The World’s No.1 Sleep Expert: The 6 Sleep Hacks You NEED! Matthew Walker

Name: The World’s No.1 Sleep Expert: The 6 Sleep Hacks You NEED! Matthew Walker
Uploaded: 2023-03-09T08:00:12.000Z
Duration: 4 h 10 min 41 s

The Importance of Sleep

In this section, Matthew Walker, a neuroscientist and best-selling author, discusses the importance of sleep and how it affects our health.

Sleep Loss Epidemic

There is a global sleep loss epidemic caused by modern society's focus on productivity over rest.

Insufficient sleep can lead to obesity, cardiovascular disease, mental health conditions, and muscle loss.

Lack of sleep is the single most effective thing that you can do to reset your brain and body health.

Redesigning Society for Better Sleep

Caffeine consumption hurts sleep in three ways.

Sleep is the elixir of life and Mother Nature's best effort at immortality.

There is a global sleep loss epidemic due to lack of knowledge about the importance of sleep.

Thank You for Watching!

In this section, the host expresses gratitude towards viewers for supporting their show and announces plans to scale it further.

Show Growth

The show has grown thanks to viewer support.

Plans are underway to scale the show further and diversify guest selection.

Viewers can help by subscribing to the channel.

Defining the Science of Sleep

In this section, Matthew Walker talks about how he became interested in studying sleep and what led him to pursue a career in neuroscience.

Journey into the Science of Sleep

During his PhD, Matthew was studying people with dementia and trying to understand what type of dementia they had.

He realized that he was measuring his patients at the wrong time - when they were awake instead of when they were asleep.

Started measuring patients while they slept and got amazing results.

Began to wonder if sleep problems are not simply a symptom of dementia but a potential cause.

Why Study Sleep?

Some of the greatest minds in the past 100 years have tried to answer a very simple question: why do we sleep?

There seems to be no physiological system in your body or operation of your mind that isn't wonderfully enhanced when you get enough sleep or demonstrably impaired when you don't get enough.

Matthew fell in love with the topic and has been studying it for over 20 years.

Why Do We Sleep?

In this section, the speaker discusses why sleep is a puzzling question from an evolutionary perspective and how it has evolved with life itself on this planet.

Evolutionary Perspective

Sleep is utterly idiotic from an evolutionary perspective because it does not contribute to finding a mate, reproducing, foraging for food, caring for young or protecting oneself from predation.

Despite being strongly selected against during evolution, sleep has fought its way through heroically every step along the evolutionary path. This suggests that sleep must be essential at the most basic of biological levels.

Importance of Sleep

Sleep restocks the weaponry in your immune arsenal and makes you more immune-sensitive.

It regulates blood sugar levels, controls appetite hormones and sex hormones like testosterone and estrogen.

It fixates memories upstairs within the brain and helps you learn and remember.

It deescalates anxiety, reduces emotional difficulties and traumas.

It cleanses away Alzheimer's toxic proteins that build up in the brain.

Uni Hemispheric Sleep

In this section, the speaker explains what uni-hemispheric sleep is and which animals can do it.

Uni-Hemispheric Sleep

Uni-hemispheric sleep is when one half of your brain falls asleep while the other half stays awake.

Only a few species can do this such as aquatic mammals like dolphins who need to maintain aquatic mobility by surfacing for air.

Birds also have uni-hemispheric sleep where they will have one eye closed while sleeping with one half of their brain and the other eye open while the other half of their brain is awake.

This allows them to have a 360-degree assessment of their surroundings, especially when they are in a flock.

Sleeping in Tribes

Living in tribes means that individuals can rest at different times and cover each other's backs.

The Importance of Sleep and Chronotypes

In this section, the speaker discusses the importance of sleep and how it is hard-coded into our biology. He also introduces the concept of chronotypes and explains how they are determined by genetics.

Sleep is Essential

Sleep is essential for brain and body benefits.

Mother Nature has wired us to require sleep.

You can't get away from sleep.

Understanding Chronotypes

Chronotype refers to whether you are a morning type, evening type, or somewhere in between.

Your chronotype is hard-coded and determined by genetics.

There are at least 22 different genes that dictate your chronotype.

About one-third of the population falls into each category of morning, evening, or in-between types.

The Benefits of Different Chronotypes

Having a variety of chronotypes within a tribe allows for better protection during sleep.

