DID YOU KNOW?

KNOWLEDGE IS SURVIVAL

SHOCKING:  Federal energy program suggests keeping thermostat set at 78 degrees — 82 while you sleep

fox5ny:  LOS ANGELES - To keep your home cool with central air conditioning while also optimizing energy efficiency (and therefore cost), keep the temperature at 78 degrees Fahrenheit or higher. [. . .]  With record-breaking heat waves becoming the norm, finding ways to beat the heat without busting your budget might seem mystifying, which is why Energy Star provided consumers with a set of energy-saving recommendations on how to best manage central air conditioning in warmer spring and summer months. [combine this ‘advice’ with 5G radiation, Microwave Radiation, Toxins in food, water, and vaccines, and you will be cooking your body organs while sleeping]

DID YOU KNOW

As discussed in *Brain Maker, the optimal temperature for sleeping is between 65-70 degrees Fahrenheit. Also recommended, **Brain Wash.

ABOUT SLEEP

#Dr. Perlmutter: Over the past several years I’ve emphasized the critically important role that sleep plays, not only in terms of cognitive health and functionality, but with respect to general health as well. Quoting from Dr. Walker’s book [Why We Sleep by Matthew Walker, PhD]:

Humans are not sleeping the way nature intended. The number of sleep bouts, the duration of sleep, and when sleep occurs has all been comprehensively distorted by modernity… the shorter your sleep, the shorter your life. The leading causes of disease and death in developed nations—diseases that are crippling health-care systems, such as heart disease, obesity, dementia, diabetes, and cancer—all have recognized causal links to a lack of sleep.

There are so many factors involved these days that work against us in our quest to achieve restorative sleep. In this blog, I’m only going to focus on one — blue light. Blue light is the particular wavelength of light emitted by our ubiquitous electronic screens. Whether we are looking at our smart phones, tablets, computer monitors, or televisions, or we have decided to become more energy efficient and install LED bulbs in our homes, we are now experiencing an unprecedented exposure to a particular type of light, blue-wavelength, at levels never before encountered by humans.

There is a robust body of scientific research that relates exposure to blue light to sleeplessness. Far and away, the mechanism that is invoked relating to these two issues has to do with how exposure to blue light suppresses the brain’s production of melatonin. This can have a detrimental effect on the body’s natural 24-hour circadian rhythm. Disrupting the circadian rhythm not only affects how you feel, but may have other health consequences, including problems with immune function, mood disturbance, increasing inflammation, metabolic abnormalities, and even affecting cognitive function.

New research has demonstrated that when young adults are exposed to blue light from their computer screens between the hours of 9 and 11 PM, there is a significant reduction in melatonin production, total sleep time is shortened, and sleep quality is reduced as a consequence of increased frequency of night time awakenings.

With this underpinning, an obvious recommendation would be to essentially curtail exposure to blue light in the evening as a way of allowing your brain to produce more melatonin and ensure you’re going to get a better night’s sleep. But obviously, people are going to want to check email, text, or watch television before bed. The good news is — there may well be a solution to this challenge.

In a recent study published in the Journal of Psychiatric Research, researchers set out to determine if wearing special amber-tinted, blue light-blocking lenses before bedtime would improve sleep in subjects who had insomnia.

…we observed that in individuals with insomnia symptoms, wearing amber lenses compared to clear lenses before bedtime improved sleep. Current findings have public health relevance given the high rates of insomnia and prevalent use of light-emitting devices before bedtime. Amber lenses represent a safe, affordable, and easily implemented non-pharmacologic behavioral therapeutic intervention for insomnia symptoms. brain foundation

Blue light-blocking glasses are quite inexpensive and are available from multiple online retailers. Again, it’s probably best to do what you can to avoid screen time before bed generally.

DETRIMENTAL SLEEP

In general, the suggested bedroom temperature should be between 60 and 67 degrees Fahrenheit for optimal sleep. When lying in bed trying to snooze, your body temperature decreases to initiate sleep—and the proposed temperatures above can actually help facilitate this. If your room is cool, rather than warm, it will be much easier to shut your eyes for the night. Thermostat settings far lower or higher than what's recommended could lead to restlessness and can also affect the quality of the stage in which you dream.

