How to rest well • Hacker News Board

Re: How to rest well

#71

Post by themodelplumber » Fri, Dec 03, 2021, 3:53 PM UTC

machiaweliczny wrote: post #51

I was on the weeding and got super tired once so I wanted to take nap. Couldn't really nap (I can't) but just relaxed body and tried to not think about anything for 20 minutes. I felt after that like after whole night good of sleep. Was very surprised that it worked.

That's a great result. Sometimes I think resting as "waiting while doing nothing" is good enough if it simply keeps one from working during the bottom of a local ultradian pattern. Coming back up out of that pattern by itself should naturally feel better.

Re: How to rest well

#72

Post by Terry_Roll » Fri, Dec 03, 2021, 4:04 PM UTC

oedmarap wrote: post #9

One of the strategies that changed my sleep quality for the better is to stop taking coffee after 9 AM; after learning that caffeine has a half-life of around 6-7 hours[0], but a quarter-life of around 12 hours. If you have a cup of coffee at noon, a quarter of that caffeine can still be circulating around your brain at midnight. [0] https://youtu.be/k5BMGmf1ai0

This link unfortunately doesnt really address the chemical imbalances which are normalised throughout society as stress and aging. If you consider yourself to be just a complex chemical reaction with a consciousness as the end result of the complex chemical reactions which have evolved over thousands of years, then I'd simply be looking at chemical solutions for good rest.

Its not strictly true that caffeine has a half life of 6-7 hours, nicotine reduces this to 3-4hrs and some prescription drugs also affect the half life either by shortening it or increasing it, in extreme to 24-48hrs.

I found a few grams of Taurine will improve and increase sleep, the science is out there, the more you take the more you sleep and you can sleep through fire alarms and all sorts so use with caution.

Now a restless mind can also keep people awake, so increasing 5-alpha reductase by consuming Glycine can then break down cortisol. You will laugh your head off with lots of Glycine, so dont blame me if you laugh your head off in a stressful situation and get fired from a job or something!

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/5%CE%B1-Reductase#List_of_conv...

Re: How to rest well

#73

Post by ggregoire » Fri, Dec 03, 2021, 4:16 PM UTC

oedmarap wrote: post #9

One of the strategies that changed my sleep quality for the better is to stop taking coffee after 9 AM; after learning that caffeine has a half-life of around 6-7 hours[0], but a quarter-life of around 12 hours. If you have a cup of coffee at noon, a quarter of that caffeine can still be circulating around your brain at midnight. [0] https://youtu.be/k5BMGmf1ai0

Why talk about half-life and quarter-life here instead of full-life (which I guess is around 18-24 hours)? Having less than a quarter of caffein in your system does not impact your sleep?

Re: How to rest well

#74

Post by amalcon » Fri, Dec 03, 2021, 4:19 PM UTC

ggregoire wrote: post #73

oedmarap wrote: post #9

One of the strategies that changed my sleep quality for the better is to stop taking coffee after 9 AM; after learning that caffeine has a half-life of around 6-7 hours[0], but a quarter-life of around 12 hours. If you have a cup of coffee at noon, a quarter of that caffeine can still be circulating around your brain at midnight. [0] https://youtu.be/k5BMGmf1ai0

Why talk about half-life and quarter-life here instead of full-life (which I guess is around 18-24 hours)? Having less than a quarter of caffein in your system does not impact your sleep?

It's an exponential decay, so full-life is not really a coherent concept. Detectable (but unnoticeable) levels will persist for quite some time and undetectable levels will persist for a bit after that.

Re: How to rest well

#75

Post by randcraw » Fri, Dec 03, 2021, 4:21 PM UTC

machiaweliczny wrote: post #51

I was on the weeding and got super tired once so I wanted to take nap. Couldn't really nap (I can't) but just relaxed body and tried to not think about anything for 20 minutes. I felt after that like after whole night good of sleep. Was very surprised that it worked.

How different is that from alpha meditation, where you free yourself from all thoughts, thereby entering a pre-sleep state of mind?

Re: How to rest well

#76

Post by tarsinge » Fri, Dec 03, 2021, 4:33 PM UTC

brendan0powers wrote: post #58

oedmarap wrote: post #9

One of the strategies that changed my sleep quality for the better is to stop taking coffee after 9 AM; after learning that caffeine has a half-life of around 6-7 hours[0], but a quarter-life of around 12 hours. If you have a cup of coffee at noon, a quarter of that caffeine can still be circulating around your brain at midnight. [0] https://youtu.be/k5BMGmf1ai0

This is one of those things you just have to try and see if it works. I've quit caffeine completely for a few weeks, and didn't notice a difference in my sleep quality.

Actually for me I sleep better at night with caffeine in the morning. I find it helps with having a proper active / rest cycle, i.e. concentrate energy and stress during the first part of the day so I can start to wind down in the afternoon, instead of hovering around mildly stressed all the day and the evening.

Re: How to rest well

#77

Post by rocketpastsix » Fri, Dec 03, 2021, 4:46 PM UTC

helpfulmandrill wrote: post #33

So we've got to optimize rest now? I'm so tired of this world.

Unfortunately, yea we do. Now that more people are working from home the lines between work and not work are incredibly blurred. Add the increased connectivity we all have (email/slack/teams/etc on phones, laptops as work computers), it is essential we build good and meaningful habits of rest.

Re: How to rest well

#78

Post by mlac » Fri, Dec 03, 2021, 4:47 PM UTC

flerchin wrote: post #41

formerly_proven wrote: post #39

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I agree - don't talk a walk, it's an unnecessary hit on your productivity. But, depth jumps require you to get up, which again seems unnecessary to me if you can just taser the CNS directly to wake it up.

Like an actual taser?

To get primed for the day, my protocol involves 3 cycles through a cold plunge (28 degree salinated water) and a sauna. On the third cold plunge I use the taser to boost the CNS.

Would not recommend this unless you’ve studied the Wim Hof method and have medical supervision.

Re: How to rest well

#79

Post by bradlys » Fri, Dec 03, 2021, 5:03 PM UTC

brendan0powers wrote: post #58

oedmarap wrote: post #9

One of the strategies that changed my sleep quality for the better is to stop taking coffee after 9 AM; after learning that caffeine has a half-life of around 6-7 hours[0], but a quarter-life of around 12 hours. If you have a cup of coffee at noon, a quarter of that caffeine can still be circulating around your brain at midnight. [0] https://youtu.be/k5BMGmf1ai0

This is one of those things you just have to try and see if it works. I've quit caffeine completely for a few weeks, and didn't notice a difference in my sleep quality.

I found it didn’t improve my sleep quality or my ability to fall asleep. However - I do feel like I have a slightly easier time getting out of bed now.

I’ve been off caffeine for a year or more. Having it actually makes my stomach slightly upset now. Similar to sugary drinks - I can’t do them anymore. Once I gave them up - I couldn’t go back.

Re: How to rest well

#80

Post by Y_Y » Fri, Dec 03, 2021, 5:12 PM UTC

speeder wrote: post #19

jasfi wrote: post #12

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I only have decaff, rarely though, and only before 9AM as well. Otherwise I have green tea, and not after 1pm.

I wonder why for coffee you have it decaff but you are happy with tea, that has more caffeine than coffee.

I hear that often enough. I think the confusion is that it's true by dry weight of beans/leaves, but a cup of coffee will typically have more caffeine than a cup of tea by a factor of a few.