Well, not exactly. But I did find a treatment that does the following:
- Strengthens memory
- Increases concentration
- Boosts mood
- Moderates hunger and obesity
- Fortifies the disease-fighting immune system
- Lessens the risk of fatal accidents
And guess what? No clinical trials or FDA approval are needed for this magical cure-all. For a limited offer — while supplies last — it’s completely free!
Still not convinced? Hear this:
- The treatment feels good
- It can be self-administered
- Supplies are limitless!
Well?
Sleep.
Not surprisingly, by adding as little as one extra hour of sleep to our daily routine, we will be more alert, productive, healthy, and happy.
Back in February, I tried to reclaim the night by going to bed at midnight. Guess for how long that lasted? Two weeks. Not that it didn’t work — I really enjoyed the few mornings where I woke up naturally at 8 AM. I guess it’s a matter of discipline: YouTube and living on campus had gotten the best of me.
Consequences?
Let’s not talk about the 7% increase in accidents in Canada the Monday after “spring forward”. Let’s not talk about the decrease in daily productivity. Let’s not even talk about simply feeling terrible each morning.
Let’s talk about the following:
- Sleep deprivation suppresses immune cells that fight off viral infections and cancer
- People who sleep 7 – 8 hours a day tend to outlive those who are chronically sleep deprived
- Older adults who have no difficulty falling or staying asleep live longer
- Chronic sleep debt alters metabolic and hormonal functioning in ways that mimic aging and are conducive to obesity, hypertension, and memory impairment.
Last night, I slept at 12:00 AM — sharp. This morning, I didn’t feel too great getting up at 8:00 AM, but at least it was managable (still needed a nap in the afternoon on 3rd floor of Woodward 
). Oh, here are two hypotheses: Eastwood needs over 8 hours of sleep per night AND that getting sufficient sleep does have an effect on Eastwood’s well-being.
Please do stay tuned… this topic is worth further explorations. For those of you who have taken introductory Psychology, this is probably review. I’m finding this absolutely fascinating. My love for Psyc 101 is quickly catching up to my love for Biol 112. Oh and speaking of Biology, even though I didn’t particularly enjoy Biol 140 – from what I hear, not a lot of people did – I find it quite a useful course: the experimental design and data analysis processes are so deeply ingrained inside my neuro-pathways that going through the same material in Psyc was just a breeze.
Oh and I also participated in a 2-hour long Psyc experiment today. This was not your average experiment: I was hooked up to an EEG and had to shampoo my hair afterwards!
Exciting times.
Too much sleep is bad for your health too though XD
Oh?
phh…who need sleep when you can die early.
Agreed.
too much sleep is linked to depression. i do good with 7-8 hours. my girlfriend needs over 9 to have a good day. gives me some free time around the house, but i prefer the night. there is a study that suggests night owls tend to be more alert for longer throughout the day(night).
Thanks for your thoughts. However, it is incorrect to suggest that “too much sleep is linked to depression” as there is not a clear causal relationship between the two. Yes, a symptom of a Major Depressive Episode is insomnia or the inability to get out of bed — this does not suggest that sleeping too much causes depression or that depression causes sleeping too much/little. There is definitely correlation, but not causation
Hi! I like your blog.
there is actually nothing wrong with the statement “too much sleep is linked to depression”. it means that they are correlated. you are also correct in that too much sleep doesn’t necessarily *cause* depression.
and really, some of your points for “consequences” have the same caveat, don’t they? it could very well be that people who don’t have excessive health problems in old age both sleep longer and live longer.
that said though, sleep is important for so many things in physiological functioning, it’s amazing.
Thanks for dropping by!
You’re right — I had not yet taken a formal research methods course when I wrote this post nearly nine months ago.
Longevity, the elixir, that chemical soup doesn’t contain one ingredient. No thing in life has one side only. Harmony, life itself, is all about balance of the (many) elements.
A plant-based diet consisting of a balanced meal, once or (maybe) twice a day. Preference for eating less. If one does not meditate, then you’re mind eventually, slowly, disintegrates. Some sort of exercise that increases the oxygen-content of your body – that would be recommended. Study of some of ancient spirituality would help also, with calming purposefully the direction of your life.
Learn to have the right attitude. And most importantly, express love in daily life. Without the later, there’s no glue that keeps the chemical soup together.
Thank you for your thoughtful reflection, Krisztian. I like your holistic perspective.