Hey pack members 👋
What have the Baltimore Ravens been doing in London all week, and can lettuce water help you get sleepy? We’ve got some hot topics to cover in this week’s edition of the Sleep & Fitness news, so let’s get into it…
🇬🇧 London Calling (Early) for Baltimore Ravens’ Sleep Schedule
The last time the Baltimore Ravens traveled to London, they were trounced 44-7 at Wembley Stadium by the Jacksonville Jaguars. It remains their largest margin of loss under coach John Harbaugh. In 2017, the team flew to London just two days before the game, leading many players to struggle with the five-hour time difference and jet lag. Michael Pierce recalls that the team felt like they were "moving in slow motion." This year, in their time back to London, the Ravens are hoping to learn from the past for their Week 6 game against the Tennessee Titans. Coach Harbaugh bemoaned the lack of specific data on the best time to travel, but is hoping that their plan of arriving at the beginning of the week will better prepare the team. By the time the Titans arrive in London, the Ravens will have already had three nights of rest and two practice sessions, aiming for a more normalized schedule leading up to the game.
🫀 Tracking HRV & Sleep Scores While Rowing the Atlantic
In 2021, Ciara Burns' embarked on a 42 day solo voyage rowing across the Atlantic. Now it’s turned into a scientific study, exploring the relationship between physical and psychological states during extreme activities. The research focused on heart rate variability, revealing its connection between overall fitness, sleep quality, and regeneration during sleep. Burns, a student at TU Wien (Vienna) adopted an unusual sleep routine during her journey - alternating between rowing and sleeping every three hours. The data from her trip indicated three distinct challenging phases: adjusting to the new rhythm, realizing the vastness of the journey midway, and adaptation nearing the journey's end. Prof. Eugenijus Kaniusas, from TU Wien, believes this data can be used to help plan future endeavors - including recommendations like a transitional sleep rhythm phase at the outset, and mid-journey rewards to boost morale.
🕺 Here’s Your Chance to Sleep with a Celebrity
Harry Styles may be best known for his music, but his bedtime story titled "Dream With Me" on the Calm app isn’t far behind. The story became so popular that the app crashed on its launch day back in 2021, and it remains one of Calm’s most popular sleep stories, with over 30 million listens. Other celebrities, like Matthew McConaughey, Stephen Fry, Cillian Murphy, and Mary Berry, have also narrated sleep stories, in a segment that’s gaining massive popularity, with more people looking for a celeb to lull them to sleep. Meanwhile, platforms like Twitch, YouTube, and TikTok have given rise to "sleep streaming," where creators live-stream themselves sleeping. Geraldine Joaquim, a clinical hypnotherapist, suggests this trend might be a result of seeking comfort during isolated times, especially when genuine human connection is lacking. This last one definitely gives me flashbacks to the Truman Show!
🥬 Let Lettuce Water Lull You to Sleep?
TikTok users are raving about drinking lettuce water as a remedy to fall asleep faster. The process involves boiling water, adding romaine lettuce, and allowing it to steep for about 10 minutes. Although some users claim the concoction makes them feel sleepy, experts have weighed in with mixed responses. Dr. Deena Adimoolam, MD, couldn't find any human research to support the lettuce water sleep claim but did reference a study where mice fed lettuce extract slept longer. Lettuce contains lactucarium, a sedative property promoting relaxation, said Lisa Young, Ph.D., RDN. Additionally, the warm beverage might induce a sense of relaxation, possibly stimulating the release of the sleep-enhancing hormone, oxytocin. What do we think, is lettuce water worth giving a try?
👶 Daniel Radcliffe's New Sleepless Dad Adventures
Mr. Harry Potter himself is the latest to join the ranks of sleep-deprived new parents. Having recently welcomed a child with his partner Erin Darke, Radcliffe shared his bewilderment with the seemingly illogical sleep schedules of infants during an interview with E! News. He poignantly remarked on the puzzling nature of babies sleeping less when they have had less sleep and sleeping better when they've had more. Despite the exhaustion, Radcliffe is still amazed at the joy a baby's smile can bring, making all the sleepless nights worth it. Research indicates that new parents typically get only 5-6 hours of sleep per night, with a total sleep loss of around 44 days in their child's first year! While it’s undoubtedly challenging, various strategies like taking shorter naps and adjusting daily routines can help parents cope with the baby fatigue.
That's it for this week's sleep news highlights. Stay tuned for more exciting updates on optimizing your sleep and health, and remember to follow @lagoonsleep on Instagram for your daily dose.
