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> Sleep is really important. This cannot be overstated enough, I think, beyond just the effects of severe sleep deprivation. It's very true in my personal expe
by cmrx64 11y ago
> Sleep is really important.
This cannot be overstated enough, I think, beyond just the effects of severe sleep deprivation. It's very true in my personal experience with major depression as well.
Also good to do: eat well, get exercise, get sunlight. Minds don't exist in isolation from the body, it's all the same sack of chemicals.
- hacker_9 11y agoIt's interesting to me it has to be stated at all to be honest. When I don't sleep my productivity plummets, and it's pretty easy for me to make the link. Even the difference between 7 hours and 8 hours makes a noticeable impact. I sometimes wonder if these kind of first hand experiences are something that should be a part of the education system, such as depriving yourself of sleep and recording the results, or exercising on and off for several weeks and recording your mood, etc. I find this kind of self experimentation highly informative, and these days I can easily 'feel' the effects of drinking/smoking/dieting/exercising/etc on my well-being and mood, which in turn gives me a lot more willpower to see things through when I can logically infer the cause of bad feelings/moods and know they are temporary.
- IndianAstronaut 11y agoI wish we would stop praising or making light of sleep deprivation. We need to stop thinking that sleeping a lot is a sign of laziness.
- afarrell 11y agoSome universities (cough *MIT cough) have a habit of saying "sleep is for the weak" and that part of their culture needs to change.
- sentenza 11y agoIt is easy to lie to oneself that sleeping less is great if the activities done throughout the day are interesting. However, if all that added time is used for mind-numbing tasks, the true destructive nature (physically and mentally) of sleep deprivation becomes apparent, as many parents of small children can attest.
- ArkyBeagle 11y agoEngineering schools still have the bones of being military academies. Selecting for people who don't need a lot of sleep is important to militaries. MIT, unlike say, Texas A&M, was founded as a polytechnic and not as an explicit military academy but I'd bet there's still some of that orientation in its DNA.
- yahyaheee 11y agoTotally agree, the best ideas of mine come after a good sleep
- krylon 11y agoI agree completely. After my last depressive episode, I have fallen into a fairly rigid sleeep-wake-rhythm, which has served me pretty well. When the depression rears its ugly head, irregularities/changes in my sleep cycle are usually the first observable symptom. And I have not met a single person suffering from major depression who has not in some way had his/her sleep pattern affected by it.
- V-2 11y agoI'm not a doctor, but I've come across a concept that says sleep deprivation is actually helpful, or at least it eases depression symptoms. Eg. http://www.scientificamerican.com/article/why-sleep-deprivation-eases-depression/ http://www.scientificamerican.com/article/why-sleep-deprivat... or http://www.nature.com/scitable/blog/mind-read/an_unconventional_release_from_depression http://www.nature.com/scitable/blog/mind-read/an_unconventio...
- ascorbic 11y agoIMPORTANT. PLEASE READ THIS! Please, anybody with bipolar DO NOT DO THIS. It may work for depression, but for the same reason people with bipolar shouldn't take antidepressants (unless balanced with mood stabilisers) this can be really dangerous. It's very common that sleep deprivation can trigger a manic episode.
- V-2 11y agoI never said this is sound advice for bipolar people as opposed to those suffering from depression. As a matter of fact, I never insisted this is good advice for anyone, I specifically stressed that I'm not a doctor. I merely pointed out that there's a certain point of view, quoted by reputable sources. Given the above, I don't really understand the downvotes
- ascorbic 11y agoI didn't downvote you. I understand you weren't recommended it for people with bipolar. I just wanted to ensure there wasn't a confusion there, as it could be extremely dangerous.
- V-2 11y agoWell, every course of action one takes when mental health is concerned should be consulted with a professionalist... that goes without saying... anyone indiscriminately taking advice from internet forums is playing with fire. It shouldn't discourage us from discussing and sharing whatever interesting we've read, heard etc.
- dghughes 11y agoI used to work shift work and thought it was great to wake up late and stay up late when working then go to bed even later after winding down when I got back home. The occasional overnight project that would span several nights (you waste two days as one day). Then I went back to an 8am to 4pm schedule and wow what a difference I didn't realize I was a walking zombie all those years. Yes sleep is important but consistent sleep is the key.
- joepie91_ 11y agoI think it depends on how you define 'consistent'. A schedule where I go to sleep at the same time every day doesn't work for me and never has - it's precisely that which turns me into a walking zombie, as I've been for most of my time in high school. Instead, I generally just go to sleep when I'm tired and wake up naturally when I'm done sleeping. This automatically falls into a pattern where my bedtime shifts forward by 1-2 hours a day, in a cycle. Whenever I can follow that pattern, I sleep and perform extremely well. Different people still do appear to have different optimal sleeping patterns.