Snow Shoveling Contributes to a 95 Sleep Score

Snow Shoveling Contributes to a 95 Sleep Score

My cell phone tells me it feels like -22º this morning as the sun rises over a thick, mattress-sized layer of fresh snow that fell throughout the day yesterday. After two full rounds of snow shoveling, I’m happy to report that my sleep score hit an impressive 95.

We get a brief reprieve today, but rounds two and three of winter storms are on their way, arriving Friday and Saturday. This is what my sleep report looks like:

The dark blue areas on the bottom row represent deep sleep. The next row up shows light sleep, while the light blueindicates REM sleep. The red areas represent the times I was awake. To reach the 'blue zone', my awake time needs to be below 10% of my total sleep. I'm excited to report that my awake time was only 32 minutes (6%), with:

• REM sleep: 1 hour 54 minutes (24%)
• Light sleep: 3 hours 55 minutes
• Deep sleep: 1 hour 27 minutes (18%)

The Role of Food in Sleep and Recovery

Another key factor in sleep quality is food intake. Last Saturday, during our cardio tennis session, I chatted with Ann, one of the participants who volunteered to practice with me afterward. It turns out Ann has her own lab at the University of Iowa, where she focuses on cancer research, particularly in the head and neck area.

Ann also studied nutrition while playing #1 and #2 singles for Iowa State University in her junior and senior years. We had a fascinating conversation about sugar, ketones, and how to kill cancer cells. You may meet Ann in an upcoming Vlog interview, as her expertise aligns perfectly with the ideas in Live Long and Prosper.

When I shared my eating habits with her, she pointed out that I’m likely in a state of ketosis for most of the day.

A Day in Ketosis: What I Ate Yesterday

Yesterday was a great example of how to reach ketosis naturally. My first meal of the day was four slices of Tillamook cheese in the morning. To prepare for snow shoveling, I hydrated with Re-Lyte to boost my electrolytes.

My only full meal was at noon, right in the middle of the snowstorm. I barbecued burgers, topped them with more Tillamook cheese, and paired them with black beans, cottage cheese, and organic blueberries. My wife and I shared two glasses of cabernet sauvignon, and I added a third glass later in the evening to celebrate round two of snow removal in our driveway.

The Crazy Part: No Aches, No Fatigue

Here's the surprising part: I woke up feeling wide awake, with zero aches and pains from all the shoveling. Even though I didn’t eat much, I never felt food-deprived. My physical recovery score came in at 94%, and my mental recovery was 93%.

It looks like I’ll be repeating this routine over the next couple of days. Have a great day, and stay warm!