Morning types go to bed early and wake up early while extreme evening types go to bed late and wake up late.

This way, the entire tribe is only vulnerable for two to three hours max when everyone as a collective is sleeping.

Impact on Relationships

A mismatch in chronotype can impact partners' sleep cycles negatively.

One-third of couples cite sleep difficulties as a cause or contributing factor to their breakup.

A "sleep divorce" where partners sleep in separate locations can be an effective solution for some couples.

Benefits of Sleeping Separately

In this section, the speaker discusses the benefits of sleeping separately from your partner and how it can improve sleep quality and intimacy.

Improved Sleep Quality

Objective measures show that couples sleep worse when they sleep together.

However, subjective measures show that people are more satisfied with their sleep when they sleep with their partner.

The Scandinavian method involves buying two beds and putting them side by side in the same room to decrease physical disruption.

Increased Intimacy

Sleeping well improves sex hormones and increases desire to be intimate with your partner.

An hour of extra sleep can increase a woman's libido by 14%.

One hour of extra sleep provides more than 50% of the benefit of clinical drugs for increasing libido in women.

Challenges and Solutions

Mismatched chronotypes can make sleeping together challenging.

A "sleep divorce" where you start together but retreat to separate locations after a kiss or cuddle is one solution.

The Scandinavian method is another solution, but it doesn't solve all problems such as snoring or talking in your sleep.

The Importance of Sleep

In this section, the speaker discusses the importance of sleep and how it is often difficult to get enough sleep due to external factors.

The Two Versions of Sleep Deprivation

There are two versions of sleep deprivation: one where you don't give yourself the opportunity to sleep, and another where you give yourself the opportunity but are unable to generate sleep due to anxiety or other issues.

Society's War Against Sleep

Modernity is making it more difficult for us to sleep due to external factors such as light exposure, temperature regulation, and caffeine intake.

Society does not want us sleeping because it wants us either producing or consuming. This can be seen in statements made by CEOs such as the CEO of Netflix who stated that they were committing war against sleep.

We are a dark-deprived society in this modern era due to our exposure to light.

Rates of Insomnia

Rates of insomnia and anxiety disorders are increasing, which makes the speaker pessimistic about the future of sleep.

Roughly one-third of most modern civilizations fail to get the recommended seven to nine hours of sleep per night.

Geographic Variants

The average amount of sleep varies by country. In Japan, people get an average of six hours and 22 minutes per night, while in the United States people get an average of six hours and 29 minutes per night.

The Importance of Sleep and Public Health Campaigns

In this section, the speaker discusses the importance of sleep and how it is often overlooked in public health campaigns. He also talks about the relationship between sleep and other health issues such as suicide.

Governments' Lack of Action on Sleep

Governments have not had public health campaigns regarding sleep despite its fundamental importance to overall health.

Other public health campaigns have been successful in addressing issues such as eating, smoking, drunk driving, safe sex, loneliness, and mental health.

Relationship Between Sleep and Suicide

Insufficient sleep is a precursor to suicide.

Sleep disruption predicts suicidal thinking, planning, and completion.

Benefits of Better Sleep

Improving sleep can have manifold benefits for overall health.

Sleep is like an Archimedes lever that raises all other aspects of health.

Redesigning Society for Better Sleep

If given the opportunity to redesign society for better sleep habits, the speaker would start with government-level public health campaigns.

The next step would be to address the mentality in business that less sleep equals more productivity.

Companies need to prioritize employee sleep for better productivity and profitability.

Insufficient sleep costs most nations about 2% of their GDP.

Importance of Sleep Education in Medical School

In this section, the speaker discusses the lack of education on sleep that doctors receive during their medical school education.

Lack of Sleep Education for Doctors

Most doctors only receive about an hour to an hour and a half of sleep education during their entire medical school education.

This is concerning because sleep is one-third of a patient's life, yet doctors are not adequately trained to address sleep problems.

Junior doctors who work 30-hour shifts are 168% more likely to get into a car accident due to lack of sleep.

The Need for Sleep Education in Schools and Families

In this section, the speaker discusses the need for sleep education in schools and families.

Lack of Sleep Education in Schools

Schools do not teach students about the importance of sleep.

The speaker did not receive any classes on the benefits of sleep during his time in school.

