The quality of our sleep reflects the peaceful, or perturbed, state of our conditions. Sage Michaels, a senior at Reed College, gets nearly a dozen hours of sleep and regards himself as a professional sleeper.But, he’s actually more accomplished than you’d expect.
Sage reached outto Tempur-Pedicin an attempt to get a sponsorship. The creative introduction involved submitting a “sleep resume” as well as YouTube video detailing his sleep prowess. Lo and behold, Tempur-Pedic’s executives were impressed. Thus, in mid-September, the company reps along with a television crew showed up at Sage’s door to deliver a new mattress, pillows and customized pajamas and robe embroidered with “Sleep Champion.”
Sage Michaels has a full school schedule studying math and computer science. He plans to pursue a tech career after graduating in May 2018. Yet he maintainsabundant rest by finding time for his favorite activity. “I’m a pretty good sleeper so I wanted to see what I could do with that skillset,” says Sage, referring to his outreach.
People who enjoy ample rest know the restorative benefits of sleep. Those who lack rest, however, understand the zombie-like state of the afflicted. According to a 2015 poll by the National Sleep Foundation, healthier people get more sleep than unhealthy individuals do.
It’s extremely rare for people to get a “sleep sponsorship” though. How does Sage manage to rack up all those hours of sleep? The key is to get a lot of rest at night while creatingtime for power naps duringdaytime. “I go to bed between midnight and 2am and sleep for 7 to 10 hours. And I take a couple of hour-long napsat school in between classes.”
Sage Michaels proves that abusy schedule doesn’t have to get in the way of quality rest. Here are some tips:
1. Sleep earlier – It’ll allow you to start your day earlier and establish a healthier routine. Also, turn off those devices so you can catch power naps as much as possible.
2. Limit caffeine and avoid alcohol – This ensures your body can naturally fall asleep. These substances aren’t good for you anyway.
3. Avoid interruptions – Get uninterrupted sleep so you can undergo a deep state of rest. Quality sleep is what restores and rejuvenates your mind and body.
4. Increase vitamin D levels – Spend more time outside to soak in vitamin D nutrients from the sun. It can help you better regulate sleep and wake cycles.
There’s an entire science dedicated to sleep. But Sage Michaels shows that making time for naps is an art-form that requires creativity and, yes, determination.
Sage Michaels, a senior at Reed College in Portland, Ore., considers himself a professional sleeper.He’s majoring in math and computer science and plans to go into the field of technology after graduation.
Credit: Tempur-Pedic
Tempur-Pedic gifted Sage Michaels a new mattress, pillows, pajamas and robe embroidered with the title “Sleep Champion.” Sage now gets up to a dozen hours of sleep per day.
