52. Sleep, Part 1

Full Scope Human Longevity

Summary

Sleep is the most important thing a person can do for themself. Getting 8 hours of quality sleep equals better cognition (thinking), better body function, less disease, and a longer lifespan.

Morbidity and Mortality

At least 20% of automobile accidents have been linked to sleep deprivation. Teenagers that start school earlier get lower test scores than those who start later. Doctors make more errors and kill more people when sleep deprived. Without sleep, a person will die.

Story

All known animals sleep. Some bats sleep almost 20 hours a day, while giraffes sleep < 2 hours a day. Birds and marine mammals can sleep half of their brain at a time.

Key Points

1. Sleep is a physiologic state that consists of various stages including light sleep, deep sleep, and REM sleep.

2. Most all people need > 7 hours of sleep a night to function optimally. Many of us are functioning sub-optimally and undermining our longevity through a lack of sleep.

3. Many medical diseases effect sleep. Being unhealthy appears to be both a cause of bad sleep as well as an effect of getting suboptimal sleep.

4. Improving sleep starts with improving lifestyle. Paying attention to light exposure is also very important. Grounding, cognitive behavioral therapy, certain types of sound, and sleep hygiene can also be useful. Many supplements can be helpful as well. Medications should be used as a last resort to help with sleep.

References

- Walker, Matthew. Why We Sleep; Unlocking the Power of Sleep and Dreams. Scribner. 2017

- Troynikov O, Watson CG, Nawaz N. Sleep environments and sleep physiology: A review. J Therm Biol. 2018

- Lowe CJ, Safati A, Hall PA. The neurocognitive consequences of sleep restriction: A meta-analytic review. Neurosci Biobehav Rev. 2017

- Owens JA, Weiss MR. Insufficient sleep in adolescents: causes and consequences. Minerva Pediatr. 2017

- https://courses.drhyman.com/sleep-course-own

- Getting a Good Night’s Sleep. NIH. https://www.nia.nih.gov/health/good-nights-sleep

- Brain Basics: Understanding sleep. https://www.ninds.nih.gov/Disorders/Patient-Caregiver-Education/Understanding-Sleep

- Stages of Sleep. https://www.sleepfoundation.org/how-sleep-works/stages-of-sleep

- How much do animals sleep. https://faculty.washington.edu/chudler/chasleep.html

- https://www.nih.gov/news-events/nih-research-matters/gene-identified-people-who-need-little-sleep