Sleep Credit Check — Restock the Repair Fund
⏱️ Time Horizon: 7‑night audit → 14‑day consolidation
📍 Ideal For: Morning grog, midday crashes, stubborn fat‑loss plateaus, mood volatility, or chronic "I’m fine, just tired."
Prerequisite = Baseline Biology. When sleep is under‑funded, hormones misfire, mitochondria stall, and every other metric lies.
Why It Matters
| Lever | Downstream Impact | Key Evidence |
|---|---|---|
| ≥7 hr quality sleep | ↑ Insulin sensitivity, ↓ cortisol & ghrelin swings | Van Cauter 1999; Spiegel 2004 |
| High sleep efficiency (≤15 % wake after sleep onset) | ↑ Growth hormone pulse, faster tissue repair | Tasali 2008 |
| Consistent lights‑out time | Stronger circadian amplitude, better next‑day cognition | Phillips 2017 |
7‑Night Audit Protocol
| Night | Action | Why / Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 0 | Set the Baseline – Install free tracker (Apple Health, Oura trial, or paper log). Note bedtime routine factors. | Record time‑in‑bed vs. asleep. |
| 1–2 | Standardize Lights‑Out – Same time ±15 min. | Aim ≤20 min sleep latency. |
| 3 | Blackout Audit – Cover LEDs, use eye‑mask. | Record wake‑ups. |
| 4 | Caffeine Curfew – No stimulants after 1 pm. | Note afternoon energy. |
| 5 | Cool‑Down Trigger – Cool shower or room ≤68 °F (20 °C). | Compare latency. |
| 6 | Tech Sunset – Screens off 60 min pre‑bed; sub in low‑lux lamp + book. | Jot mental chatter level. |
| 7 | Review & Plan – Compute avg sleep efficiency (sleep ÷ bed). | Select fixes for next 7 nights. |
Metrics & Completion Criteria
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Sleep Efficiency: ≥85 % average over last 3 nights.
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Actual Sleep: ≥7 hr average.
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Morning Energy: ≥7 / 10 for three consecutive mornings.
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Latency: ≤20 min to fall asleep.
Troubleshooting Ladder
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Latency >20 min: Push caffeine curfew back, add sunset walk.
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Multiple Wake‑Ups: Re‑check blackout + room temp; trial magnesium glycinate 200 mg.
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Still Groggy: Verify sleep apnea risk factors; consider professional sleep study.
Study Receipts
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Restricting sleep to 6 hr for 7 nights impaired glucose tolerance similar to aging 10 years (Van Cauter etal. 1999).
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Meta‑analysis: <6 hr sleep linked to 24 % higher obesity risk vs. ≥7 hr (Cappuccio 2010).
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Adding just 1 hr of sleep reduced caloric intake ~270 kcal next day (Dashti 2021 RCT).