Prejudice Against Teenagers' Sleep Needs

Teenagers have a shift in their circadian rhythm during puberty that makes it difficult for them to fall asleep early.

Parents often view teenagers as lazy or slothful when they stay up late, but it is not their fault due to biological factors.

Only 15% of teenagers get sufficient sleep despite 70% of parents believing that their teenager gets enough rest.

Parental Transmission of Sleep Neglect

Parents who do not prioritize their own or their children's sleep needs may pass on this neglect to future generations.

This can lead to a cycle where children grow up believing that staying up late is acceptable and healthy.

A Comprehensive Approach to Addressing Sleep Problems

In this section, the speaker discusses a comprehensive approach to addressing sleep problems.

Addressing Sleep Problems at Different Levels

The speaker suggests addressing sleep problems at different levels: company, medicine, education, family, and individual.

Companies can incentivize employees to prioritize their sleep needs.

Medical schools should provide more education on sleep for doctors.

Schools should teach students about the importance of sleep.

Parents should understand the biological factors that make it difficult for teenagers to fall asleep early and prioritize their children's sleep needs.

Individuals should take steps to address their own sleep problems.

The Importance of Naps for Space Missions

In this section, the speaker discusses how naps can be used strategically to improve performance during space missions.

Naps Increase Productivity and Alertness

Naps between 20 minutes to an hour can increase productivity on tasks by about 34% and increase general alertness by over 50%.

NASA implemented a "NASA nap culture" after discovering the benefits of napping for productivity.

Companies like Google and Facebook also incentivize napping because they understand the productivity benefits.

The Negative Effects of Undersleeping on Employee Performance

In this section, the speaker discusses how undersleeping can negatively impact employee performance in various ways.

Underslept Employees Choose Less Challenging Problems

When employees are underslept, they tend to choose less challenging problems and avoid deep project work.

Underslept Employees Produce Fewer Creative Solutions

Underslept employees produce fewer creative solutions, which are essential for driving businesses forward in terms of productivity and revenue.

Social Loafing in Teams

When working in teams, underslept employees tend to slack off and let others do their work. This behavior is known as social loafing and can create a negative atmosphere within a company.

Increased Deviant Behavior

Underslept employees are more likely to engage in deviant behavior such as fudging data or falsely claiming money for reimbursement.

Impact on Business Leaders' Charisma

The amount of sleep that business leaders get can impact their charisma, which in turn affects how employees rate them.

The Cost of Undersleeping to Businesses

In this section, the speaker discusses how undersleeping can be costly to businesses and why they should value sleep.

Undersleeping Costs Companies Profits

When speaking to businesses about the importance of sleep, it is more effective to frame it in terms of cost rather than compassion or mental health.

Conclusion: "If You Don't Snooze, You Lose"

Undersleeping can have a significant negative impact on employee productivity and behavior, as well as business profits. Therefore, valuing sleep is crucial for companies that want to succeed.

The Importance of Sleep

In this section, the speaker discusses the negative effects of insufficient sleep on individuals and society as a whole.

Insufficient Sleep

Insufficient sleep leads to increased rates of obesity, diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and mental health conditions.

Businesses should not foster the mentality of insufficient sleep as it is costly to both companies and governments.

Napping

Naps can improve cardiovascular health, lower blood pressure, improve learning and memory abilities, and reset emotional states.

Different stages of sleep perform different functions for the brain at different times of night. All stages are important for overall health.

Naps can provide benefits in as little as 20 minutes but a full cycle of sleep takes about 90 minutes.

Conclusion

Getting enough quality sleep is crucial for overall health and well-being. While napping can provide some benefits, it cannot replace a full night's restorative sleep cycle. It is important for individuals and businesses to prioritize sufficient sleep to avoid negative consequences on productivity and health.

Tips for Napping

In this section, the speaker provides tips for napping and explains why it is important to be mindful of how long you nap.

Duration of Nap

Try not to nap for longer than 20 minutes as going past 20 minutes can lead to deeper stages of non-REM sleep.

If you wake up after about 45 or 60 minutes, it's not a problem. However, waking up from deep sleep can cause sleep inertia, which is essentially a sleep hangover that can take almost an hour before feeling fully awake.

Timing of Nap

Don't nap too late in the afternoon as it can interfere with nighttime sleep.

If you struggle with insomnia or sleep difficulties, avoid napping during the day as it takes away healthy good weight of sleepiness that builds up during the day and gives you the best chance of a good night's sleep.

