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Sleep duration is associated with brain structure and cognitive performance

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Re: Sleep duration is associated with brain structure and cognitive performance

#321

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Edit: I want to preface this by saying that I'm not writing off modern medicine, nor post-modern medicine, nor saying that you should avoid doctors altogether. Just that it's a powerful and thus dangerous tool, and that you should ideally find a doctor you trust and then maintain contact with them, probably by visiting them regularly, now that I think about it, and maybe occasionally giving them a nice gift. :) I adv…

I have the opposite experience. I had fears of having heart problems, or in my head, and at some point in my life I went to doctors and they all sent me away, they couldn't find anything wrong. The more incompetent ones might have more suspicious, because they were playing it safe. Better to order more tests and not find anything, than be confident and make a fatal mistake. One of them even went as far as telling me…

It goes both ways. Sometimes they won't listen, and sometimes they'll tell you shit you don't need.

The important bit is, think and advocate for yourself, have healthy fear and respect for medical profession, and treasure the good doctors you come across.

And take good care of yourself so that you don't need them.

Re: Sleep duration is associated with brain structure and cognitive performance

#322
post #12

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When I'm tired my brain tricks me into going back to sleep, so I guess you are just tired. If you are sleeping more then 8 hours and still feel tired you might have bad sleep quality.

I feel it's the dreaming which makes me tired, I feel exhausted whenever I am able to remember my dreams. I usually feel pretty good if I don't remember any dream after waking up(Assuming they never happened). Now that I think more of it, I agree it might be my lack of sleep quality which makes me tired and maybe places/offsets the REM sleep at odd times so I am able to remember the dreams. My circadian rhythm is def…

For me I dream less if I sleep shorter. Its like the system then prioritize deep sleep. But it also wakes me up when Im usually awake. Our systems really like habits/routines. So while I do not recommend sleep deprivation it might help if you sleep 6 am to 10 am for a couple of days, then switch to 10pm to 1am - 6am

Re: Sleep duration is associated with brain structure and cognitive performance

#323

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Thats me too, I almost never dream , although I am sure I do dream every night, just that when I wake up I have no recollection, perhaps if it was an intense dream then I may sense if it was a sad dream or a happy dream, but rarely do I remember anything specific. I've always wondered if this is normal.

I wonder too. Most people I know, who I've told this to, think its very odd that I never dream. Probably related, I've struggled with depression nearly my entire adult life. I've learned to cope, drug free, but yea, I'm sure on a neural level my brain just isn't firing at peak levels like a normal person.

yeah same here, most people find it damn peculiar that I have dreamless nights. I don't think depression is related to remembering (I am no doctor nor shrink) but anecdotally my wife has suffered severe depression for a long time and could remember most of her dreams just fine. I suspect it's something to do how memories are retained, I say that because I don't have sharpest short term memory.

Re: Sleep duration is associated with brain structure and cognitive performance

#324

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thanks for sharing, had a quick couple of follow up questions, how do you unsubscribe from paying monthly rent ? also did you get married and have kids ? if yes how did they factor in to your life ?

I have not dared have children until I'm certain I can take care of them, and I think I'm getting close. I don't believe in marriage, but I'm in a relationship. My partners accept me and support me. I am low-maintenance, so it is not a burden on them. My rider is clean water, unprocessed food, Web hosting, a 104-key, a computer, and an Internet connection. I unsubscribed from rent by not renewing my lease and moving…

I'm always curious about how someone ends up where they are, be it physically, or spiritually.

In your case I assume you didn't always subscribe to these beliefs and viewpoints, right? I assume based on everything you're written that there was a time, perhaps working at the bank, where you were just like me or anyone else... Working, dissatisfied, looking for more...

What changed?

What sparked the transition?

I admire your conviction but at the same time, it's yours. You'll never be able to just say those things and convey the same power that it has on you. It just doesn't work.

Instead, maybe, you can explain to someone how you got there. How did you come to these convictions? How did you become a person who believes in a higher power who has good intentions and is always watching? For some of us, that sounds more like an acid trip than reality - yet I'm open minded.

In my case I'm comfortable. Very comfortable. Maybe even too comfortable. I want more in life, and I chase happiness like a carrot on a stick. I guess you could say I'm having a mid life crisis my entire life. I can perform exceptionally well when I am inspired, but being inspired is a transient state. I'd love to find peace with my situation, and be inspired to work hard, and work well.

Re: Sleep duration is associated with brain structure and cognitive performance

#325
post #295
post #233

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From what I've seen, people in hyperfocus often seem to effectively lose their sense of hearing, too. Which is sort-of useful in a noisy office, but can be dangerous when going about your daily life.

The problem is that the converse can be true, this is true if you actually hit the hyperfocus trance but if you don't get there, the noise can actually distract you from ever getting there and if it is not a task you want to do, the noise is guaranteed to provide the needed distraction, to avoid the task all together.

