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How much can an extra hour's sleep change you?

bbc.co.uk

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Re: How much can an extra hour's sleep change you?

#81

Post by r00fus »

gte910h wrote: post #30
joonix wrote: post #4

Doesn't matter for me. I hardly get much deep sleep due to anatomical issues essentially blocking my airways. I can't afford the surgery (even though I have insurance) nor will my government contribute to it (even though it would increase my productivity multiple times over, meanwhile they throw trillions at universities offering useless degrees). But yes, we have a culture that doesn't value sleep. I know of people…

Have you had a sleep study done? It's 2 doctors office visits, 2 nights in a funky hotel room type lab, and they will often prescribe a machine called a CPAP if you really do have obstructive sleep problems. http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/health-topics/topics/cpap/ They're a little uncomfortable at first, but they get the job done.

I just spoke with my doctor regarding CPAPs recently, and the price has gone down considerably since I looked into it a few years ago… I hear it's less than a thousand

I don't need one (mild hypopnea) yet, but it's nice to know that options exist.

I had a coworker who, years ago, had sleep apnea (would fall asleep at keyboard at work), who subsequently got a CPAP and it's a night and day difference. I'm really glad for his improvements.

Re: How much can an extra hour's sleep change you?

#82

Post by Havoc »

grannyg00se wrote: post #20
joonix wrote: post #4

Doesn't matter for me. I hardly get much deep sleep due to anatomical issues essentially blocking my airways. I can't afford the surgery (even though I have insurance) nor will my government contribute to it (even though it would increase my productivity multiple times over, meanwhile they throw trillions at universities offering useless degrees). But yes, we have a culture that doesn't value sleep. I know of people…

To me it seems we have a culture that doesn't value well-being in general. People might say that they do, but the entire culture is set up against it. Sleep is just one more neglected aspect of well-being. We also have ridiculous working hours, insane commutes, pathetic diet and exercise habits, and a health record to show for it. Keeping busy at one's job is valued above most else.

>To me it seems we have a culture that doesn't value well-being in general.

It seems very much up to the individual to fight the battle. i.e. pay for gym, make an effort to go & pay for healthy food etc.

Re: How much can an extra hour's sleep change you?

#83

Post by r00fus »

mike_esspe wrote: post #68
joonix wrote: post #4

Doesn't matter for me. I hardly get much deep sleep due to anatomical issues essentially blocking my airways. I can't afford the surgery (even though I have insurance) nor will my government contribute to it (even though it would increase my productivity multiple times over, meanwhile they throw trillions at universities offering useless degrees). But yes, we have a culture that doesn't value sleep. I know of people…

Properly installed double glazing will block almost all sound, why not install them? https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Insulated_glazing

I have double-pane glass with an Argon spacer, and live close to a minor road that gets daily traffic (school/commute times). Plenty of sound gets through; the most effective sound insulating filler (Sulfur hexaflouride) is no longer available due to being a highly potent greenhouse gas.

Re: How much can an extra hour's sleep change you?

#84

Post by RodericDay »

baddox wrote: post #60
drzaiusapelord wrote: post #34

Earlier quoted context omitted.

>Keeping busy at one's job is valued above most else. I also hate how our smalltalk starts with "What do you do for a living?" That's a fair question, but its depressing when that's the first one and all we really talk about. Its a puritan's overworked culture serving the elites. This shutdown is about this as well. We really need to have European-style vacation time and healthcare. I hope my generation gets it right…

> I also hate how our smalltalk starts with "What do you do for a living?" That's a fair question, but its depressing when that's the first one and all we really talk about. What's so depressing about that, and what would you suggest people ask instead? People's careers take up a lot of their time and provide their livelihood, and a lot of people are quite proud of their careers. Sure, things like sleep and diet are…

have you tried it?

idk who you hang out with but those last two questions would probably produce more interesting conversations than the former.

Re: How much can an extra hour's sleep change you?

#85

Post by tomsaffell »

zck wrote: post #64
tomsaffell wrote: post #59

Earlier quoted context omitted.

>our smalltalk starts with "What do you do for a living?" I agree - it's not good small-talk. Since this was pointed out to me (~15 years ago) I've made a conscious effort never to ask people what they do for a living. One friend I knew for a year before I found out what he did (that's a rare situation, granted). If you haven't tried it then I highly recommend it.

I love this idea, but I've struggled with what to replace it with. "Tell me about yourself" is the best thing I've come up with, but it sounds like an interview. "What are you interested in?" is another option, but it too sounds formal. I want to ask people what they care about without having it be awkward. How do you open small talk with someone you've just met?

