Cape Town - Making an impact on someone’s mental and physical health is what Barry Bridges strives for.
His passion for what he does as a sleep-recovering specialist and sports scientist has been reflected in his work as most of his clients walk away smiling.
Bridges assists corporates, athletes, DJs and music producers on how to get the most of their sleep, to become highly productive and perform better in their daily tasks and lives.
He said it is important to get enough rest.
“To optimise someone’s sleep will depend on their unique work/life schedule. I would say a good starting point is making sure you have a morning physical and mental recovery routine. This should include sunlight exposure of 30 minutes, high-protein breakfast and some basic movements. If you can do all three of these recovery habits within a 90-minute period after waking up then you should be off to a great start.
“Sleep needs will depend on your age. I would look at sleep in sleep cycles which we go through every 90 minutes at night. The focus would be to look at how many sleep cycles you are achieving at night. The goal would be to get three, four or five sleep cycles per night and then 30 to 35 sleep cycles per week. If you don't make up a sleep cycle in the evening you can always fit it into your day schedule like a sleep cycle during your nap period,” he said.
If someone does not get enough sleep, Bridges said it can affect them mentally and physically, which can lead to mental health disorders, cognitive decline, increase the risk of disease and obesity.
“When we don't sleep and get enough sleep our brains begin to overthink which puts us in stress mode. Our brain controls our sleep activity and habits. If we are too connected with cognitive arousal then we won't be able to switch off at night. You will find most mental health issues start off with poor sleep health which eventually leads to more serious problems,” he said.
He recently created a Successfulsleeper Performance Program for musicians, electronic DJs and music producers. The program looks at sleep science application tools, sleep science validated assessments, individual remote coach calls, sleep performance program, sleep diary, cognitive fitness plan, warm-up strategies before events and travel management for jet lag.
“The program is important because it helps them unlock their true performance using sleep as their secret weapon. The program helps these cognitive athletes prepare for their heavy schedules and when they travel. In addition, it will help them with fatigue, recovery and their overall well-being which is vital for the longevity of their careers,” he added.
South African DJ and music producer Mark Stent said: “After many years of travel, gigs and broken sleep, Barry has helped me understand and implement ways of working around my schedule to keep my most important resource efficient and effective, sleep.”
German music producer, artist and founder of Beier Beats Andre Beier said: “Barry is a cool guy. Through my music we started talking and so he found out that I have trouble sleeping. He gave me tips and after a short time my sleep improved by 100%. I highly recommend him. Great guy for both business and human purposes.”
For more information, email [email protected].
Weekend Argus