I'll Sleep When I'm Dead
Sleep has always fascinated me. We've all known (or have been) that person who sees it as a badge of honor to *not* sleep. But a statement like "Ah, I only need 5 hours a night" simply isn't true, and this podcast is a good reminder of what I've learned over the years and how insidious lack of sleep can be. There's no escaping the serious downsides. So as a gentle public service announcement, I thought I'd share this for your listening pleasure and summarize here. Go to sleep! It's more important than answering another e-mail.
- There is a direct causation (not correlation) between lack of sleep and increased "all cause" death. If you don't sleep enough, odds are that you won't live as long as those who do. If that doesn't startle you, the rest of these won't!
- Lack of sleep = lack of concentration and lack of recall.
- Sleep in a cool, dark place and put your screens away 30-60 minutes before you want to sleep. Your brain can't go from "full on" to "dead stop" in 30 seconds.
- You can't "catch up" on sleep this weekend. Unfortunately, it just doesn't work that way. Once the damage of the week is done, those 11 hours on Saturday night aren't enough.
- Sleeping pills aren't producing sleep. They're producing sedation. That's a big difference to your brain / body.
- Caffeine...oh, how we love caffeine. And it's just not really very good for your brain.
- And finally, research is showing a link between lack of sleep and Alzheimer's.
Unfortunately, there's an expectation that we need to be "on" 24/7, and that has gotten so much easier the past ten years as smart phones and tablets have spread everywhere. Sleep is so important, and I hope you all have a good one tonight!
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7yJason Bourne, famous Robert Ludlum fictional character said, "Sleep is a weapon." And yes, lack of sleep is a contributing factor to dementia.
I find it almost hilarious that not sleeping = strength in our society. Sleep is scientifically proven to be biologically necessary for long term memory, health, and happiness. When you are well-rested you are more productive! You are less likely to make mistakes! You are happier!