Good question, but I think the answer is in the question:

  I want to __ask__ people what they __care__ about... 
  How do you open __small talk__ ...
I would make small talk about something small, like the weather (I'm British :), or about whatever common experience around us we're sharing (the music, how bumpy the bus is, how full the flight is). Taking a random walk through conversation-space should fairly quickly get to something that they care about, so long as they want to talk, and have their self-interest-heuristic turned on.

So I don't think you need to seek what they care about. You just need to make the conversation worth continuing and it will get their on its own.

Re: How much can an extra hour's sleep change you?

#86

Post by [deleted] »

joonix wrote: post #4

Doesn't matter for me. I hardly get much deep sleep due to anatomical issues essentially blocking my airways. I can't afford the surgery (even though I have insurance) nor will my government contribute to it (even though it would increase my productivity multiple times over, meanwhile they throw trillions at universities offering useless degrees). But yes, we have a culture that doesn't value sleep. I know of people…

[deleted]

Re: How much can an extra hour's sleep change you?

#87

Post by brightsize »

drzaiusapelord wrote: post #34
grannyg00se wrote: post #20

Earlier quoted context omitted.

To me it seems we have a culture that doesn't value well-being in general. People might say that they do, but the entire culture is set up against it. Sleep is just one more neglected aspect of well-being. We also have ridiculous working hours, insane commutes, pathetic diet and exercise habits, and a health record to show for it. Keeping busy at one's job is valued above most else.

>Keeping busy at one's job is valued above most else. I also hate how our smalltalk starts with "What do you do for a living?" That's a fair question, but its depressing when that's the first one and all we really talk about. Its a puritan's overworked culture serving the elites. This shutdown is about this as well. We really need to have European-style vacation time and healthcare. I hope my generation gets it right…

>I also hate how our smalltalk starts with "What do you do for a living?"

In my experience this usually takes the form of "what do you do?" The question irks me because I know that what's implied is the "for work" part, and that in turn implies that somehow, the way I make money is the signature aspect of my being. The assumption is built in to our [American] society of course. My response to this query is always either "do for what?" or a list of things that I do that I consider important (walk, ride my bike, work out, travel, listen to jazz, read ...).

Re: How much can an extra hour's sleep change you?

#88

Post by dorfsmay »

ryusage wrote: post #40
dorfsmay wrote: post #16

Note that you can use it to your advantage too. Bad allergy? Sleep less, it'll raise your corti??? and reduce the effect of the allergy. Not a long term solution, but works well when you are at the pick of it.

I think it would be the opposite effect actually. Sleeping less, according to the article, seems to increase inflammatory and immune system responses, which are what cause allergies. So sleeping more, presumably, may decrease a person's allergic reactions. Of course, this whole article is based on a really small sample size...I would take it more as a suggestion than a solid scientific result.

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/9415946

Sleep deprivation increase the levels of cortisol which is in part why you tend to put on weight when not sleeping enough. Cortisol is an anti-inflammatory.

I wouldn't be surprised if chronic lack of sleep increase inflammatory, due to some other mechanism, but for sure, short bouts of sleep deprivation has worked wonder for me to stop allergic reactions (I'm talking sleeping less than 4 hours/24 hours period - I usually need between 7 and 9 hours).

Re: How much can an extra hour's sleep change you?

#89

Post by dorfsmay »

lportion wrote: post #56
dorfsmay wrote: post #16

Note that you can use it to your advantage too. Bad allergy? Sleep less, it'll raise your corti??? and reduce the effect of the allergy. Not a long term solution, but works well when you are at the pick of it.

I find this hard to believe. I have contact dermatitis and it noticeably gets worse when I am not sleeping well.

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/9415946

I'm not talking about not sleeping well, I'm talking about sleep deprivation, less than 4 hours, when I normally need between 7 to 9 hours.

Also, we are all slightly different, what works for one person might not work for another (we are all an experience of one).

Re: How much can an extra hour's sleep change you?

#90

Post by collyw »

zck wrote: post #64
tomsaffell wrote: post #59

Earlier quoted context omitted.

>our smalltalk starts with "What do you do for a living?" I agree - it's not good small-talk. Since this was pointed out to me (~15 years ago) I've made a conscious effort never to ask people what they do for a living. One friend I knew for a year before I found out what he did (that's a rare situation, granted). If you haven't tried it then I highly recommend it.

I love this idea, but I've struggled with what to replace it with. "Tell me about yourself" is the best thing I've come up with, but it sounds like an interview. "What are you interested in?" is another option, but it too sounds formal. I want to ask people what they care about without having it be awkward. How do you open small talk with someone you've just met?

"How do you spend your time" is a good alternative. If people are out of work, or hate their job, it doesn't alienate them, yet allows them to talk about it if it is important to them.
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