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Get good sleep and drink water. Two of the simplest pieces of advice that can go a really long way for your mental and physical health.

drzaiusapelord 11y ago
Except something like 60% of sleep apnea sufferers in the US will never get diagnosed. I used to be one of those people and its only after I switched doctors out of desperation that I was diagnosed. So its hard to tell people to just sleep better if they have a disease, the same way its hard to tell depressed people to just feel better or to think positively. As a society I don't think we fully understand the effects of sleep, sleep diseases, etc. I wish there was some well funded organization pushing this information out. Instead, we're pressured from an early age to stay up late to finish things, get up early for work/school (why does the work/school day start at 8?) and be sleep deprived to only catch up on the weekend. We're also beaming bright lights from our tablets and phones into our eyes all the time, especially around bedtime, and making many of these issues worse. Sleep is a complex issue. I'm not even sure how we can begin to address it from a public policy perspective. I think western capitalist life will always lead to sleep deprived people. We value activities, productivity, etc over rest and downtime.
- stordoff 11y ago
  > Except something like 60% of sleep apnea sufferers in the US will never get diagnosed. I used to be one of those people and its only after I switched doctors out of desperation that I was diagnosed. And even if you are diagnosed, there is not always a lot you can do about it. I was diagnosed with central sleep apnea about a year ago, and tried BiPAP for about six months. It made absolutely no difference to my sleep.
  - webnrrd2k 11y ago
    You probably already know this, but BiPAP is not effective for central sleep apnea. You may want to investigate Adaptive Servo Ventilation (ASV), which is far more suitable.
- seangrant 11y ago
  I think you're overblowing this. Sleep is not that complex of an issue. Many people get good sleep nowadays and it's due to maintaining a sleeping schedule and keeping your body healthy. However you're correct in the fact that many Americans fail at this. They don't fail because they value activities and productivity over sleep, they fail because of a lack of self respect required to do good by their body. Oftentimes this leads towards other unhealthy habits such as overeating and drug use. The number one cause of sleep apnea? Being overweight. Along with that many people can't sleep without some form of drug (alcohol or otherwise). A person can easily interact and thrive in this society without causing detriment to their health and/or sleep.
  - igorgue 11y ago
    The problem is many people in our industry, for example but finance as well and other careers, equate "work hard" to "work more hours, sleep less".
  - AznHisoka 11y ago
    Getting to bed early is not a complex issue - you're right. But actually getting QUALITY sleep is very much a complex issue. Not only sleep apnea, but you can have trouble sleeping for other undiagnosed (and hard to diagnosed reasons). For example, you may suffer from adrenal fatigue, too high/too low cortisol levels, or chronic stress that can lead to early morning awakenings. You can suffer from nocturnal asthma. You can suffer from restless leg syndrome. You can suffer from COPD or some other pulmonary issue.
    - fredrik-j 11y ago
      Wikipedia is quick to point out that there isn't any scientific support for "adrenal fatigue". What else in your comment is non-fact based? Please don't bring pseudoscience to HN, thanks! https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Adrenal_fatigue https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Adrenal_fatigue
noxToken 11y ago
In spite of how easy it is for people in this field to stay hydrated with water, my experience says otherwise. If you slam 4 ounces of water at the top of every hour over the course of a standard workday, you'll get 32 ounces of water in addition to whatever else was drank that day. Simple and effective hydration method.
- AndrewUnmuted 11y ago
  Personally, I take care of this problem by filling my 64oz Hydro Flask [1] at the beginning of the work day. As long as I finish it all by the end of the day, I'll have satisfied the 8-by-8 water rule. Though the rule does not seem to be backed by any scientific foundation, I anecdotally feel better when I do follow the rule. It's easy to remember and it yields good results. [1] http://www.amazon.com/Hydro-Flask-Insulated-Stainless-64-Ounce/dp/B005LGDBQ8 http://www.amazon.com/Hydro-Flask-Insulated-Stainless-64-Oun...
guelo 11y ago
Is there solid research around water intake? Are there clear thresholds for the amount of water to experience the health benefits? Is 8 cups a day backed up by any research? What exactly are the health benefits? I've always thought that my body should be able to tell me when it needs more water and I shouldn't need to force down extra water.
- deleted 11y ago
  [deleted]
  - guelo 11y ago
    Is that backed up by any science?
- rmcpherson 11y ago
  You're right. No research has shown that, for otherwise healthy people, drinking water beyond what your body tells you to drink has any health effects. Hydration also does not have to come from water to be effective. The 8 cups a day rule is a myth. (http://www.nytimes.com/2015/08/25/upshot/no-you-do-not-have-to-drink-8-glasses-of-water-a-day.html http://www.nytimes.com/2015/08/25/upshot/no-you-do-not-have-..., links to research in the article)
- Swizec 11y ago
  Don't overthink it. Have water available at your desk. When it's empty, refill it. Make it easy to drink automatically. Your body knows when it feels like having a sip, if that doesn't involve breaking your mental flow, you will have the sip. Simple as that. There's a world of difference between being dehydrated and a bit thirsty. Try going to the beach for a day and forgetting to bring any water. You'll know the difference in a few hours. The fun part is that you'll feel tired all day and all of next day too. I've done this way too often in various combinations (roadtrips, plane flights, marathon runs, surfing and forgetting to bring water, etc.)
- deleted 11y ago
  [deleted]
- 11y ago