Even if you don't struggle with sleep at night, try not to nap after about 3 PM in the afternoon or early evening as it takes away your appetite for sleep hunger.

The Impact of Caffeine on Sleep

In this section, the speaker discusses how caffeine impacts our ability to get quality sleep.

Duration of Caffeine Action

Caffeine has a half-life of about five to six hours and a quarter life between 10 to 12 hours. This means that if you have a cup of coffee at noon, by midnight there will still be some caffeine in your system affecting your ability to fall asleep and stay asleep.

Negative Effects of Caffeine on Sleep

Caffeine can hurt your sleep in at least three ways. The first issue is the duration of its action, as mentioned above.

The second issue is that caffeine can interfere with the timing of our circadian rhythms, which regulate our sleep-wake cycle.

Finally, caffeine can also reduce the amount of deep sleep we get and increase shallow sleep states, leading to a less restful night's sleep.

Understanding the Effects of Caffeine on Sleep

In this section, we will learn about how caffeine affects sleep and why it is important to be mindful of its timing.

How Caffeine Works

Caffeine is a stimulant that latches onto adenosine receptors in the brain, blocking the signal of sleepiness.

While caffeine is in your system, adenosine continues to build up. When caffeine is metabolized and excreted out of your system, you may experience a "caffeine crash" due to all the built-up adenosine.

The danger with caffeine is that it can create anxiety, which is one of the principal reasons for insomnia. It triggers the fight or flight branch of the nervous system and makes it difficult for you to fall asleep.

If you're struggling to fall asleep because you have too much caffeine on board, it becomes anxiogenic and causes worry. This only makes it harder for you to fall asleep.

Blocking Deep Sleep

Caffeine blocks deep sleep. Studies show that even a standard dose of 100-200 milligrams can significantly reduce deep sleep.

Conclusion

Caffeine has several negative effects on sleep. It blocks deep sleep, creates anxiety, and can cause a "caffeine crash" when metabolized out of your system. It's important to be mindful of its timing and avoid consuming it close to bedtime if possible.

Importance of Deep Sleep

In this section, the speaker discusses the importance of deep sleep and how caffeine can affect it.

Lack of Deep Sleep

Even if you fall asleep and stay asleep after consuming caffeine, you may not be aware of the lack of deep sleep that you're experiencing.

Lack of deep sleep can lead to problems with regulating your cardiovascular system, replenishing your immune system, and regulating your metabolic system.

Deep sleep is also important for strengthening and consolidating new memories in the brain and cleansing the brain of metabolic toxins related to Alzheimer's disease.

Caffeine Consumption

The speaker does not want to tell anyone how to live their life but wants to provide information about sleep so people can make informed choices.

The speaker believes in moderation when it comes to caffeine consumption.

Some people are slow metabolizers of caffeine while others are fast metabolizers. Genetic testing kits can determine which type a person is.

While the speaker used to be anti-caffeine, he now recognizes that coffee has many health benefits due to its high levels of antioxidants.

Health Benefits of Coffee

Coffee is associated with many health benefits due to its high levels of antioxidants such as chlorogenic acid.

Drinking coffee is an easy way for people to get their daily dose of antioxidants since many people struggle with getting enough from their diet.

Coffee and Airbnb

In this section, the speaker talks about coffee and its health benefits. He also discusses his preference for decaf coffee. The speaker then talks about how Airbnb has helped him during his travels and how people can make extra income by renting out their homes.

Coffee and Health Benefits

The health benefits of coffee are not a dose response where the more you drink, the healthier you become.

The health benefits peak at 2 to 3 cups of coffee per day.

Drinking too much coffee can have negative effects on health.

Decaf Coffee

The speaker drinks decaf coffee because he enjoys the taste but doesn't want to consume too much caffeine.

Some health coaches recommend drinking caffeine before a workout, but sleep is more beneficial to overall health than caffeine.

Airbnb

The speaker mentions that the show is sponsored by Airbnb.

He talks about how Airbnb has saved him during his travels around the world.

People can make extra income by renting out their spare rooms or guest houses on Airbnb.

Sleep Medication

In this section, the speaker discusses sleep medication and its use as a treatment for insomnia. He also talks about cognitive behavioral therapy for insomnia (CBTI).

