Author Topic: Effects of sleep deprivation  (Read 3003 times)

IanN

  • Voon
Effects of sleep deprivation
« on: 24 September, 2017, 02:42:30 pm »
Interesting article in the Grauniad.
https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2017/sep/24/why-lack-of-sleep-health-worst-enemy-matthew-walker-why-we-sleep
Short and long term effects of sleep deprivation (less than 7 hours!). See points at the end about the probability of crashing when driving (cycling?) when sleep deprived. No mention of hallucinations on long audaxes.

I'm getting an early night!


hellymedic

  • Just do it!
Re: Effects of sleep deprivation
« Reply #1 on: 24 September, 2017, 02:57:47 pm »
I have only skimmed through this.
I would imagine just about every parent has had some sleep deprivation in the first few months after a baby's arrival. I am not sure of any evidence that relates childlessness to longer life (though this would be unsustainable for the species).

I have gone through work and Audax-related sleep deprivation.

IME the quality of post Audax sleep is to be celebrated.

The same is not true for working through the nights or on shifts.

Re: Effects of sleep deprivation
« Reply #2 on: 24 September, 2017, 04:51:46 pm »
Interesting article, thanks

Re: Effects of sleep deprivation
« Reply #3 on: 24 September, 2017, 06:27:27 pm »
I read this earlier and I was about to link to it on here, but then paused to consider whether it was best to post it in the weight loss thread or the type 2 diabetes thread.

The article has certainly made me think about making some changes. I rarely get more than about 6 hours. I go to bed too late and, despite this, often wake up too early.

Things I am going to start to do:

- set an alarm to alert me to prepare to go to bed
- not read my phone in bed. That one is going to be tough.

Cudzoziemiec

  • Ride adventurously and stop for a brew.
Re: Effects of sleep deprivation
« Reply #4 on: 24 September, 2017, 08:53:28 pm »
I have only skimmed through this.
I would imagine just about every parent has had some sleep deprivation in the first few months after a baby's arrival. I am not sure of any evidence that relates childlessness to longer life (though this would be unsustainable for the species).

I have gone through work and Audax-related sleep deprivation.

IME the quality of post Audax sleep is to be celebrated.

The same is not true for working through the nights or on shifts.
Not always IME. There's a difference between sleep having got up at a normal(-ish) time, ridden all day, and gone to bed at a normal(-ish) time, and having got up especially early or gone to bed especially late.
Riding a concrete path through the nebulous and chaotic future.

Re: Effects of sleep deprivation
« Reply #5 on: 24 September, 2017, 09:00:29 pm »
I've become increasingly sensitive to sleep deprivation as I've got older. Hard to say if this is a need for more sleep or just that less ego and more understanding means that I'm more honest with myself about the impact now. I suspect the latter.

When we did the Easter Arrow last year my biggest concern was the lack of sleep, although the one night was fine in the end. However, it's a real consideration for me on longer rides and working days. The reality is that I know I don't function well at work when I haven't had enough sleep, and these days that matters (if only to my peace of mind!)

Mike

Re: Effects of sleep deprivation
« Reply #6 on: 25 September, 2017, 12:11:42 pm »
This is an interesting read. But my problem is me snoring like big trucks honking. I bought a snore gadget online arriving tomorrow. so let's see if that will help. So everyone, have a good night sleep later!

Re: Effects of sleep deprivation
« Reply #7 on: 26 September, 2017, 10:38:51 pm »
The problem is that there is just too much internet. It’s not only affecting my sleep - I read fewer books than I used to.

I’m think I am going to aim to stop looking at stuff online by 22:30, and tail off by reading - admittedly via Kindle.

Night!