drzaiusapelord 11y ago

Except something like 60% of sleep apnea sufferers in the US will never get diagnosed. I used to be one of those people and its only after I switched doctors out of desperation that I was diagnosed. So its hard to tell people to just sleep better if they have a disease, the same way its hard to tell depressed people to just feel better or to think positively. As a society I don't think we fully understand the effects of sleep, sleep diseases, etc. I wish there was some well funded organization pushing this information out. Instead, we're pressured from an early age to stay up late to finish things, get up early for work/school (why does the work/school day start at 8?) and be sleep deprived to only catch up on the weekend. We're also beaming bright lights from our tablets and phones into our eyes all the time, especially around bedtime, and making many of these issues worse. Sleep is a complex issue. I'm not even sure how we can begin to address it from a public policy perspective. I think western capitalist life will always lead to sleep deprived people. We value activities, productivity, etc over rest and downtime.

stordoff 11y ago
> Except something like 60% of sleep apnea sufferers in the US will never get diagnosed. I used to be one of those people and its only after I switched doctors out of desperation that I was diagnosed. And even if you are diagnosed, there is not always a lot you can do about it. I was diagnosed with central sleep apnea about a year ago, and tried BiPAP for about six months. It made absolutely no difference to my sleep.
- webnrrd2k 11y ago
  You probably already know this, but BiPAP is not effective for central sleep apnea. You may want to investigate Adaptive Servo Ventilation (ASV), which is far more suitable.
seangrant 11y ago
I think you're overblowing this. Sleep is not that complex of an issue. Many people get good sleep nowadays and it's due to maintaining a sleeping schedule and keeping your body healthy. However you're correct in the fact that many Americans fail at this. They don't fail because they value activities and productivity over sleep, they fail because of a lack of self respect required to do good by their body. Oftentimes this leads towards other unhealthy habits such as overeating and drug use. The number one cause of sleep apnea? Being overweight. Along with that many people can't sleep without some form of drug (alcohol or otherwise). A person can easily interact and thrive in this society without causing detriment to their health and/or sleep.
- igorgue 11y ago
  The problem is many people in our industry, for example but finance as well and other careers, equate "work hard" to "work more hours, sleep less".
- AznHisoka 11y ago
  Getting to bed early is not a complex issue - you're right. But actually getting QUALITY sleep is very much a complex issue. Not only sleep apnea, but you can have trouble sleeping for other undiagnosed (and hard to diagnosed reasons). For example, you may suffer from adrenal fatigue, too high/too low cortisol levels, or chronic stress that can lead to early morning awakenings. You can suffer from nocturnal asthma. You can suffer from restless leg syndrome. You can suffer from COPD or some other pulmonary issue.
  - fredrik-j 11y ago
    Wikipedia is quick to point out that there isn't any scientific support for "adrenal fatigue". What else in your comment is non-fact based? Please don't bring pseudoscience to HN, thanks! https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Adrenal_fatigue https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Adrenal_fatigue

noxToken 11y ago

In spite of how easy it is for people in this field to stay hydrated with water, my experience says otherwise. If you slam 4 ounces of water at the top of every hour over the course of a standard workday, you'll get 32 ounces of water in addition to whatever else was drank that day. Simple and effective hydration method.

AndrewUnmuted 11y ago
Personally, I take care of this problem by filling my 64oz Hydro Flask [1] at the beginning of the work day. As long as I finish it all by the end of the day, I'll have satisfied the 8-by-8 water rule. Though the rule does not seem to be backed by any scientific foundation, I anecdotally feel better when I do follow the rule. It's easy to remember and it yields good results. [1] http://www.amazon.com/Hydro-Flask-Insulated-Stainless-64-Ounce/dp/B005LGDBQ8 http://www.amazon.com/Hydro-Flask-Insulated-Stainless-64-Oun...

guelo 11y ago

Is there solid research around water intake? Are there clear thresholds for the amount of water to experience the health benefits? Is 8 cups a day backed up by any research? What exactly are the health benefits? I've always thought that my body should be able to tell me when it needs more water and I shouldn't need to force down extra water.

deleted 11y ago
[deleted]
- guelo 11y ago
  Is that backed up by any science?
rmcpherson 11y ago
You're right. No research has shown that, for otherwise healthy people, drinking water beyond what your body tells you to drink has any health effects. Hydration also does not have to come from water to be effective. The 8 cups a day rule is a myth. (http://www.nytimes.com/2015/08/25/upshot/no-you-do-not-have-to-drink-8-glasses-of-water-a-day.html http://www.nytimes.com/2015/08/25/upshot/no-you-do-not-have-..., links to research in the article)
Swizec 11y ago
Don't overthink it. Have water available at your desk. When it's empty, refill it. Make it easy to drink automatically. Your body knows when it feels like having a sip, if that doesn't involve breaking your mental flow, you will have the sip. Simple as that. There's a world of difference between being dehydrated and a bit thirsty. Try going to the beach for a day and forgetting to bring any water. You'll know the difference in a few hours. The fun part is that you'll feel tired all day and all of next day too. I've done this way too often in various combinations (roadtrips, plane flights, marathon runs, surfing and forgetting to bring water, etc.)
deleted 11y ago
[deleted]
11y ago