More industrial disasters are caused by sleep deprivation than most people realize. The Bhapol explosion in Dec. 2, 1984, shot poisonous gas killed over 6000 people. Only two years later on April 26 … the 
Poor sleep means we act slower, get it wrong and get sick more.
Dion Klein showed how 51 per cent of the American workforce felt exhausted at work. The cost? For people, sleep deprivation leads to depression. For organizations? According to the National Sleep Foundation sleep deprivation costs Americans more than $100 billion yearly in lost productivity, medical expenses, sick leave, and property and environmental damage.
E-medicine specialists share the science and suggest ways to meet demands without sinking ships or blowing up offices.
Is sleep working for you?
Three brain basics (or three sleep cycles), of thirty minutes each matter more than to your mind at rest you may think. Why so?
You awaken groggy if you interrupt sleep cycles, which complete in 90 minutes. Not that you need to complete every entire cycle, just set your alarm with your brain in mind. Keep in mind, that:
- In the first 30 minutes, you sleep rather light, so 20-minute naps work.
- In the second 30 minutes during REM (rapid eye movement), your brain restores levels of oxygen to the cornea, while you dream. Avoid waking REM
- In the third 30 minute phase your brain shifts back into lighter sleep and so you’ll likely awaken feeling frisky from this session.
What can be done to increase sleep benefits?
Simply plan your sleep in 90 minute chunks, to avoid that struck by a Mack truck sensation.
Oh, and darken the room so your brain releases more melatonin for better sleep.
You shorten the REM stages in unhealthy ways if you stuff yourself, drink just before bedtime, or taking some medications. Good news is, you can enhance your sleep by planning a wake up time in lighter cycles which precede or follow REM.
You’ve likely noticed that when you sleep for the same amount of time each night … your brain no longer needs an alarm since the human brain has its own built into alarms once it learns your patterns.
Recently I was sent new sleep research that can help you stay awake at work and then hunker down deeper at night... What do you think?
» Exhaustion's All in the Head? from BrainBasedBusiness
If you feel too tired to crawl out of bed in the morning or lack energy at work, you can often find both causes and solution in your head. Luckily, your brain can rewire against overwhelmed feelings that accompany exhaustion.... [Read More]
Tracked on: April 14, 2007 12:50 PM | Permalink to Trackback