IanN

  • Voon
Re: Effects of sleep deprivation
« Reply #8 on: 27 September, 2017, 08:10:32 pm »
I think colour temperature is a big problem. I've got warm light bulbs in lounge and bedroom, but I've done nothing about my phone or computer

Candles! That's the answer.  :facepalm:

Re: Effects of sleep deprivation
« Reply #9 on: 27 September, 2017, 08:27:43 pm »
I think colour temperature is a big problem. I've got warm light bulbs in lounge and bedroom, but I've done nothing about my phone or computer

Candles! That's the answer.  :facepalm:


Try nightshirt on your devices - warms up the screen when the sun goes down.

I am a bit thoughtful about even the warm led bulbs probably having a blue spike in the spectrum. Largely because one of the small ones likes the landing let but on at night, but also because I've just about done the house in leds now.

Cudzoziemiec

  • Ride adventurously and stop for a brew.
Re: Effects of sleep deprivation
« Reply #10 on: 27 September, 2017, 08:29:15 pm »
I don't quite buy their "electrification of the night" argument as a reason for declining sleep over the last 10 years. Over the last 30 maybe, 50 probably, 100 certainly, but we don't seem to have been adding lighting to streets or homes over the last decade or so. But if it's colour temperature rather than brightness of light that's the problem (after all, it's quite easy to sleep in the sun on a hot sunny afternoon), that could be a factor over the last 10 years.
Riding a concrete path through the nebulous and chaotic future.

hellymedic

  • Just do it!
Re: Effects of sleep deprivation
« Reply #11 on: 27 September, 2017, 09:07:07 pm »
Street lights are a lot brighter and bluer nowadays. I seem to sleep fine though.

The street light that shines into or bedroom is high-pressure sodium.

When the council install LEDs, it might be another matter.

Kim

  • Timelord
    • Fediverse
Re: Effects of sleep deprivation
« Reply #12 on: 27 September, 2017, 09:34:06 pm »
The big changes over the last ten years are LED lighting and the fact that normal people are staring at computer screens (mostly TFT with cold-catholde or LED backlight) in the evening.  Tellies have been around for ages, but they tend to be *over there*.

I doubt that streetlighting has a significant effect (on sleep - astronomy is another matter).  Relatively little gets to people's houses, and what does is then usually blocked with curtains and/or drowned out by much brighter room lighting.  People tend not to spend long periods outside when it's dark, and cars have their own illumination.

Is LED lighting really worse than all the CFLs we were using before though?  The cheap ones always seemed spectrally dire to me, but perhaps not with a massive blue peak?

Re: Effects of sleep deprivation
« Reply #13 on: 27 September, 2017, 10:51:08 pm »
The big changes over the last ten years are LED lighting and the fact that normal people are staring at computer screens (mostly TFT with cold-catholde or LED backlight) in the evening.  Tellies have been around for ages, but they tend to be *over there*.

I doubt that streetlighting has a significant effect (on sleep - astronomy is another matter).  Relatively little gets to people's houses, and what does is then usually blocked with curtains and/or drowned out by much brighter room lighting.  People tend not to spend long periods outside when it's dark, and cars have their own illumination.

Is LED lighting really worse than all the CFLs we were using before though?  The cheap ones always seemed spectrally dire to me, but perhaps not with a massive blue peak?

I've never seen a cfl I liked. They are always ugly - largely because of the unbalanced (green) and gappy spectrum I think. Leds can now be much better, but they (all seem to) use blue emitters to excite the fluorescent materials. There are still spectral issues, but as per the other thread, they switch on and off so fast that they need decent drivers to make them look nice.

Actually, I really like tungsten bulbs and particularly higher temperature halogen lamps. They're no longer viewed as acceptable though...

hellymedic

  • Just do it!
Re: Effects of sleep deprivation
« Reply #14 on: 27 September, 2017, 11:10:00 pm »
Tellies have been around for ages but screen size is now MASSIVE compared to the mid 20th Century but I'm TV-free.

