On Sleep

Google seems to be tracking me and noting my interest in sleep.  So it recommended this YouTube video for me on sleep.  It was well worth the watch.

The lecture was by Dr. Matthew P. Walker, researcher and director of the Center for Human Sleep Science at Berkley.  He spoke about all of the problems being caused by our chronically sleep-deprived culture, notably with respect to its influence on AD.  He emphasized the importance of deep sleep, which I'm not getting much of.  But he also said that REM sleep is valuable.

I hate the change from standard time to daylight saving time.  You probably do too.  He said that, the day after the change, we experience a 24% increase in heart attacks and traffic accidents.  The opposite occurs in the fall when we change back.  I believe that we're doing away with DST in Washington Sates sometime soon.

Another thing he noted is that sleep induced by chemical sedatives is not natural sleep and does not convey the benefits of natural sleep.  For me, that means forgetting the antidepressants my doctor was (unenthusiastically) talking about and focusing on getting normal sleep.  Things he said to do:

• Keep bedroom temperature low at night
• Keep regular hours, even on weekends
• Don't lie awake longer than 15-20 minutes, because you're training your brain that the bed is a place to be awake.  Get up and read a book or something, then go back to bed when you feel sleepy.   

I've been doing all of these things (and others), but I still struggle.

His recommendations are consistent with the classic book No More Sleepless Nights, by Peter Hauri (Mayo Clinic).