Causes of Insomnia

Before treating insomnia with medication, it's important to identify what's causing it.

Bandaging the problem with medication won't solve it if there's an underlying issue causing it.

Sleeping Pills vs CBTI

Sleeping pills are no longer recommended as a first-line treatment for insomnia.

Cognitive behavioral therapy for insomnia (CBTI) is a psychological intervention that is recommended instead of sleeping pills.

CBTI has been found to be more effective than sleeping pills in treating insomnia.

Sleep Supplements and Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Insomnia

In this section, Dr. Matthew Walker discusses the efficacy of sleep supplements and cognitive behavioral therapy for insomnia.

Sleep Supplements

None of the natural sleep supplements are efficacious.

Sedative hypnotics are not sleep, and they can cause problems.

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Insomnia (CBT-I)

CBT-I is the front line of prescribed defense against a lack of sleep in many conditions.

CBT-I focuses on cognitive aspects and behavioral aspects to help patients with their thoughts, beliefs, and ideas around sleep.

Patients often have anxiety around the bedroom, which can lead to a loss of confidence in their ability to sleep. CBT-I aims to lower that anxiety by changing people's misbeliefs about sleep and building back their confidence.

The therapy also reduces expectations about what is reasonable sleep so that patients don't stress themselves out trying to achieve an unrealistic goal right away.

Managing Insomnia

If you're struggling with insomnia in the middle of the night, it's recommended that after about 30 minutes of being awake in bed, you should get out of your bed and do something relaxing like reading a book or listening to a podcast in another room.

Avoid eating or working on a computer screen as it trains your brain to wake up when you do those activities in bed.

Tips for Better Sleep

In this section, the speaker provides tips for better sleep.

Relearning the Association with Bedtime

The bed should be associated with sleep.

Return to bed only when sleepy.

Meditation can help relearn the association between bed and sleep.

Stimulating the Brain

Listening to podcasts or something interesting can stimulate the brain.

Sleep stories are a great way to take your mind off itself and allow sleep to come back naturally.

Taking Your Mind Off Itself

Meditation, listening to podcasts, and sleep stories all take your mind off itself.

Mental walks are also helpful in taking your mind off itself.

English Tips for Falling Asleep

In this section, the speaker provides tips for falling asleep and discusses why certain techniques work better than others.

Attention to Detail

The speaker explains that attention to detail is important in sleep stories and podcasts because it saturates cognitive capacity, making it harder for worries and anxieties to enter the mind.

This technique is similar to the way serial killer documentaries use descriptive language to capture attention.

The level of detail prevents other thoughts from entering the mind, which can help with falling asleep.

Removing Clock Faces

The speaker suggests removing all clock faces from the bedroom because knowing what time it is has no utility when struggling with sleep.

Knowing how long you've been awake can cause anxiety and make it harder to fall asleep.

Acceptance

If none of the other techniques are working, the speaker suggests accepting that tonight may not be a good night for sleeping.

Instead of trying to force sleep, just lie in bed and rest.

Stop worrying about sleep and enjoy a good old rest.

Sleep Debt

The speaker explains that accumulating a "sleep debt" during the week cannot be paid off by sleeping longer on weekends.

Sleep does not work like a bank where you can accumulate debt during the week and pay it off later.

Overall, these tips suggest that relaxation techniques such as attention to detail or acceptance may be more effective than forcing oneself to sleep.

Sleep Debt and Health Outcomes

In this section, the speaker discusses the consequences of accumulating sleep debt over time.

Consequences of Sleep Debt

Accumulating sleep debt can lead to a compounding interest on a loan that escalates ballistically across weeks, years, and lifespan.

Short-term consequences include drowsy-related accidents while driving due to micro sleeps.

Midterm consequences include disrupted blood sugar levels, decreased testosterone levels in men and reproductive health issues in both men and women, increased blood pressure, heart rate, obesity, diabetes, cardiovascular disease, mental health issues such as anxiety and depression.

Long-term consequences include premature mortality.

Sleep Deprivation and Driving Accidents

Micro sleeps occur when eyelids partially close without awareness for about 1-2 seconds.

Micro sleeps while driving at high speeds can cause accidents leading to injury or death.

Consequences of Short-Term Sleep Deprivation

Limiting sleep to 4 or 5 hours for one week can disrupt blood sugar levels significantly enough to classify someone as pre-diabetic.