Yes. Hyperfocus and distractibility seem both related to trouble with managing attention.

Re: Sleep duration is associated with brain structure and cognitive performance

#326

Up to 30% of people may have sleep apnea. I recommend everyone to get at least an at-home sleep test. In-lab is much more difficult to get insurance to cover, but you could pay $1,500+ out-of-pocket. It is a horrendous condition that will ruin your life.

If you don't have insurance, you can get a cheap data-logging SpO2 meter off Amazon for like $150. You can even set it to sound an alarm if your SpO2 drops too low. Apnea is serious though. It hit me when I was relatively fit at 43 and took a chunk of my youth with it. Ever since, I have more of an "old man" brain(like getting overwhelmed by stimulus, especially when driving). I've been on CPAP for over 2 years and m…

14 months of PAP therapy for me. I was diagnosed with severe SA (40+ events per minute).

Sp02 is useful, but mainly to ensure you're not dipping in o2 from leaks, bad fit, incorrect pressure, etc. It is not a diagnostic tool.

A sleep study can pick up things like restless leg syndrome, central vs obstructive sleep apneas, RERA's, etc.

Regarding the "brain fog" - I know exactly what you're talking about. I've improved mine significantly via:

- Getting extensive blood tests to find any deficiencies. Turns out, I was deficient in vitamin D (really bad) and testosterone (which is produced during high quality REM stage, I believe). - Taking a boat load of supplements. L-Tyrosine, NAC, too many to list.

Sometimes PAP therapy doesn't fix endocrine issues like testosterone. Going on TRT has been a game changer for both mental and physical improvement.

Re: Sleep duration is associated with brain structure and cognitive performance

#327

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Well my toddler is 16 months and things did really already improved a lot in terms of sleep, but the new baby is coming any minute now ... so I expect less of it in the next time ;)

We’re expecting number three in August. FWIW, number two was a lot easier for us.

Thanks. I hope so, too.

Good luck to you ..

we are already in the clinic by now.

Re: Sleep duration is associated with brain structure and cognitive performance

#328

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We've eaten processed food for generations, though - and lots and lots of very questionable food that could literally be poison. Sausages are processed foods, but they kept us alive over the winter. Salt pork anyone? Dried fish? Weevil-filled grains that hopefully stay dry during the winter and foods in root cellars. I'll add that plenty of processed food is an absolute miracle. Frozen vegetables, for example. You we…

No. You're talking about preserved food. Processed food is made in giant boiler vats, with chemicals which we have not had in our environment for more than 50-80 years. Chemicals which were approved as "generally recognized as safe" several years before the same agency even admitted that tobacco was harmful to health. Which are proven carcinogens, mutagens, and irritants. If you compare this to salted sausage or saue…

No.

Sausage is a highly processed food and definitely not good for you. Same for bacon. You can have highly processed food without chemicals: You can make processed cheese at home without the vats [1]. Not all "chemicals" are unnatural things that we didn't eat before, and some of the "chemicals" are preservatives, basically making them preserved foods.

We didn't really have frozen foods before refrigeration became common.

Bread in the 1800's wasn't very pure if you were buying the cheap stuff [2]. We weren't really eating "pure and natural" stuff before, and have been experimenting with different chemicals and things for eons. Some were fine (I'm guessing lutefisk isn't really bad for you despite the lye, same with pretzels), others weren't (lead whiteners, for example).

Just because one agency sees things as generally safe and has messed up doesn't mean all agencies have done this nor does it mean they are always wrong. Just like the fact that coke will clean battery terminals doesn't mean it is bad to have occasionally. Heck, eating lemons will destroy tooth enamel, but yet the juice will help keep scurvy away.

[1] https://youtu.be/qlJ30PGUk8Y [2] http://www.victorianweb.org/science/health/health1.html

Re: Sleep duration is associated with brain structure and cognitive performance

#329

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I used to think that our body know better. But I realise it doesn't do what is better but rather what it is used to do. I felt I had to eat sweets frequently, drink coca-coca everyday and 3 meals a day etc. My body felt terrible when I didn't. I stopped listed to what my body wanted and consciously stop those things. First week it was really painful. Second week I got used to. Third week I completely changed. Now I h…

Our body evolved for an environment without those things that you listed. I think you were right to consciously remove those things from its access. Sleep was always an essential part of the equation, however. Try to imagine how you lived 10K years ago.

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Re: Sleep duration is associated with brain structure and cognitive performance

#330
post #151

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Sounds cool.

She is the best pet I've ever had. Very low-maintenance, doesn't musk, doesn't make noise in the middle of the night, and still shows/craves affection. Did you know snakes yawn? I sure didn't until I got her! Owning a snake has opened my eyes to a lot of amazing things about them :).

Good info. No, I did not know that. Do you know about the Chennai Snake Park? It was founded by an American, Romulus Whitaker. I've been to it.

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chennai_Snake_Park

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