Want better sex? Better memory? Better life? Here’s the secret - Mark Morford

[madokie]

What, you need to hear it again?

OK then. Another study. Another obvious conclusion. Want to improve your libido? Be a more vital and awake, energized lover? Want to, simultaneously, be more productive and focused, healthier and happier, nicer to animals and children and trees?

That’s easy. Get a decent amount of sleep. Regular, easeful, deep.
There are zero benefits to not getting enough sleep.

Heard that before? Of course you have. Sleep deprivation is linked pretty much every malady you can name, from heart disease to diabetes, obesity to joining the GOP. Problem is, this is America. Sleep is a luxury. Sleep is an afterthought. Sleep is for wimps and slackers and under-achievers. “I’ll sleep when I’m dead.” Right. Funny thing though: You’re dying from lack of sleep

http://blog.sfgate.com/morford/2015/03/30/want-better-sex-better-memory/

[daleanime]

1. Actually, when I stopped working.....

it was my sleeping the got the biggest difference. Not more, but so much better.

[metalbot]

13. I think this is actually a key point

While the quantity of sleep you get is important, and how much you need varies from person to person, the quality of sleep is tremendously important.

Personally, I've done a couple things that I think help enormously:
1. I sleep in total darkness (I'm pretty sure this is backed up by science)
2. I'll usually take some zinc (not so well backed up by science)
3. When I'm working on the computer at night, I use something called f.lux which changes the color and brightness of my monitor to drastically reduce the amount of blue light (reasonably backed by science - google f.lux for more info)

As a general rule, I also sleep much better when I've had some degree of exercise that day, at least several hours before I sleep.

[Nitram]

18. I agree metalbot

I'm an extremely light sleeper, so I:

1) sleep in total darkness
2) put in some earplugs when I wake up around 4:00 or 5:00
3) get plenty of exercise
4) have learned techniques to relax the entire body and silence the insane chatter in my brain

[daleanime]

19. For me, I think a lot of it is simply that I don't have to worry....

as much. No longer is it "I have to sleep NOW" because I have to be back to work in six hours. Or five. Or seven. You know what I mean. And I sleep until I'm done.


There's a lot I would love to change about my life right now, but that part I do enjoy.

[stillwaiting]

38. Thanks for introducing me to f.lux.

I've passed it on to my partner who has a terrible time falling asleep at night, but he's on his laptop or tablet until he falls asleep (despite my protestations...).

Hopefully this will help him wind down at night!

[valerief]

31. I got MORE and BETTER sleep when I stopped working. It truly is a luxury

to not have to drive an hour to work, spend 10 hours in cubicle, drive another hour home, and stop off for errands before heading home to do laundry and food prep. And then to toss and turn and be lucky to get 2 to 3 hours of sleep before starting it all over again. Fuckin' America.

If you're lucky enough to get old and to have saved enough (paid off the house, anyway) and to not have to work (like rich people have their WHOLE LIVES), you can appreciate what a good night's sleep can do for your body and outlook.

[tridim]

2. True, but it's even better with exercise.

Since both activities support each other.

[RedCappedBandit]

10. Yep.

I'm an avid weight lifter. Ironically, sometimes making sure I get enough sleep is a sacrifice, but it's my priority.

Getting enough sleep helps me get the most out of my workouts, and getting in a good workout helps me get good sleep! And that quality sleep helps prepare me for all of my other responsibilities.

[pangaia]

14. This ad paid for by Wally's dumbells.

[RedCappedBandit]

17. Lol, yeah. I hesitated to submit that post.

[pangaia]

22. Nah, it's cool.

[edgineered]

3. yeah, that's fine unless

have you tried living with a nympho who insists on sex five times a day? - it won't last too many months. even cutting it down to three doesn't leave much time for sleep. another wasted study.

[tridim]

4. Must be rough. nt

[edgineered]

5. must have had been rough - i may be a slow learner, but not stupid!

[NuclearDem]

15. Poor thing.

[edgineered]

34. it makes for great stories though, AND

remember, there are those whom we've slept with too!

[Lochloosa]

6. Never underestimate a good night sleep.

Take it from someone that went nine years with undiaginosed sleep apnea.

Lack of sleep will KILL you.

[ProfessorGAC]

7. Easier Said Than Done

Super light sleeper, with modest muscle twitches from MS in both legs and feet makes a good solid night's sleep very hard to come by.

I don't underestimate it, as you said. I just don't have much success in getting it.

[pinboy3niner]

8. And sleep deprivation seizures are a real thing, too

Both petit mal and grand mal.

[robbob]

26. I was diagnosed with sleep apnea

Total surprise: I sleep like a baby all night and wake up after 9-10 hours, but I still felt exhausted. Turns out I was never getting into a deep sleep; my air passage would block up as the muscles relaxed and pull me back up to a light sleep. Lots of cool dreams, not a lot of deep rest.

Now I have to wear a mask at night to try and keep air pressure up to keep the throat open. Problem is, I can't get used to it. I struggle with it for 2-3 hours, during which maybe I sleep for 30 minutes, then finally in frustration I rip it off, roll over and go right to sleep.

It's very frustrating. Also fairly noisy. I can't imagine sleeping with a partner while wearing this device. Unless I can find a woman with a Darth Vader fetish...

