"Do you think you got enough sleep this past week? Can you recall the last time you woke up without an alarm clock feeling refreshed, not needing caffeine? If the answer to either of these questions is “no,” you are not alone. More than a third of adults in many developed nations fail to obtain the recommended seven to nine hours of nightly sleep."
- Why We Sleep, by Matthew Walker
Being someone who has always struggled with sleep, i'm interested to learn more about how to work with not against my body to optimize the quantity and quality of my sleep. Two things I've already learned:
- Melatonin only regulates the timing of sleep, not it's generation. So taking a melatonin supplement will only help your body recognize when it's time to go to sleep - not help you drift off.
- Caffeine operates by blocking the body's adenosine receptors. Adenosine is a chemical that builds up in the body during the day, peaking about 12-16 hours after you wake. Caffeine tricks you into feeling alert and awake by preventing the body from recognizing how much adenosine you have - but doesn't prevent it from building up.
I highly recommend Matthew Walker's appearance on the Rich Roll podcast.
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