So, for decades, I survived on about 3 hours of sleep. Until recently, when my illness got a little more severe. But, I am now noticing that my old routines are working and am no longer needing that extra restorative slumber. (Which gives me more time to get things done, too!)
But, I have a bunch of friends and clients who swear they get 8 hours of sleep and are still tired.
And, I’ve argued with my friends and colleagues that too many people misunderstand how sleep works. They seem to forget that sleep (and almost everything else associated with our bodies) is governed by rhythms. Circadian cycles. And, our sleep pattern is typically on the order of a 90 minute cycle.
It also turns out that its truckers and transportation firms that understand this better than most other folks. The industry attempted many a time to have shifts determined by hours of sleep and not by time of driving. (But, government bureaucrats are loathe to accept the data.)
One of their more recent recommendations was as shown in the box below.
As opposed to the current regulations, this turns out to be a much better pattern for truck drivers. (Moreover, it leads to fewer accidents and/pr the driver temporarily falling asleep.)
Let’s consider those sleep cycles. About 30 minutes after we nod off, our brain is “enveloped” by a deep restorative sleep interval. This is when our brain empties out compounds (toxins) that accumulate during their day, the immune system gets restored, etc. This portion of the cycle can last from 30 to 75 minutes.
And, now you know why I don’t use alarm clocks. Because if you are awakened while in the midst of a cycle, you will find yourself either very tired or in a brain fog.
The trick is to find at the number of sleep cycles you need to thrive. Many folks need five (and you can break them up into two or three cycles separated by awake times); I can survive with two or three.
(Please note that our bodies are really expecting to sleep twice a day- at night and then again 8 to 12 hours later. That second interval is more of a nap [30 to 90 minutes].)
There is also evidence that if we can obtain two additional cycles of great sleep at the end of the week, we can still restore our brain to its optimal modality. (The problem is that folks attempting this only garner one extra period- not two!)
Get them Z’s. Be alert.
This is interesting! I never have time to take a nap during the day but if I did I would be out until nighttime. LOL
A nap till nighttime. Hmm.
I find descriptions of how people slept before artificial lighting, TV, and radio were developed interesting. I read on CNN about sleep studies of three pre industrial peoples which found averages of around 6-7 hours a night of sleep, with people usually going to bed about 3 1/2 hours after sunset and waking up before sunrise. No naps and they slept through the night (in other words, insomnia wasn’t a problem for these folks). They also slept about an hour more in the winter than in the summer. Tested subjects were healthy and did not seem to suffer from sleep related disorders. Whatever we modern Western people are doing, we are sleeping all wrong, it would seem.
You are right- and those were great points to bring up to amplify the points in the blog.
Interesting info. I wasn’t aware of sleep cycles and it makes so much sense. Thank you!
Glad to inform, Victoria
Thank you for interesting post. It provoked me to investigate more into sleep. I had been sleep deprived most of my working life working shift work. I have recovered in retirement. I’m now an early bird instead of a night owl. I don’t use alarm clocks any more and wake between 6 and 7 am on my own. I do suffer occasionally from sleeplessness as being sensitive to weather changes.
Hopy you sole your sleep deprication issues, Lily.