2/21/2023 0 Comments I ll sleep when i am dead![]() ![]() Got your attention yet? So, What Do We Do About It? By comparison, normal aging is associated with a decrease of testosterone levels by 1% to 2% per year.” - Leproult et al. “Daytime testosterone levels were decreased by 10% to 15% in this small convenience sample of young healthy men who underwent 1 week of sleep restriction to 5 hours per night, a condition experienced by at least 15% of the US working population. Current data estimates that 20% or more of the American population sleeps 5 hours or less. I was recently chatting with an investment banker who told me that he slept 4 hours per night in his first year of employment and subsequently gained 45 pounds. However, you’ll find many who are only getting 4-5 hours nightly. ![]() You’ll find that chronic sleep deprivation alters your ability to resolve inflammation, initiate muscular growth, and regulate your mood. 2003īut it’s much more than just cognitive deficits. “This finding suggests that there is a critical period of stable wake time within each circadian cycle after which neurocognitive deficits occur: this statistically estimated critical period was equal to 15.84 hours, and its associated sleep period was equal to 8.16 hours.” - Van Dongen et al. Humans generally tend to function well for roughly 16 hours, and then the wheels start falling off from a cognitive standpoint: However, most folks will pour another cup and assume it’s just a normal part of life. That’s what your body is trying to tell you if you would listen. Struggling to make it through the day? You just need coffee, that’s the solution! Remember, there’s no such thing as a “caffeine deficiency.” Sleeping 5 hours per night may be common, but it’s certainly not normal.Ĭonstant fatigue and an endless need for caffeine may be common, but it’s not normal. Outside of these basic physiological requirements, you’ll also find that we’ve done an exceptionally poor job of differentiating between common and normal. But what happens if you don’t, can’t, or won’t sleep? However, the data is clear-cut – sleep deprivation negatively affects every single physiological system in the body, no questions asked. The entire body runs on oxy-hemoglobin dissociation – if you deprive cells of oxygen, you fail to function.Īccording to popular opinion, sleep is now considered more of a societal inconvenience than a biological necessity. If you drastically change any of those numbers, human physiology starts to run into issues. Do those numbers ring a bell from high school biology? They should because that’s the composition of our atmosphere. In other words, low vitamin D is not necessarily the cause of these chronic issues, but the lifestyle that results in low vitamin D may predispose someone to develop these issues after years of poor lifestyle choices.ħ8% nitrogen, 21% oxygen, 1% argon, and a few other trace gases. But keep in mind that this is a bidirectional relationship. We’re continuing to see a growing number of diseases linked with low serum vitamin D levels. While humans have become notoriously good at keeping themselves locked up in perfectly climate-controlled indoor environments, it is certainly not beneficial for long-term health or performance. But after that, you’re in serious trouble. You can go 3-5 days without water, maybe 7 if you’re lucky (or crazy). No one is immune to a lack of nutrients and calories. Sure, you can fast, but eventually, you will die without food. These may be controversial, depending on who you talk to, but I’ll argue that they’re required, at least from a physiological point of view: Humans have a few basic requirements in life. However, I’d argue that this is not normal either. Maybe you find yourself leaving the house each morning trying to find energy in a bottomless cup of coffee or an extra-tall Monster. Out the door with a full day ahead and no energy in sight. “What’s wrong with me?” he mutters to himself. He squints as he feels light beaming through his retinas and tries to talk himself out of getting back into bed.Ī splash of cold water to the face along with a quick shave.īy this time, the coffee has finished brewing, and the smell faintly awakens him. Half asleep, he stumbles to the bathroom as his hand searches the wall for the light switch. He reaches over and smashes the iPhone’s screen before sitting up in bed. The coffee starts to drip, and the alarm rips through the stillness of the night. It seems sleep takes a backseat, with people having an attitude of “I’ll sleep when I’m dead.” But what does this look like in reality? We’ve all been there – rushing around to get everything done, while also trying to have a social life. ![]()
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