Cudzoziemiec

  • Ride adventurously and stop for a brew.
Re: Effects of sleep deprivation
« Reply #15 on: 28 September, 2017, 09:17:41 am »
I'm surprised there was no mention of noise in the article. Traffic volumes are increasing all the time as is the proportion of diesels (maybe just starting to peak now?), whose throbby noise – it's the tone rather than volume – when stationary is quite disturbing.
Riding a concrete path through the nebulous and chaotic future.

Re: Effects of sleep deprivation
« Reply #16 on: 28 September, 2017, 12:51:32 pm »
The problem is that there is just too much internet. It’s not only affecting my sleep - I read fewer books than I used to.

I’m think I am going to aim to stop looking at stuff online by 22:30, and tail off by reading - admittedly via Kindle.

Night!

I couldn't agree more. The Internet has made a lot of impact to today's world. Good and Bad.

Pete Mas

  • Don't Worry 'bout a thing...
Sleep Deprivation and Audax
« Reply #17 on: 01 October, 2017, 10:34:07 pm »
The Times this weekend features reviews of 'Why we sleep' by Matthew Walker. The author maintains that sleep is the 'pre-eminent' force in the health trinity of diet, exercise and rest. Lack of sleep does not just diminish memory and concentration. It 'triggers a domino effect that will spread like a wave of health damage throughout your body'. There is a long list of shock statistics quoted e.g. Adults over 45 who sleep less than 6 hrs are 200% more likely to have a heart attack or stroke, gain weight, catch colds more easily and are more vulnerable to cancer. He says a night with 4 hrs sleep destroys 70% of the natural killer cells in the immune system. Not to mention that men who sleep less have smaller testicles... :o Sounds a bit sensationalist to me.

Personally I love the long audax rides, and had a 'quiet' season just ended (Only 5 rides recorded, but average per ride 400 miles). However, as I get older I certainly have noted a tendency to pick up colds on a too regular basis, so maybe I'll cut back on the very long rides involving sleep deprivation. Either that or ensure I get more sleep between events

Over to you folks to continue the discussion...

''It is better to travel hopefully than to arrive."

R.L.Stevenson

hellymedic

  • Just do it!
Re: Sleep Deprivation and Audax
« Reply #18 on: 01 October, 2017, 10:56:29 pm »
This was discussed in Health & Fitness when the same story was published elsewhere earlier in the week...

https://yacf.co.uk/forum/index.php?topic=105104.0

Wycombewheeler

  • PBP-2019 LEL-2022
Re: Sleep Deprivation and Audax
« Reply #19 on: 01 October, 2017, 10:58:14 pm »
I always thought it was consistent lack of sleep that was an issue. I've never noticed any ill effects from a single night. (beyond feeling drowsy)
Interested in the statement that one night can destroy 70% white blood cells. I find this very hard to believe. I wonder if such cells have a a very short 'life' anyway and that lack of sleep prevents replenishment resulting in a 70% loss of cells. That I find more believable.

If humans are so sensitive to lack of sleep, how has the species survived having children? guaranteed to result in many nights with less than 4 hours.

Eddington  127miles, 170km

hellymedic

  • Just do it!
Re: Sleep Deprivation and Audax
« Reply #20 on: 01 October, 2017, 11:00:18 pm »
I always thought it was consistent lack of sleep that was an issue. I've never noticed any ill effects from a single night. (beyond feeling drowsy)
Interested in the statement that one night can destroy 70% white blood cells. I find this very hard to believe. I wonder if such cells have a a very short 'life' anyway and that lack of sleep prevents replenishment resulting in a 70% loss of cells. That I find more believable.

If humans are so sensitive to lack of sleep, how has the species survived having children? guaranteed to result in many nights with less than 4 hours.

I made the point about parents in H&F...

Wycombewheeler

  • PBP-2019 LEL-2022
Re: Sleep Deprivation and Audax
« Reply #21 on: 01 October, 2017, 11:22:09 pm »
yes, seen it now, I was typing when you posted.

Eddington  127miles, 170km