SLEEP - bullets from Dr. Hart

I just finished reading a book called SLEEP by Dr. Hart
For many years I have been trying to "get away" with 5 to 7 hours of sleep on the weekdays, but then expecting myself to "perform/think/act" at peak performance... I have only been kidding myself. Do you try to go on less sleep thinking you are "young" or that you don't "need" it?
For me, not sleeping is a pride issue. It is me not respecting my God given limitations. Running on less sleep is me being conformed to the culture that says sleep=laziness or sleep is just plain boring... God says rest, and trust Him not yourself... hmm...

Psalm 127:2

It is in vain that you rise up early

and go late to rest,

          eating the bread of anxious toil;

for He gives to his beloved sleep. (ESV)

Below are some bullets that I got from this book:

Sleep is food for the brain, it must have it to survive

1995 Commission on Sleep Disorders recommends a minimum of 7.5 to 8 hrs of sleep by night

Most people require between 7.5 and 9 hrs of sleep per day/night

Getting less sleep on a regular basis has serious bad  health consequences

Creativity, memory, and high brain function require good deep sleep – no short-cuts – none

A sleep cycle is about 90 min and contains 5 distinct stages:

    #1 rest-relax – melatonin is released

    #2 semi-sleep – restores energy, muscles rejuvenate

    #3-#4 deep sleep – repair/rejuvenates at the cell level

    #5 REM sleep(dream) – brain processes, stores, grows new connections, synthesizes information, transfers data to long-term memory, cleans out data not needed (good forgetting)

With each cycle of sleep comes a longer time in deep sleep and REM sleep – why 8+ hours is key for brain recovery and best performance

6 hours of sleep will only refresh you physically, it is 7 to 9 hours that benefit the brain

Naps are good for refreshing the body and gaining energy, lowering adrenalin levels, but no brain benefit

Deep Sleep and REM repair the brain

10pm to 6am is the best core time slot for sleep

Any loss of sleep, must be made up in 7 days, or the loss is not repairable

Storing up some extra sleep before a stressful and unusually busy time works.

You should wake up after a “good” nights sleep refreshed and ready to go – if not, you have “sleep debt”