In Dan’s journey back to health and fitness, he discovered that no matter how much he improves his VO2 max, builds strength, or follows a healthy diet, progress remains limited without proper sleep.
In this episode, Dan delves into the crucial role sleep plays in every aspect of health, breaks down the four stages of sleep, and reveals how daily habits can either support or sabotage your rest.
He also explores how much sleep you need, whether it’s possible to get too much sleep, and shares practical tips to help you improve your sleep quality.
Additionally, Dan gives a personal update on his health and fitness journey so far.
00:00 Why getting better sleep benefits everything
00:36 Sleep deprivation was a badge of honour
01:12 What happens when you sleep?
01:19 The 4 stages of sleep
03:43 What are the effects of a bad sleep routine?
05:02 What are the benefits of sleep?
05:41 How much sleep do you need to be healthy?
06:28 What happens when you sleep too much?
06:59 Not everybody can get great sleep every night.
07:30 How do I improve my sleep?
12:56 Should I get a sleep tracker?
13:40 A personal update on my own journey to health and fitness
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49 Comments
No blinds? That is the dumbest thing I have heard for months
Smartphone use is a huge problem.
Jonas on the podium of the Tour de Pologne took a sip of champagne every time he stood on it. What do you think about it? Can such an amount of alcohol harm at such a high level of racing.
Go Danny! Thanks for sharing!
This video helped me fall asleep. Thanks Dan!
Really great series. Subbed and + notification bell specifically to watch Dan's journey and learn along the way. 👍👍
excellent video, thats what i value most
Superb Dan…..just brilliant 👍
https://youtube.com/@phamthe00024?si=9x5OlKzioeoFX_ZT
What are you doing up?
Very interesting , informative and thought provoking! And I like your presentation style Dan! Thank you😊
I haven't slept well for 12 years. Children 🙃 And then when I get better sleep, another one comes along…. I've got a few more years….. but I cannot blame it all on them, I have a lot of anxieties before bed….. 🫣
Thank you for the video! 👏👏👏
What about using tape while sleeping? Are you still doing that Dan?
The background music that plays under the speaker on both this segment and the update show is very distracting rendering it nearly unlistenable to me. Please consider dropping this music distraction. Thank you.
Did I hear right? No coffee for the first half hour after getting out of bed? Why would this be?
A really good video Dan. I used to only sleep 3 to 4 hours a night! I eventually went to the doctors and discovered I had sleep apnoea. I now use a mask and a CPAP machine which meant I now get 6 hours plus. I also agree with Alcohol and Caffeine so do as you have suggested already. (I drink decaf coffee after midday) keep up the good work!!
Great information! Thank you, Dan!
RE Alcohol.. Guinness 0.0 tastes good 🙂 I drink a few of these rather than my usual ales to stop me drinking a pint or two a day !!
A thorough but concise sleep master class. Nice one Dan 😊
Thanks Dan, that way very interesting & informative, a very good information video.
When older I find injuries take longer to heel. I don’t skip gym days I work around them. This keeps the routine going and most results of lifting are achieved.
,
Absolutely love how honest you are about your journey! This is very valuable to people to understand that the path is not simple and to allow yourself some missteps, but to keep going!
I had tennis elbow for ages, tried resting it, then tried exercising it but nothing helped, after about 6 months went to physio and they gave me specific tennis elbow fixin exercise and it fixed up in couple of weeks
Have found sugar just before bed will fuel another hour and a half of wide awake.
Low lighting makes a big difference for me too. If I'm going from bright lights to bed I've made my peace with the fact it will take a while for my body to adjust. Also just use phone light if i need to go to to toilet middle of the night rather than lighting up whole rooms
The Edward Norton of GCN
REM reenactment
Brilliant
Yep HRV affected by beers or late night intervals shocking when seen backed by data, especially late night training I never knew. Fab series Dan 👍
Young Mary Allen Donna Young Donald
I stayed up late just to watch this!
Would be awesome to keep this going beyond 6 months! These videos are great. Only constructive feedback: not all research all equal. For instance, lots of research on creatine is funded by companies that make it. Would appreciate deeper look into what research you are citing and whether the claims you are making are actually validated by neutral high quality sources.
Great videos Dan and very informative.
Can I ask where you purchase your magnesium from please ?
Very thoughtfully instrospective episode at the end.
As others have commented these videos are brilliant Dan.. no product promotions just your real world experience and your journey 😊 your really capturing the audience.. 😊 great job dude keep up the great work. Have to say I don’t sleep more than about 6hrs I’ve always been the same, I do go to bed early same time and get up very early, I ensure I don’t watch stressful tv programs, I do sometimes have a little something to eat before bed which I find helps for me to go to sleep. I drink de caf after about midday although I have on occasion drank a normal coffee and fell straight to sleep 😅 I use an eye mask to.. I used whoop band for a while but to expensive for me.. Pete 🚴🏻👍
A lot makes sense now, thank you for the insight.
Great Series Dan .
Is There Any Marginal Gains Advantage Sleeping Under Emma J Shipley?
Great to see GCN branching out like this
These videos are great Dan! Please keep up the good work!
7-8 beers on a night? That's what I call a drinking problem.
To fall asleep, I just listen to Lanterne Rouge and I'm gone.
Thanx for this Dan, love your advice and honesty.
Loved this episode! Thanks! If you get an injury from running and cycling- go swimming with the GTN crew!
Some super useful stuff there, Dan. I think for me, making good sleep a priority is one of the trickiest to realise. Rearranging my daily routine to incorporate the 'small things' that have a significant effect are my biggest challenges: No early coffee, no after-work beer and exposure the 'real' sunlight, for example. Haven't tried a tracker, but may give 'Whoop' a go. It seems to have helped you. Thanks 🙂
Loving your journey Dan….so easy to absorb the info. Inspiring me to look at my own lifestyle choices.
Of all the facts I've learnt in this video, that Dan doesn't have any form of curtain in his bedroom – blows my mind.
Very interesting video. I have been using a Garmin wearable and it's transformed my attitide to alcohol. It's SO deleterious to sleep quality and bad sleep makes your training less useful. I prefer training and being fit/fast to the pleasure of beer.
Freakin' awesome vid!
Alcohol is bad for everything and everybody but the alcohol industry
Great topic. My wife LOVES her sleep and she has found all the hacks. Just like said here: no alcohol, no screen 30 min prior to sleep, fixed bed times, no caffeine the 2nd part of the day dark room and eye mask, no food before sleep but also hot bath or shower before bed, chamomile/green tea, cooler temperature in the room, et voila!
Fantastic video, as usual in this series ! At 38, I'm also trying to get to the best shape of my life, and hopefully maintain most of it for a long time. Dan, physio here, I can't stress enough the importance of being careful with the gym. Your shoulder and elbow pain might very well be related to an excessive workload. Joints, tendons and bone density adapt as you lift weights, but not as fast as muscle. What helped me recover from serious overuse injuries (and preventing new ones) is the Mechanical Stress Quantification concept. I highly recommend to anyone reading this to learn about this. It was a game changer for me, it can be for you ! Cheers 😚
So I usually get half the stages of sleep. Dang it. No muscle repair.