Sleep Coach Q&A
with Shannon Glenn, GMAT Ninja Sleep Expert
Shannon Glenn is a Certified Adult and Pediatric Sleep Consultant, with more than 20 years of experience as a sleep coach. She also holds a degree in psychology, and focuses on helping clients develop a worry-free mindset around sleep.
You can read more about Shannon on her profile.
why is sleep important for a cognitive test like the GMAT or GRE?
Poor sleep can negatively impact your memory, creativity and logical reasoning. Not getting enough sleep has been proven to impact one’s ability to perform their best in all areas of academics.
I’m nervous for my test. What can I do to get good sleep in the days leading up to my test date?
That’s a great question! Having a good sleep plan that you work on for days (or even weeks) before the test day is going to give you the best results. Eat a well-balanced diet, have a consistent sleep schedule from day to day, keep a consistent evening and morning ritual, and try to do some exercise daily.
How much sleep do I really need to perform my best on a test like the GMAT or GRE?
Research has found when needing to perform at a high cognitive level you should get at least 8 hours of sleep a night.
But I don’t feel tired very often. Maybe I’m different from most people?
There is a small percent, about 5%, of the general population that can survive well on less than 7 hours of sleep. So there is a small chance you could be different from most people. If you feel refreshed when you wake, don't get tired during the day, and fall asleep easily at bedtime on less than 7 hours of sleep, then you may need less sleep than others.
What if I just don’t have time for a full night of sleep?
That would be like saying “what if I don’t have time to eat?”
Sleep, diet and exercise are the three pillars to a healthy lifestyle. The reality is your body will make you sleep eventually because you need sleep to stay alive.
So the question is how much sleep do you need and what is the ideal sleep schedule that will work with your lifestyle. A full night of sleep for you might look different than a full night of sleep for someone else.
How do I know that I need to improve my sleep?
You should think about your sleep quality if you:
Feel really tired after you wake up in the morning.
Feel tired or drowsy throughout the day.
Rely on caffeinated beverages to function.
Take more than 30 minutes to fall asleep at night.
I’m in bed for 8 hours a night, but still feel like I’ve been hit by a truck in the morning. What can I do to wake up in a better state of mind?
There are a few reasons why this can happen.
It could be that you are in bed for 8 hours but you don’t really sleep much more than 6 hours so you are still tired. It could be that your sleep schedule varies too much from day to day which will leave you feeling tired in the morning. It could be that you have the wrong sleep schedule for your body clock.
Lastly, you may want to be checked by a sleep physician to ensure you don’t have sleep apnea or any kind of obstructed airway that is preventing you from getting quality sleep.
Is there actual evidence that quantifies the impact of sleep on mental performance?
Sleep research has been around for over 100 years, however the growing acceptance on the importance of adequate amounts of quality sleep has really only been acknowledged for about the last 30+ years.
Peer-reviewed research on memory consolidation and recall, problem-solving, judgement and creativity are now being conducted every year, and it is widely accepted that adequate and quality sleep impacts mental performance.
As a sleep coach, what kinds of advice do you give to your clients?
A sleep coach doesn’t just tell you that you should get more sleep and go to bed earlier, quite honestly that is not at all what we say. Ensuring your bedtime lines up with your body clock and lifestyle is more important.
We want you to get as quality sleep as you can and need with the proper sleep schedule that works for you. We also assess your daytime activities and make recommendations to ensure that what you do during your day is positively impacting your sleep.
What actually happens in a sleep coaching session?
That depends on the sleep issues a person is dealing with. In general we discuss strategies for you to gradually make habit changes to promote the best natural sleep you can get. So we pull you off all sleep aids (if applicable), develop healthy sleep hygiene and a healthy sleep schedule to achieve the right amount of sleep for you.
How much sleep coaching do most people need before they see results?
That also depends on the sleep issues a person is dealing with. For someone with minimal sleep issues they likely will see results within a week. For someone with more significant sleep issues, it likely will take up to 6 weeks before they are feeling more rested and sleeping better.
Do you offer a free initial consultation? How much does sleep coaching cost?
Yes, I offer a free 15 minute intake call. This is where I can learn more about your sleep and see if it's necessary for you to improve your sleep or if there are ways you can optimize it to ensure you are able to perform your best.
After this initial call, we determine what kind of coaching would be best for you. Depending on what your needs are, the cost of a coaching package ranges from $125 to $595.