Your spend a third of your life asleep...
time spent asleep
your life
If you live 80 years...
you’ll spend 27 of them asleep.
Think it matters yet?
Sleep is the most powerful drug available.
No amount of testosterone, caffeine, or anti-inflammatories will compensate for a bad night’s sleep.
For performance, mental health, and well-being, nothing comes close.
It sharpens focus, speeds recovery, strengthens resilience, and supports every system in your body; yet it’s often the first thing we sacrifice.
Here’s what’s really happening while you sleep…
Body
Insufficient sleep significantly impacts heart health. Sleep helps regulate stress hormones like cortisol and reduces the risk of cardiovascular disease.
Adults who sleep less than 6 hours per night have a 200% higher risk of heart attack or stroke due to the effects of sleep deprivation on heart rate and blood pressure.
Studies from countries that observe Daylight Saving Time reveal a 21% decrease in heart attacks on days with an extra hour of sleep and a 24% increase on days when an hour is lost.
Portal isn’t just about more hours; it’s about better hours. Users with health trackers like Whoop, Oura, or Apple Watch consistently report falling asleep faster and spending more time in that crucial deep sleep stage that your body needs to repair and rejuvenate.
Sleep is crucial for a strong immune system. During sleep, your body produces and releases cytokines, proteins that target infection and inflammation, effectively creating an immune response.
Chronic sleep deprivation can reduce the production of these protective cytokines, making you more susceptible to illnesses and infections.
Quality sleep is essential for regulating leptin and ghrelin, two key hormones that control hunger and fullness.
Sleep-deprived individuals have suppressed leptin and increased ghrelin levels, leading to an extra 200–300 calorie intake per day and cravings for high-carb, sugary foods. When deprived of sleep, dieters tend to lose 70% of their weight from lean muscle mass instead of fat.
This happens because the body holds onto fat cells for essential energy. Additionally, sleep deficit impairs insulin response, increasing the risk of hyperglycemia and diabetes.
Did you know that 70% of Human Growth Hormone production occurs during Deep (Slow Wave) Sleep? This hormone plays a crucial role in cell and tissue repair.
Statistics reveal that sleep-deprived athletes are 60% more likely to get injured compared to those who get 8 hours of sleep or more.
This higher injury risk is largely due to the breakdown of stability muscles during inadequate sleep.
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Hormones
Cortisol isn’t just the stress hormone—it’s your body’s daily “go” button. Levels peak naturally before waking and rise another 38–75% within 30–45 minutes after you open your eyes, a phenomenon called the Cortisol Awakening Response.
This morning surge helps prime your brain for focus and energy. But when sleep is disrupted or shortened, this rhythm gets thrown off—leaving you feeling scattered, wired, and not nearly as ready to tackle the day.
Sleep isn’t one-size-fits-all—especially for women. Shifts in estrogen and progesterone across the month change how your body regulates temperature, circadian rhythms, and even cortisol levels. That’s why sleep problems are more common during the late luteal phase or PMS, and why inconsistent rest may increase menstrual irregularity risk by as much as 46%. When Portal helps stabilize sleep patterns, it’s doing more than improving rest—it’s anchoring your entire hormonal rhythm.
Testosterone fuels muscle growth, energy, and competitive drive—and it’s built overnight. During deep sleep, especially in slow-wave stages, your body ramps up testosterone production to its peak. Miss out on quality rest and levels can drop by as much as 10–15% after just one week of restricted sleep, a hit comparable to aging a decade. This isn’t just about physical performance—low testosterone can dull focus, lower motivation, and slow recovery between challenges.
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Brain
Ever heard the saying "sleep on a problem"? It's based on science. Sleep enhances problem-solving skills by merging past memories with current challenges.
Research shows significant improvement in word recall for those who sleep before a test, as the brain compartmentalizes information during sleep, fostering better learning and retention.
Brain scans of sleep-deprived individuals reveal a 60% surge in amygdala activity, the brain region associated with negative emotions.
Over time, this heightened activity raises the risk of anxiety disorders, depression, and social isolation.
REM sleep helps you process emotional information and inputs from the day, allowing you to work through them and maintain mental health.
The Glymphathic system is the brain's waste disposal mechanism, effectively eliminating harmful substances. During sleep, its activity increases tenfold, showing heightened efficiency in purging compounds like beta-amyloids, which are linked to Alzheimer's disease.
Sleep, particularly REM sleep, plays a vital role in consolidating memories and knowledge. It acts as a conduit, transferring information from the hippocampus (short-term memory) to the cerebral cortex (long-term memory).
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The Stages of Sleep
Your body’s natural daily rhythms are regulated by structures in the brain that help determine when you fall asleep and wake up.
People progress through a series of distinct physiological stages during sleep. Each stage serves an important purpose in keeping your brain and body healthy. During the night, these stages of quiet sleep alternate with periods of REM (dreaming) sleep.
Quiet sleep helps restore the body, while REM sleep restores the mind and is crucial for learning and memory.
Stage N1
In making the transition from wakefulness into light sleep, you spend about five minutes in stage N1 sleep. Body temperature begins to drop, muscles relax, and eyes often move slowly from side to side. People in stage N1 sleep lose awareness of their surroundings but are easily jarred awake.
Stage N2
This first stage of true sleep lasts 10 to 25 minutes. Your eyes are still, and your heart rate and breathing are slower than when awake. Large, slow brain waves intermingle with brief bursts of activity called sleep spindles. You spend about half the night in stage N2 sleep.
Stage N3
Large, slow brain waves called delta waves surface, and you enter deep sleep. Breathing becomes more regular, blood pressure falls, and the pulse slows. The brain is less responsive to external stimuli, making it difficult to wake the sleeper. Deep sleep is a time for your body to renew and repair itself. Blood flow is directed less toward your brain, which cools measurably. At the beginning of this stage, the pituitary gland releases a pulse of growth hormone that stimulates tissue growth and muscle repair.
REM Sleep
Dreaming occurs during REM (rapid eye movement) sleep, an “active brain in a paralyzed body” state where your brain races and your eyes move rapidly behind closed lids while your body remains still. REM sleep is believed to restore your mind by clearing out irrelevant information. Studies show REM sleep enhances learning and memory, with sleep deprivation leading to cognitive decline. Thus, the quality and time spent in REM sleep are crucial for cognitive function.
Sleep is a superpower
At Portal, we believe that quality sleep is the foundation of a vibrant, productive life. Sleep is not a luxury—it's a necessity that fuels every aspect of our well-being. From physical performance and recovery to mental health and cognitive function, quality sleep is the key to unlocking your full potential.
Imagine a life where you wake up feeling truly refreshed, ready to tackle each day with energy and focus.
Where your body is stronger, your mind is sharper, and your mood is consistently positive. This is the transformative power of sleep. It's not just about the number of hours you spend with your eyes closed, but the quality of those hours.