Justin Verlander: The Astros’ Ace and Sleep Guru

Dom Smith of the NY Mets has vastly improved after he learned he had sleep apnea and treated it. Obviously Verlander is on to something that we can all learn from.

I always loved my bedroom windows with our southern exposure because I love light. But we just installed blackout shades and now having the best sleep ever. Thanks, Justin, for suggesting 10 hours. I feel a good night’s sleep helps in problem solving, healing the body, resting the eyes. I think of that old computer term, “defraging,” as the brain reorganizes. I agree, Prince Hal lost a great Yankee!

Way back in the day sleep deprivation was ubiquitous and dangerous on all levels. I had a Huey pilot who either flew or slept. It showed in his performance. Amphetamines could get you just so far, then it was crash and burn... USN 1967-71 Vietnam 1968

And I'd certainly value sleep over television, any television, and social networking.

I worked at a trainer for many actors in the movie business perparing them fro roles and keeping them healthy when shooting. They are often deprived of a good nights sleep and it shows in their physical presence and performance. Not everyone can get a full nights sleep but when I was being taught how to train people i was always told, "sleep and recovery is an integral part of the strength and conditioning routine.

Many elite athletes slept a lot, including Seabiscuit.

Sleep is as close to a miracle drug as you can get: heals your body, repairs your mind, helps you lose weight, helps you focus, improves your mood, and costs $0.

Well, when you have Kate Upton waiting for you at home ...

Every time I read about Verlander or whenever the Yankees face him I think Hal Steinbrenner are you nuts? This guy was available and you dithered. Sure, big boppers are entertaining this guy wins World Series. Haven't you heard Prince Hal? In the postseason pitching rules.

This article is nothing more than a collection of anecdotes.

I've never felt better now that I get more sleep. I also eat mostly a Paleo diet and zero sugar. It made me laugh that baseball players finish their games at 11 and have to be at the stadium at 1 pm. I"ll start working at 630 am. Finish at times at 11 pm and come back at 630. Suck it up!!

Sleep is the best thing you can do for yourself! I shamelessly do it for as long as I can whenever I can. Find your best sleep time: early evenings, late late mornings and do it. Try it for a couple of weeks and I promise you will feel better, look better. Remember, sleep deprivation is the foundation of all tortures. Torturers wouldn’t be doing it if it didn’t work!

Consider sleep a superpower. It is the foundation upon which physical and psychological vitality is built. Set an intention today to prioritize sleep. Your future self will thank you. #DareToBeVital.

Human beings evolved biologically DNA genetic evolutionary fit in Africa 300, 000 years ago. By nature and nurture humans are programmed to crave fat, salt, sugar, habitat, water, kin and sex by any means necessary including conflict and cooperation. Because fat and salt and sugar were very hard to find and humans were active hunter gatherers with a life expectancy of 35-40 years old until the last century, sleep was a royal human ruler luxury. While what we call race aka color is an evolutionary fit pigmented response to varying levels of solar radiation at different altitudes and latitudes primarily related to producing Vitamin D and protecting genes from damaging mutations. Justin Verlander is not built and designed for spear throwing beneath an African grasslands sun.

As a Detroiter, I miss JV so much. Like Tom Brady, he is a competitor to the end. Hates to lose, hates to be taken out of any game, and simply will do anything to be the best. Sort of a Megan Rapinoe of MLB.

I count down the days to "sleep late day" a/k/a Saturday when I get to sleep an hour+ longer than the work week!

One thing I know for sure is that if I get 8 hours or more of sleep each night I feel much better the following day.

Also, might be good strategy for avoiding spot drug screens.

Couldn’t agree more. Sleep is the most underrated (and inexpensive) cure for physical, and especially mental, ills.

Look no further than Dominic Smith, Mets OF, a tremendously talented player who has broken through in a big way because he addressed his problem with sleep apnea. Now that he has enough sleep, his bat speed has improved, and he has become a very good major league hitter.

Hahahha, funny. They receive "some help" with their newborn. Why not acknowledge the care work that actually allows you to sleep and work this much? What about the cooks, nannies, and cleaners that they most likely have ?

