Thread by @marginalideas

Book 15 - Why We Sleep: Unlocking the Power of Sleep and Dreams by Matthew Walker

One of the off-track books that I read recently. An amazing, in-depth look at sleep, the research behind it, and its huge array of benefits – mentally, emotionally and physically.

1. Key takeaways are 12 sleeping habits, which though not unknown, forms a basis of detailed discussion around sleep - Consistent sleep schedule, getting early morning sunlight, tech free bedroom are key habits.

2. There is no major organ and function which doesn't improve with good sleep and which doesn't deteriorate exponentially with lack of sleep.

Sleep helps with memory, learning, making rational decisions, being emotionally stable, helping us maintain weight, boosting our...

...immune system, consolidating memories, giving the brain a “virtual reality” space to play out ideas and memories and put them into long-term storage

3. There is a clear truth to "Sleep over something" saying - helps consolidate memories and put them into long-term storage.

4. There are three easy questions to determine if you’re sleep deprived: Do you wake up without an alarm? Could you fall asleep by 11am? Could you function at a high level without caffeine?

5. Sleeping at night because of melatonin and when it tells our body to sleep - Being a night person has its own genetic issues - And there is no replacement for proper sleep – not caffeine, not willpower, not brief naps, nothing.

6. This would stir up many - Caffeine has a longer half life than most people realize: a cup at lunch could still be affecting you by bedtime so that you don’t get as deep of a sleep as you otherwise would. Avoid caffeine anytime after 11 am.

7. Catching up on sleep is a losing game - 10 consecutive days of 7hours of sleep (instead of 8) impairs you as much as going a full day without sleep - Weekend sleeping in is NOT a solution and brain can't accurately assess how sleep deprived it is when it is sleep-deprived!

8. The consequences of above are drastic -You would think that if you normally sleep 8 hours and cut off 2 hours in the morning, that you’re losing 25%, right? Nope – because of sleep cycles and their timing, you could be losing around 60-90% of vital REM sleep.

9. REM sleep is one of the most important things that has shaped us evolutionarily and helps us with our complex socio-cultural and emotional signals that we have to deal with as being part of a complex society...

...And, equally as important, REM sleep seems to help with creativity and these two factors help to humans get on top of the world hierarchy extremely quickly.

REM sleep and dreaming are necessary for emotional healing to take place after difficult or traumatic events

10. When we suffer from lack of sleep, we revert to a more primordial reactive state where we don’t consider the broader picture, true context, or the people we are dealing with and it is partially responsible for when you just “snap”.

Lack of dreaming distorts basic abilities

11. Basic abilities like ability to recognize faces and facial patterns, reduce problem-solving abilities and ability to connect dots - It reduces ability to move from facts to wisdom.

12. Snooze buttons are terrible since it destroys sleep cycle.

Lack fo sleep lacks to ADHD. And many other issues.

13. Author suggests a sleep credit system which can be measured and rewarded in either financial terms or vacations. Some firms have already implemented this.

14. Conclusion - A must read for all looking to improve performance. Both physical and mental performance.

Most overlooked aspect, needs serious attention. And serious fixing. I am fixing it.