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How to rest well

psyche.co

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Re: How to rest well

#91

Post by pps »

Tenoke wrote: post #90
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

I'm not certain how relevant that is. I definitely don't feel more awake 6 hours after coffee let alone 12 so clearly not all effects are still there. Claims like these are quoting numbers while implying things which aren't true a priori. Sleep is admittedly easily disrupted but I also haven't noticed a difference in sleep quality when skipping my afternoon cup.

Different people reacts differently. I normally drinks 2-3 cups a day, last one sometimes after 8 PM. So to test some claims about coffee being so bad etc, I completely removed coffee from my life for a month - zero difference. And the same is true for Yerba Mate for me (although with Yerba I definitely feel different for few hours). But I believe that some simply react more to this substance.

Re: How to rest well

#92

Post by tradesmanhelix »

sdevonoes wrote: post #21

> A 20-minute nap provides an energy boost comparable with a cup of strong coffee (without the later crash). This is not true for me. If I get a 20-minute nap in the middle of the day, I wake up wasted. It takes around another 20 minutes for me to get really awaken.

Anecdotal, but for me this means I'm sleep deprived. When I'm getting enough sleep on a regular basis, a 20-minute "nap" (even if it's just closing my eyes and listening to something like [0]) is extremely refreshing.

[0] https://youtu.be/dPqCRyzhXn8

Re: How to rest well

#93

Post by mlac »

flerchin wrote: post #82
mlac wrote: post #78

Earlier quoted context omitted.

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.

Really not sure if this is satire.

I would not recommend mixing electricity with salt water.

Re: How to rest well

#96

Post by tradesmanhelix »

thejackgoode wrote: post #2

I've been doing "shallow rest" (think your typical mindless binge on anything) for whole my life and it has been difficult to convince myself or even find resources to become involved in resting, making it "deep rest" as mentioned in the article. Anyone has a good personal perspective on how to learn to do it?

I find that whatever I'm doing (binging a show, taking a walk, playing a video game, etc.) is much more restful when I'm fully present. For me, this means putting my phone and any other distracting technology away (or even turning it off) and just fully immersing myself in whatever I'm doing.

Additionally, I find a bit of boredom is helpful in making an activity restful. For example, I love The Expanse TV show but sometimes it's very slow moving and I find myself wanting to stimulate my brain more than it's currently being stimulated by the show if that makes sense. However, I've found that if I embrace the boredom, resist the urge to take my eyes off of the TV, and just "float" in the moment so to speak, after about 15-20 mins the discomfort fades and I lose myself in the narrative. I find this "losing of oneself" in an activity or experience to be very restful and rejuvenating.

Re: How to rest well

#97

Post by pps »

l33tbro wrote: post #95

Honestly just take magnesium before bed and thank me later. 150mg should do it.

I'm on 200mg of magnesium taurate. Magnesium l-threonate years ago when the hype for it started. Absolutely no difference in anything. Also taking l-theanine + apigenin (mix that Andrew Huberman recommends) - same effect. But for people with not-the-best diet magnesium is definitely beneficial for health so it's good to take it anyway.

Re: How to rest well

#99

Post by l33tbro »

pps wrote: post #97
l33tbro wrote: post #95

Honestly just take magnesium before bed and thank me later. 150mg should do it.

I'm on 200mg of magnesium taurate. Magnesium l-threonate years ago when the hype for it started. Absolutely no difference in anything. Also taking l-theanine + apigenin (mix that Andrew Huberman recommends) - same effect. But for people with not-the-best diet magnesium is definitely beneficial for health so it's good to take it anyway.

Might it be a biochemistry thing rather than diet? I eat very few processed carbs and sugars and enjoy deep, restful sleep with most off-the shelf magnesium.

L-theanine is fantastic too with my morning coffee. Alertness without the jitters.

Re: How to rest well

#100

Post by droopyEyelids »

khariel wrote: post #46
sdevonoes wrote: post #21

> A 20-minute nap provides an energy boost comparable with a cup of strong coffee (without the later crash). This is not true for me. If I get a 20-minute nap in the middle of the day, I wake up wasted. It takes around another 20 minutes for me to get really awaken.

Something to factor in here is if you're sleep deprived. I can normally nap for 20 minutes and get said boost, but not when I'm sleep deprived. In that case, it feels way harder to wake up at the 20-minute mark, I also wake up groggy and I feel like napping longer (and that's what normally ends up happening).

You hit the crux of the problem here.

Our brains compensate for sleep deprivation by releasing increased dopamine in the striatum, which is involved in motivation and reward, and the thalamus, which is involved in alertness. On top of that, one of the effects of sleep deprivation is a reduction in your ability to tell how sleep deprived you are.

If you're sleep deprived, you're running on a natural high. If you get just enough sleep to get close to rested, that extra striatum and thalamus dopamine stops, and you also regain your ability to perceive yourself.

That feels really bad. Not only do you forego the high, but you can feel every bit of the lack of rest. It's like the end of a bender. The only good thing is knowing you're making progress back to relatedness.

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