Our culture focuses on muscle mass as the measure of strength. Muscles don't need sleep so much as the brain does. Sleep allows time for metabolic housekeeping in the brain to keep the chemical balance in the neural pathways required for alertness and motor patterning. Sleep is not required for energy pathways to restore fuel to muscles. So much for early to bed and early to rise, early bird gets the worm. Plenty of worms. Well, used to be.

Several years after my kids were born and after I’d dealt with a family sickness, I realized I was a mess. I was getting very little productive sleep, working too much, eating poorly and not exercising. I had fixed my exercise and eating habits and was in better shape, but I often still felt sluggish and was chalking it up to age. Finally, about 18 months ago, I decided to start going to bed device-free around 9pm every night, typically waking at 7. On weekends, I sleep until about 11. Ever since getting 9-12 hours a night, I feel much better, more energized and more productive. For years, we’ve been told that the best and most successful people in business sleep 2-3 hours (Martha Stewart and P Diddy among others were held up for a while as shining examples of the “little sleep” phenomenon). I am glad that people are “waking up” by going back to sleep.

Just more evidence for those of us fighting cities' use of daylight colored light at night in both LED street and security lighting. There is no doubt that is part of the cause of an epidemic of sleep deprivation. Today there is this article about Verlander and another finding that the use of marijuana is often just to get some sleep. There is a solution: all lighting at night needs to be shielded, the minimum intensity needed, and lower blue, or on the warmer side of the spectrum. Computer and phone makers recognized this a long time ago.

Despite some of the skeptical comments below, this article draws attention to an important and overlooked element of good health. As a society, we've grown increasingly aware of the importance of good nutrition and exercise to overall health. There's a growing body of scientific evidence, however, that getting a good night's sleep is just as essential to peak performance as exercise and nutrition. For several years now, professional sports leagues have been restructuring their travel schedules to accommodate this reality. The medical profession has begun to realize this too and it has affected the way hospitals schedule their staffs' on-duty hours. Unfortunately, however, many elements of society still seem to view sleep as a form of self-indulgence and the willingness to forego it as a sign of strength.

The post 1995 world with the advent of internet then mobile phones then smartphones and finally social media had wrecked havoc on the sleep schedules of us, the city dwellers. In my village (remote central India) where they still struggle with having 24 hours electricity or cellphone towers, even this day,as the night falls by 6pm, until the dusk 5am next morning, there is hardly anything to do. So most folks there as well get their sleep quota of 10 hours daily. Sometimes no-progress is a blessing disguise.

Because Mr. Verlander is a bit older than his wife, it's great that he's being mindful and taking steps to sustain his good health to the max extent he can. As the years go by, that level of care for his health is likely to be of help to not just himself, but the family as well.

I think you need to experiment to find your sleep number. Sleep is one factor of health and probably shouldn't be viewed out of context of our overall balance and constitution. Verlander is a top athlete, a racehorse if you will. His needs are going to be quite different than an office worker, a gardener or a musician. I haven't read Why We Sleep yet. I have heard there are great insights to be found there. Surely the most important thing is to get enough sleep to restore our bodies and minds. Each of us is different so it is likely that the number of hours needed is variable.

When people tell me "You're going to regret that in the morning," I sleep in until noon because I'm a problem solver.

This account seems grounded in the unlikely premiss that 10 hours is what we would all sleep if we could, if we did not wake ourselves artificially. The more likely and empirically supported number would be 8, for most. But why ten? Why not seal the windows and go for 12 or 14? A rather dubious proposition overall.

If I only had to work once every five days, I’d sleep 12 hours a night, too.

After working shift work for thirty five years, I still find myself going to bed late and getting up early, probably averaging about four hours a night of sleep. My father was the same way. I guess we both paid the price for messing with our internal clocks.

I know I certainly feel better after a good rest. Sleeping for physical recovery seems like common sense. I think sleeping well also helps a troubled mind. Mr. Brantley, when I have trouble going to sleep, I imagine my mind a cluttered eraser board, I pick up the eraser and wipe the board clean. I focus in on the clean board, my cleared mind... it works for me. Silly as it sounds. PS: Go 'Stros!!

Is this a sort of euphemism? "Verlander praised his wife, the model Kate Upton, who has some help caring for their daughter, for allowing him to recover as much as needed during the season." (Is "having some help" a new code for a nanny?) BY the way: their combined income is about $100 million......not jealous, just pointing it out. I actually like Verlander, a lot.