleep. While there are 4 total stages of the sleep cycle, the two we're focusing on due to their importance are REM and deep sleep.
What Is Deep Sleep?
Deep sleep occurs during the later stages of non-REM sleep. This is when the body does much of its physical restoration, including tissue repair and recovery. Deep sleep is a major contributor to the refreshed feeling you experience after a good night’s rest.
As we age, the amount of time we spend in deep sleep tends to decrease, which is one reason sleep quality becomes more important over time.
What Is REM Sleep?
REM sleep is associated with dreaming and plays an important role in cognitive functions like memory and learning. Improving overall sleep quality helps support both REM and deep sleep, which is why many strategies affect both stages.
How to Get More Deep Sleep: 7 Practical Tips
If you want to set your body up for earning the best results possible, making quality sleep a priority in your life is a great place to start. You might be asking yourself, “What can you start doing today to increase your sleep quality?”
Here are seven practical ways to help support deeper, more restorative sleep...
1) Limit Your Caffeine Intake In the Afternoon
Avoid caffeine, pre-workout with stimulants, and caffeinated tea before bed. Too much caffeine and stimulants will inhibit your body’s ability to unwind and relax.
Avoiding these 8 hours before your bedtime can help your nervous system relax and make it easier to enter deeper sleep stages at night.
2) Exercise Daily (Preferably NOT Before Bed)
Partaking in daily exercise will help you fall asleep and improve sleep quality. The morning or early afternoon is the best time to get a workout in without disturbing your sleep at night.
If you usually train in the evening, I recommend having a calming ritual after your workout. This can help your body wind down after the rush of endorphins caused by exercise.
3) Sleep in a Cool and Dark Bedroom
If you are too hot or cold while sleeping, it can cause a restless night. The best temperature for sleeping is between 60°F and 67°F, as it can vary for every individual.
Try to keep your bedroom cool by using a ceiling fan and blocking out light with proper blinds or curtains that shut out heat and light. In addition to that, you can actually take a cool shower to help your body cool down prior to bed (cool, not ice cold).
4) Incorporate Natural Supplementation
Utilizing supplements with proven ingredients to help with relaxation and calming of the mind and body may help support nighttime rest. This will all depend on the product and how your body tolerates it.
5) Don’t Force Sleep
When sleep does not come easily, get out of bed, go into another room, and engage in some type of quiet activity until feelings of sleepiness return.
Personally, I like to wind down by reading before bed.
6) Watch What You Eat Before Bed
Eating before bed, especially lean protein sources, can benefit fat loss and muscle growth. Just make sure you don’t overdo it.
A protein shake is a great option to give your body some fuel and high-quality protein as it goes into repair and recovery mode of restful sleep, without making you uncomfortably full.
Stuffing your face before bed can cause restlessness due to indigestion.
7) Limit Screen Time
It can be easy to scroll through social media or watch TV until you go to bed. However, this screen time can be detrimental to your body's ability to get truly restful sleep.
Limiting screen time before bed, using blue light glasses, or having a social media curfew can be helpful strategies.
How Daily Habits Influence Deep Sleep Over Time
Sleep deprivation compounds quickly, especially when combined with regular training and recovery demands. Consistent habits, not perfection, are what matter most.
Improving deep sleep supports recovery, energy levels, and body composition. Small changes made consistently can have a meaningful impact over time.
Final Thoughts on How to Get More Deep Sleep
There’s no single trick to better sleep. Deep sleep is influenced by your daily habits, environment, and consistency over time. Whether it’s decreasing how many calories are burned by your body, increases in hormones that cause you to eat more food, poor recovery, overall fatigue, or any of the other negative consequences from poor quality sleep ... the impact of poor sleep rears its ugly head in many directions.
All in all, sleep is an important aspect of your life to allow your body to work effectively.
Whether it’s decreasing how many calories are burned by your body, increases in hormones that cause you to eat more food, poor recovery, overall fatigue, or any of the other negative consequences from poor quality sleep ... the impact of poor sleep rears its ugly head in many directions.
If you want better recovery, improved performance, and long-term results ... learning how to get more deep sleep is one of the most effective places to start.
...and if you're looking for a nighttime supplement to support relaxation and rest, we have several great options at 1st Phorm!
Core-21 and Night-T are two of my personal favorites. They are both targeted formulas designed to help support nighttime rest and relaxation.
I know we covered quite a bit today. With that being said, if you have questions or need any help ... Don't hesitate to reach out to us!
If you have any questions or need any help at all reaching your fat loss goals, please never hesitate to reach out! We have a full team of NASM Certified Personal Trainers and Nutrition Coaches right here in St. Louis, Missouri.
Just give us a call at 1-800-409-9732 or send us an email at CustomerService@1stPhorm.com. We're available Monday through Friday from 6 AM to 8 PM Central and Saturday & Sunday from 9 AM to 7 PM Central. We'll be more than happy to help in any way we can!
References:
(1) Patel, S. R., et al. “Association between Reduced Sleep and Weight Gain in Women.” American Journal of Epidemiology, vol. 164, no. 10, 2006, pp. 947–954.
(2) Taheri, S., et al. “Short Sleep Duration Is Associated with Reduced Leptin, Elevated Ghrelin, and Increased Body Mass Index.” PLoS Medicine, vol. 1, no. 3, 2004, article e62.
(3) Schmid, S. M., et al. “A Single Night of Sleep Deprivation Increases Ghrelin Levels and Feelings of Hunger in Normal-Weight Healthy Men.” Journal of Sleep Research, vol. 17, no. 3, 2008, pp. 331–334.
(4) Spiegel, K., et al. “Brief Communication: Sleep Curtailment in Healthy Young Men Is Associated with Decreased Leptin Levels, Elevated Ghrelin Levels, and Increased Hunger and Appetite.” Annals of Internal Medicine, vol. 141, no. 11, 2004, pp. 846–850.
(5) Nakazato, M., et al. “A Role for Ghrelin in the Central Regulation of Feeding.” Nature, vol. 409, no. 6817, 2001, pp. 194–198.
(6) Brondel, L., et al. “Acute Partial Sleep Deprivation Increases Food Intake in Healthy Men.” American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, vol. 91, no. 6, 2010, pp. 1550–1559.
(7) Koban, M., et al. “Sleep Deprivation of Rats: The Hyperphagic Response Is Real.” Sleep, vol. 31, no. 7, 2008, pp. 927–933.
(8) Nedeltcheva, A. V., et al. “Sleep Curtailment Is Accompanied by Increased Intake of Calories from Snacks.” American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, vol. 89, no. 1, 2009, pp. 126–133.
(9) Schmid, S. M., et al. “Short-Term Sleep Loss Decreases Physical Activity under Free-Living Conditions but Does Not Increase Food Intake under Time-Deprived Laboratory Conditions in Healthy Men.” American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, vol. 90, no. 6, 2009, pp. 1476–1482.
(10) Benedict, C., et al. “Acute Sleep Deprivation Reduces Energy Expenditure in Healthy Men.” American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, vol. 93, no. 6, 2011, pp. 1229–1236.
(11) Irwin, M., et al. “Effects of Sleep and Sleep Deprivation on Catecholamine and Interleukin-2 Levels in Humans: Clinical Implications.” Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism, vol. 84, no. 6, 1999, pp. 1979–1985.