One week of short sleeping can drop testosterone levels in healthy young males equivalent to someone who is ten years older than them.

Both men and women experience reproductive health issues such as estrogen luteinizing hormone and follicle stimulating hormone disruptions.

Midterm Consequences of Sleep Deprivation

Progression into obesity diabetes cardiovascular disease mental health issues anxiety depression suicidality all of these things immune compromise infection can be termed midterm.

Sleep debt is the accumulation of sleep that is lost due to insufficient sleep over time. It is important to prioritize getting enough sleep to avoid the negative consequences associated with sleep deprivation.

The Link Between Sleep and Alzheimer's Disease

In this section, the speaker discusses the relationship between sleep and Alzheimer's disease. He explains how insufficient sleep can increase the risk of developing Alzheimer's disease later in life.

Insufficient Sleep and Mortality Risk

After about 9 or 10 hours of sleep, mortality risk increases again.

Too much sleep may be a bad thing.

Final long-term consequence is Alzheimer's disease.

Sleep and Alzheimer's Disease

Insufficient sleep is one of the most significant lifestyle factors that can dictate the development of Alzheimer's disease later in life.

People who sleep six hours or less have a higher magnitude of amyloid beta protein, which is related to Alzheimer's disease.

Insomnia and sleep apnea are associated with an increased risk of developing Alzheimer's disease later in life.

Causal Evidence

Depriving a human being of deep non-REM sleep for a single night increases the amount of Alzheimer's-related proteins circulating in their bloodstream.

Using special brain scans, these proteins can even be measured within the brain itself.

Mechanism Behind Sleep and Alzheimer's Disease

The brain has a cleansing system called glymphatic system that washes away detritus built up during the day.

This cleansing system is not always switched on but is pushed into overdrive during deep non-REM sleep.

Two metabolic byproducts that build up during the day in our brain are beta amyloid and Tau protein - both culprits in causing Alzheimer’s disease.

How Sleep Reduces Risk for Developing Alzheimers

In this section, the speaker explains how getting enough good quality sleep reduces your risk for developing Alzheimers.

The Brain's Cleansing System

The brain has a cleansing system called the glymphatic system.

This system is pushed into overdrive during deep non-REM sleep.

During this time, it washes away detritus built up during the day.

Beta Amyloid and Tau Protein

Two metabolic byproducts that build up during the day in our brain are beta amyloid and Tau protein - both culprits in causing Alzheimer’s disease.

Sleep helps to reduce these proteins in the brain.

Compounding Interest on a Loan

Insufficient sleep doesn't mean you will get Alzheimer's disease next week or even in a year's time.

However, night after night of insufficient sleep can increase your risk for developing Alzheimer's disease later in life.

Tips for Better Sleep

In this section, the speaker provides tips for better sleep hygiene and discusses some common misconceptions about sleep.

Tried and True Tips

Regularity is key. Go to bed at the same time and wake up at the same time every day.

Get some darkness at night. Dim down half of the lights or switch off three-quarters of the lights in your home in the last hour before bed.

Keep your bedroom cool. Aim for a temperature of about 18-18.5 degrees Celsius (65-68 degrees Fahrenheit).

Walk it out if you can't fall asleep after 30 minutes in bed.

Common Misconceptions

Alcohol is not a sleep aid. It fragments your sleep and blocks REM sleep.

Coffee should be avoided in the evening as it can interfere with sleep.

Unconventional Tips

The speaker also touches on some unconventional tips that may help improve sleep quality, including:

Using blue-light blocking glasses

Taking a hot bath or shower before bed

Practicing gratitude journaling before bed

Dark Mode and Sleep

In this section, the speaker discusses the impact of blue light from screens on sleep and how dark mode can help mitigate it.

Blue Light and Sleep

Reading on an iPad before bed delays the time it takes to fall asleep.

It reduces the total amount of sleep that one gets.

It decreases a sleep-related hormone called melatonin, which is responsible for signaling to the brain that it's nighttime.

Melatonin release is delayed by about 90 minutes to two hours across individuals when exposed to blue light from devices like iPads.

Artificially telling the brain it's still daytime through exposure to blue light can disrupt sleep patterns for several days.

Attention Capture Devices

The principal function of devices like iPads is attention capture.

Stimulating the brain with these devices makes it difficult to fall asleep, leading to "sleep procrastination."

