Curated Curiosity: The Dark Side of Sleep Deprivation

Sleep scientist reveals why insufficient sleep is more dangerous than being drunk (and what to do about it)

Author

Ben Averbook
November 28, 2024 • Estimated Reading Time: 3 minutes

In partnership with

TODAY'S INSIGHT

"Sleep is not like a light switch. Sleep is much more like trying to land a plane - it takes time to descend down onto the terra firma that we call sound sleep at night."

- Dr. Matthew Walker

WHAT THEY SAID

  • After being awake for 20 hours, a human is as cognitively impaired as being legally drunk - yet we celebrate executives who work through the night.

  • The brain becomes "waterlogged" without sleep before learning, making it harder to absorb new information. You need sleep both before AND after learning to effectively retain memories.

  • During dream sleep, your rational brain (prefrontal cortex) shuts down while emotional and memory centers become more active than during wakefulness - creating a unique state for processing information.

  • Coffee's health benefits come primarily from antioxidants, not caffeine. Caffeine has a quarter-life of 10-12 hours, meaning a noon coffee still affects you at midnight.

  • Insufficient sleep doesn't just increase negative emotions - it more significantly dampens positive ones, leading to anhedonia (inability to feel pleasure), a key symptom of depression.

WHY IT MATTERS

Sleep isn't just about rest - it's fundamentally linked to learning, emotional regulation, creativity, and mental health. In a world that increasingly demands cognitive performance, understanding sleep's role in brain function is crucial for personal and professional success.

MY TAKES

If you're curious about the science of sleep, I highly recommend Dr. Matthew Walker's book Why We Sleep.

I read it a year ago, and it completely transformed how I approach sleep and rest.

PS: I hope you don’t mind the ad. Just checking out the website below is a simple way to support me and helps keep this newsletter free for everyone. Your support means a lot—thank you!

I will see you tomorrow.

Ben Averbook

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