WHY YOUR BRAIN NEEDS TO DREAM

Dreaming is like overnight therapy. [. . .] research suggests that time spent in dream sleep is what heals. . . .REM sleep is the only time when our brain is completely devoid of the anxiety-triggering molecule noradrenaline. At the same time, key emotional and memory-related structures of the brain are reactivated during REM sleep as we dream. This means that emotional memory reactivation is occurring in a brain free of a key stress chemical, which allows us to re-process upsetting memories in a safer, calmer environment. greater good.berkeley

SCIENCE OF SLEEP

Brain  Cerebral spinal fluid is pumped more quickly throughout the brain while you sleep. It acts like a dishwasher, whisking away waste products that brain cells make. So you wake up with, quite literally, a clean slate.
Heart  One body part that gets a break during sleep is your heart. Your ticker works hard during the day, so at night during non-REM sleep it takes some pressure off itself by reducing heart rate, as well as blood pressure.
Lungs  When you’re awake, your breathing patterns vary greatly. You’ll breathe faster when excited and harder while exercising, for example. But during sleep, your breathing slows down and becomes very regular.
Stomach  Certain foods contain an amino acid called tryptophan that causes sleepiness. Carbohydrates make tryptophan more available to the brain, which is why carbohydrate-heavy meals can make you drowsy. sleep.org

• During deep sleep, the brain repairs itself and boosts the immune system.
• During rapid eye movement (REM) sleep, the brain consolidates information learned during the previous day.
• Poor sleep or sleep loss leads to fatigue, immune suppression, memory, concentration and mood disorders. Optimal learning cannot take place against a background of sleep debt.
• Seek help for sleep apnoea as it increases the risk of stroke. brain foundation

HOW TO IMPROVE SLEEP

1. Don’t drink caffeine after noon. Caffeine stays in your system much longer than you may think. You may be surprised to learn that the half-life of caffeine is actually about 6 hours!
2. Exercise for at least 20 minutes every day. Exercise is one of the first things we recommend for those who report feeling fatigued/tired every day, or generally reporting feeling like they are having non-restorative sleep.
3. Spend time in the sun! Especially consider this first thing in the morning. In addition to improving sleep, nature exposure has been demonstrated to have a wide ranging impact on health, including improved immune function, increased energy, reduced blood pressure, and improved focus.
4. Consume adequate amounts of magnesium. This key mineral plays a complex role in the biological processes which govern our ability to sleep, yet it’s estimated that nearly 75% of Americans are deficient.
5. Avoid digital devices close to bedtime. New research shows that blue light exposure significantly reduces the amount of melatonin secreted by the brain’s pineal gland, which will directly affect your sleep.
6. Regulate your body temperature. As discussed in Brain Maker, the optimal temperature for sleeping is between 65-70 degrees Fahrenheit.



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*Brain Maker: "About the Author, #David Perlmutter, MD, is a globally recognized leader in brain science. He is the recipient of the Linus Pauling Award, editor-in-chief of the global online and print peer-reviewed journal Brain and Gut, and author of the #1 New York Times bestseller Grain Brain, The Grain Brain Cookbook, The Better Brain Book, Raise a Smarter Child by Kindergarten, and Power Up Your Brain. He lives and practices in Naples, Florida”

“Dale E. Bredesen, MD:   "Thanks in large part to dramatic and ongoing increases in understanding the brain-gut-microbiome connection, there is new hope for the treatment of many neurological conditions, from autism to Alzheimer's to multiple sclerosis. David Perlmutter is a leader in this burgeoning field, and his new book, Brain Maker, is a landmark contribution.”— Dale E. Bredesen, MD, professor and director of Alzheimer's Disease Research, UCLA”

**Brain Wash: Detox Your Mind for Clearer Thinking, Deeper Relationships, and Lasting Happiness. "Brain Wash reveals how our day-to-day decisions are deeply influenced and actively manipulated by the modern world. But more importantly, it is a powerful manual that allows each of us to reclaim control of our choices and make better decisions that will pave the way for health and happiness. While we generally know what's best for ourselves, acting on this knowledge is a constant struggle. Brain Wash allows us to turn this knowledge into action. I highly recommend this innovative book."―Daniel G. Amen, MD, founder, Amen Clinics and author of ##The End of Mental Illness”

## The End of Mental Illness: How Neuroscience Is Transforming Psychiatry and Helping Prevent or Reverse Mood and Anxiety Disorders, ADHD, Addictions, PTSD, Psychosis, Personality Disorders, and More. See amazon