[Lochloosa]

29. LOL...i understand. I tolerate the mask quite well. And my wife makes me wear it.

There is an alternate dental device that my Brother-in-Law uses and he loves it. Maybe you could look into that.

http://www.aadsm.org/oralappliances.aspx


Ask your dentist. And it is covered by Obamacare.

[MosheFeingold]

35. Try the nose mask

Just plugs into your nostrils and doesn't cover your mouth.

Works great for me, but then, I look like a Nazi stereotype of a Jewish guy with a nose blessed by G-d.

Sleeping on your stomach works in a pinch, too, if you lack your CPAP. I need a large pillow to pull this off.

[lovemydog]

9. For a second I thought you meant the secret is Mark Morford.

I agree. Sleep is great!

[bemildred]

11. Totally. nt

[Lucky Luciano]

12. I only get 5.5 - 6 hours a night.

I am on my desk at 7:30 am after running 5 miles and driving to Connecticut from NYC - and walking the dog! I get up at 5:00am. I lift weights from 6:15pm to 7:15 pm then drive back to the city getting home at 8:00. Then I like to hang out with my family until 11:30. I fall asleep instantly!

Getting up is tough, but after the run I am pretty strong for the day.

Friday nights I crash out for 10 hours though - that is critical in all this!

[Grammy23]

16. My husband worked at a job where he went to work at midnight or sometimes 1 a.m.

He got off at 9:30 a.m. It was extremely difficult for him to go to bed as soon as he got home. Going to bed early enough in the afternoon to get a full 7 or 8 hours of sleep was the hardest, even if he was exhausted...which was most of the time. He often told me that he NEVER felt rested and only when he was on vacation did he start to feel normal again...at the end of the vacation when he was due to start all over again.

I am not sure what a person doing shift work is supposed to do to get enough sleep. It seems to be a universal problem among people who work late at night. My mom was a nurse who worked 11 - 7 and she, too, often complained of not getting enough solid sleep.

My husband's company paid him a shift differential but it, in NO WAY, adequately compensated him for the inconvenience of working at a job when most people are snug in their beds. The corporate suits also never addressed the issue with employees. Guess it never occurred to them that it was a problem....or maybe ...just maybe they didn't give a rat's ass. 😳😱

[LiberalArkie]

28. If you work nights you have to live either by yourself or with someone on the same shift.

I worked graveyard for a while and lived by myself with no problem. I got a roommate that worked days, I could not get enough sleep. He went to graveyard shift also, I slept fine. Everyone has to be on the same schedule unless you have a big house away from everyone else so you don't notice any other people.

[DebJ]

30. My poor father had a shift work job that for many years went like this:

Six weeks of day shift, then 6 weeks of evening shift, then 6 weeks of night shift.

I don't know how he is still alive.

[Zorra]

20. Forcing people to get little sleep is one way the establishment maintains

control of the citizenry.

Exhausted people don't think, or feel well.

"You load 16 tons, and what do you get? Another day older and deeper in debt. St. Peter don't you call me cuz i can't go...

...I owe my soul to the company store." ~ Tennessee Ernie Ford

"Men who work cannot dream, and wisdom comes to us in dreams".
~ Smohalla

[progressoid]

21. Easier said than done.

[oldlib2]

23. You didn't

mention needing to urinate. I sleep in 2 to 3 hour cycles, needing to use the bathroom. I do accumulate about 6 hours total, and I doze at intervals during the day. I would like a sleep without interruption.

[mainer]

24. Estrogen replacement hormones. I can't sleep without them.

I went for almost a year waking up repeatedly with hot flashes and a pounding heartbeat. I was catatonic during the day, unable to focus because of fatigue. I finally gave up on trying to go through menopause the natural way, and went on replacement therapy. Have slept like a baby ever since. You'll have to pry those pills out of my cold dead hands.

[titaniumsalute]

25. Better sex?

Heck I'll take any sex.

[staggerleem]

27. Sleep is for wimps and slackers and under-achievers.

And Billionaires - they can afford it!

[CanSocDem]

32. What's wrong with taking a nap?

Aside from the fact that it requires individual initiative which is frowned upon by the group mentality, it actually promotes a less than total commitment to the task, by forcing everybody into a tightly managed schedule.

I learned from many years in the trucking industry that "total commitment" was required 100% of the time. The industry regulations that are designed to facilitate commerce without pissing off the public. They are not for the well-being of the driver(worker), as I learned early. The industry definition of "total commitment was to follow the rules, which at the time required me to sleep for at least 8 hours every day and only drive 500 or so miles. "If you can't do this, we'll give you another driver because we need the truck to go 1000 miles a day...."


To cut to the chase, because of the amazingly recuperative effects of the nap, I would give the company 1000 miles a day of total commitment.


.

[joeybee12]

33. It's true and my cats are to blame...

Even if I go to bed later, they insist I get up at the same time every day.

[callous taoboy]

36. I take melatonin.

Google it. Great stuff and I sleep like I did when I was a kid. Interesting dreams, too.

[fadedrose]

37. And if you happen to sleep too long

You feel guilty and don't want others to know, you answer the phone with , "NO, I wasn't asleep. I was scrubbing the bathroom."

But if you answer the door not dressed yet, and someone knocks, they say, "YOU MEAN YOU'RE JUST WAKING UP!!"

Society will not allow a person to get the sleep they need unless they've just had surgery.

[Blue_Tires]

39. ^^^^^^^^TRUTH