What are 10 effects of sleep deprivation?

This is based on a research subject who stayed awake for 11 days without the use of coffee or any medication.  Sleep deprivation is often used as a torture technique. Here's why.

1) Tired brains have to work harder to pump energy into the prefrontal cortex.

2) Simple tasks like dialing a phone number become impossible because of short term memory loss.

3) Long term memory becomes impaired because the brains integrates/stores  memory as experience while sleeping.

4) A tired brain can't focus or keep attention on any one thing; a tired brain is a scattered brain.

5) A tired brain can't plan or make decisions.

6) Automatic systems (habits) become repetitive which is fine if your habits are all good ones, not so good if you are trying to quit smoking or eating junk food.

7) A sleep deprived person takes more risks because a tired brain does not remember consequences or make easy decisions (see # 5)

8) When mice were studied with prolonged sleep deprivation, it showed that they had lost up to 25% of their brain cells.

9) Sleep deprivation can cuase aggression, paranoia, hallucination, mania.

10) Driving while sleep deprived is more dangerous than driving while intoxicated; this is why professional drivers (bus drivers, etc) are banned from working if they have untreated sleep apnea).

Why does eating a protein rich breakfast help reduce cravings?

1) Protein takes loger to metabolize in the body, therefore one feels fuller (satiated) longer after eating protein.

2) Protein boosts levels of  dopamine in the brain which regulates cravings.

3) Protein reduces brain signals controlling food motivation and reward driven eating behaviour.

The worst thing someone could do is skip breakfast altogether.

What is energy management?

Energy management, simply put, refers to how one manages their energy, not only their time. This can look like

1) Pursue what you love. Passion is energy; it's much easier to stay motivated over something you are passionate about.

2) Do the most difficult work in the mornings when you are well rested and have the most energy. This flips our instinct which is to move towards pleasure away from pain. Studies have found that people are most effective when they delay gratification. 

3) Practice or work intensely. Work hard for 90 minutes, then take a break. The greatest performers only practice for 4.5 hours a day. In other words, short and hard shows better results than long and dragging.

4) Take frequent breaks so to give your brain the capacity to integrate the new learnings or practices.

5) Turn your practices into rituals (same time, same sequence, etc) so that they become automatic and you don't have to waste energy thinking about doing them.  


 See Birgit Schinke's practice in which she uses Motivational Interviewing to help those who wish to change behaviours or improve performancs.