We All Need More SLEEP

 

 

We need sleep. All of us. Unless you have a super rare genetic make-up that allows you to function fully on lower sleep-probably not you-then you need sleep. Sleep is written into our genetic coding and despite what the macho guy who says “I can go on 4 hours a night” tells you, evolution wants us to get 7-9 hours and we should work very hard to make that happen. I recently came across Matt Walker, well-known sleep expert, listening to Peter Attia’s podcast. Below is the Ted Talk he is well-known for. 

The podcast episode I was listening to was actually part one of a three part series, all over an hour. Sleep is more complex than we realize.

Ultimately, their conversation renewed my vigor for getting to bed early and shooting for eight hours. 

There are so many important points to be made, but below are some things that stuck with me:

• In the future, we will likely look back on electronic use before bed similar to how we look back on the accepted and encouraged use of cigarettes all the way into the 1960s. Basically, if you’re one who sits on their phone or in front of a laptop all the way up until bedtime (me sometimes), this is not good for us and as more data comes out we may find out the effects are actually horrible.
• Sleep deprivation leads to increased risk for a multitude of issues, including anxiety and depression, Alzheimer’s, cardiovascular disease, cancer, and more.
• Sleep in a colder environment! Better for the body.
• Meditate a little bit before bed to help calm the mind.
• Go to bed at the same time and wake up at the same time. Routine is key.

Distractions on Distractions

Short post here, but I’ve been thinking about how distracted we all are most of the time. The following is a big generalization of the Western world, primarily us USA lot. I am not as sure about the East, although I’m sure distractions pervade their culture as well. Most of us are distracted, and we know it if we take a step back and think about it. 

If you have ever tried meditation, you hopefully became somewhat aware of how much your mind tends to wander in thought. The mind will go from one thought to the next and we don’t even realize what just happened.

This is not a bad thing in and of itself-it can be quite good for creativity and reasoning-but too much being lost in thought certainly can be harmful over time and separates us from what is going on at any given moment within us and right in front of us.

I think most of us it find it hard to simply sit still and not react habitually. We tend to reach for our phone, pull out the laptop, turn on the TV, partly because it’s SO EASY. Letting things play out without reacting and looking for a distraction is HARD. 

The East contains a lot of ancient wisdom that I am trying to learn with time. One consistent theme is meditation and a collectivist culture. In the West, we tend to pride ourselves on our individualistic approach and autonomy. I would guess that both have their pros and cons, but personally I think I long for that collectivist aspect more and more.

Distractions will happen, but I think learning to come back to the present is incredibly valuable. With constant distractions our relationships suffer, our own mental well-being suffers, and we forget about our body. 

I am not trying to be a hypocrite here and I don’t want to sound like a lecturer. I get distracted all the time and I am ready to get back to consistent meditation practice and more mindful attention throughout the day. This practice is rather challenging, but I think I’ve realized it’s very useful and perhaps necessary for a sane society.

I recently learned that warrior means “one who is brave.” I love this. Time to be a warrior for the greater good of self and others.