We're catching up with digital marketing whiz for Slumber (@slumbercbn), Alec Tremaine, fresh from his insightful chat on Episode 3 of The Blissy Experience podcast! Missed the episode? Click here for a recap and where to listen.
In this bonus chat, Alec shares more about the transformative power of sleep on creativity, well-being, and performance. Get the lowdown on his top sleep hacks and thoughts on society's sleep culture.
Keep reading for Alec's deep dive into the world of sleep and wellness.
Q: How does a well-optimized sleep pattern impact your creativity, especially in your digital marketing career?
Alec: Like many in the digital marketing industry and entrepreneurial lifestyle, I bought into the "hustle culture" mentality of burning the candle at both ends. Pushing myself to "sleep when you're dead" worked only for a short time and was not sustainable. When I prioritize getting enough high-quality sleep, I experience greater mental clarity, focus, and innovative thinking. My mind works faster and I am more agile when I am well-rested.
When your body is under chronic stress plus sleep deprivation, everything becomes more difficult. From waiting at a stoplight to solving a creative challenge, minor irritations feel like major obstacles.
This all changed when I began thinking of my body and mind like a high-performance race car engine - it needs time to cool down and needs high-quality fuel to keep performing optimally.
Q: Have you noticed any significant changes in your sleep pattern or quality as you’ve implemented various sleep optimization techniques over the years?
Alec: Yes! A few major techniques that have really helped:
- Consistency on sleep and wake time: This is never fun on the weekends or off days, however, your body does not know it’s Friday night, it only knows your internal circadian rhythm and clock.
- Supplementation: Two items that have show dramtic increase in sleep performance was introducing Full Spectrum CBD + CBN into my routine and Magnesium before bed.
- Nose strips: Although not the most attractive look, maxiumizing oxygen and nose breathing has been a game changer in my sleep patterns and data. I will even wear a nose strip or Breathe Right strip my entire morning.
- Sleep Cold: I crack my AC now, 65°F to 67°F, I find a colder room and heavy blanket allows me to fall asleep almost 2x faster on most nights.
Q: Are there any sleep technologies or apps, other than Whoop, that you’ve found particularly useful or insightful in understanding and improving your sleep?
Alec: I have friends and colleagues who use Oura Ring to track sleep data. However, my wife and I have been using Apollo recently and really found their haptic vibrations and sleep mode to be effective.
I am also a fan of sleep meditation apps, specifically those from Mindvalley. Calming the mind and listening to a meditation guides you into a state of mindfulness to really focus on relaxing the body and easing into sleep naturally.
Q: In your view, how does society’s understanding and relationship with sleep need to change, and how can we educate people about the importance of sleep from a younger age?
Alec: Our society's relationship with sleep is unfortunately dysfunctional in many ways. Especially with the consistent digital screen use that is keeping an entire generation awake at night. Sleep is often seen as a luxury or wasted time, rather than a biological necessity and optimization tool. This mindset needs to change.
We can better educate people, starting at a young age, by:
- Teaching children about sleep health in schools, explaining how lack of sleep impairs cognitive function, mood, focus, etc. Just as we teach nutrition and exercise.
- Advocating for later school start times for teens, in sync with natural sleep cycles. Lack of sleep hurts learning.
- Promoting public awareness campaigns on the importance of sleep and risks of sleep disorders. Like we've done for other health issues. I believe that we would see a dramtic decrease in public health issues if sleep and diet is optimized.
- Encouraging workplaces to adopt sleep-friendly policies—flexible schedules, nap breaks, limiting excessive overtime. Performance improves with adequate sleep. These practies in tech firms have had great success with napping pods.
- Celebrating positive role models who prioritize sleep as part of a healthy lifestyle—we should be making sleep cool. Although it’s never going to be as fun as a good Netflix binge, its essential for mental and physcial health.
With greater education and societal support, we can foster healthier sleep habits starting early in life. Sleep should be valued as a pillar of optimal health and productivity. There is still work to be done in shifting cultural mindsets, but growing awareness is an encouraging start.
Q: Any standout feedback or testimonials on how Slumber products affected sleep and wellness?
Alec: Beyond helping people fall asleep, the two larger benefits that really stand out are improved mood and pain relief. We have customers that express waking up in a better mood in the morning and feeling less stressed. Mood and sleep are very tightly correlated, so we love getting feedback about people waking up happier.
The other major benefit is pain relief. Many sleep aids on the market can get you to sleep, however, reducing inflammation is a whole different matter. Full Spectrum CBD's ability to aid inflammatory responses and joint/muscle pain is consistent feedback we receive. On a personal level, Slumber's Deep Zzzs helped me get through a tear in my shoulder that would wake me up at night when I rolled over.
Unlock Better Sleep and Wellness
A big thanks to Alec for sharing his expertise and personal experiences on the significance of sleep and its impact on our daily lives. As Alec emphasizes, it's all about discovering the right sleep routine that aligns with your individual needs. We're confident his insights will spark new ideas and methods for enhancing your sleep quality.
Stay in the loop! Subscribe on YouTube at @BlissyBrand or catch us on your favorite podcast platform to keep up with all things sleep and wellness.