Activating the cerebral cortex with these devices may be more harmful than their blue light emissions.

Rules for Technology Use

If you must take your phone into your bedroom, use it standing up for no more than six or seven minutes.

Sleep and Weight Gain The Relationship Between Sleep and Weight Gain

In this section, the speaker discusses the relationship between sleep deprivation and weight gain.

Hormones and Appetite Regulation

Leptin signals to your brain that you're satisfied with your food, while ghrelin does the opposite.

When sleep is restricted, leptin decreases by 18%, while ghrelin increases by 28%.

Overall hunger levels rise by about 26%.

Increased Eating and Food Cravings

Underslept individuals eat about 300-400 extra calories per meal due to insufficient sleep.

Under slept individuals crave heavy carbohydrates such as bread, pasta, pizza, simple sugary foods like sweets and chocolate, and salty foods.

Brain Activity in Response to Food

When sleep-deprived, the emotional centers of the brain ramp up in activity in response to highly desirable unhealthy foods.

Impulse control regions in the front of the brain shut down when sleep-deprived. As a result, impulse control is lost.

Conclusion

The relationship between sleep deprivation and weight gain is well-defined. Sleep deprivation leads to increased appetite regulation hormones such as ghrelin while decreasing satiety hormones like leptin. It also leads to increased eating of heavy carbohydrates such as bread, pasta, pizza; simple sugary foods like sweets and chocolate; salty foods; along with decreased impulse control.

The Effects of Sleep Deprivation on Appetite and Weight Gain

In this section, the speaker discusses how sleep deprivation affects appetite and weight gain.

Endocannabinoids and Appetite

Cannabis stimulates appetite by increasing endocannabinoids in the brain and body.

Endocannabinoids control appetite and hunger.

Sleep-deprived individuals experience a 20% increase in endocannabinoids, leading to increased appetite.

Weight Loss and Muscle Mass

Insufficient sleep causes 60% of weight loss to come from lean muscle mass instead of fat.

Dieting while under-slept leads to losing muscle instead of fat.

The Benefits of Dreaming

In this section, the speaker discusses the benefits of dreaming.

Creativity Boost

During REM sleep, individual pieces of information are interconnected and associated with stored information.

Dreaming fuses together individual pieces of information that lead to marked advances in thinking, productivity, ingenuity, and creativity.

Dreams provide a revised mind web of associations capable of divining solutions to previously impenetrable problems.

Emotional First Aid

Dreaming provides emotional first aid by stripping away the bitter emotional rind from difficult or traumatic experiences.

The dreaming brain takes painful experiences and removes their negative emotional impact.

The Benefits of Dream Sleep

In this section, the speaker discusses the benefits of dream sleep.

Emotional Memory and Detoxification

Dream sleep detoxifies emotional memories.

It strips the emotion from the memory, providing emotional convalescence.

Going to bed angry can result in waking up less angry due to dream sleep's detoxification process.

Overnight Therapy

Dream sleep is also known as overnight therapy.

It provides emotional convalescence and helps individuals feel better about their experiences.

Contradictions in Personality

In this section, the speaker talks about his contradictions in personality.

Comfortable on Stage but Insecure Off Stage

The speaker feels comfortable giving a TED talk in front of thousands of people but is very introverted off stage.

He becomes very introverted when put in a small room with a couple of people.

Similarities with Famous People

The speaker has learned that many famous people become a different version of themselves on stage compared to off stage.

WeWork and Nutrition

In this section, the speaker talks about their experience with WeWork and how it has helped them feel a sense of entrepreneurship and creativity. They also discuss their recent preference for chocolate flavored nutrition drinks.

WeWork Experience

The speaker moved four team members to New York City and built their business from a WeWork location.

There is something magical about WeWorks that creates a sense of community, excitement, camaraderie, entrepreneurship, and creativity.

WeWork's design offers subscriptions for on-demand workspaces and flexible contracts that make it perfect for businesses to scale.

Nutrition Drinks

The speaker recently started drinking chocolate-flavored nutrition drinks after being influenced by a team member who loves them.

Despite sometimes disregarding their diet, the speaker values having an option like nutrition drinks that are nutritionally complete, high in fiber and protein, and have all the necessary vitamins and minerals within arm's reach.

Nutrition drinks have been a game changer for the speaker in terms of making healthier choices when reaching for food on-the-go.