The 4-Hour Body Part 30

Taking courses like "Biology of Sleep" at Stanford University didn't fix my insomnia, but the academic searching did help me formulate more specific questions, including:

* For memory consolidation: how much REM sleep am I experiencing?* For tissue repair: how much delta-wave sleep am I experiencing?* For both of the above: am I experiencing sleep apnea?

The problem with testing these in a proper sleep lab (the test is called a polysomnogram) is that you generally have at least 22 wires attached to you to measure brain activity (EEG), eye movements (EOG), skeletal muscle activation (EMG), heart rhythm (ECG), respiration, and sometimes peripheral pulse oximetry.

Guess what? No one can sleep in a weird lab with 22 wires attached to them on the first night. So the data are terrible. But let's a.s.sume you try. The second night, you come in after an all-nighter and crash within minutes like a postsugar high two-year-old. Double-bad data.

To really test and tweak things under realistic sleeping conditions, I would need a pocket-sized sleep lab.

That didn't happen until 2009.

My First F*cking Sleep Lab JULY 2009.

"You should try what Brad Feld used. He has some gadget to measure your sleep," offered one of my friends.

This caught my attention. I had been b.i.t.c.hing about my insomnia after another horrible night's sleep, and I'd also been meaning to reach out to Brad.

Based out of beautiful Boulder, Colorado, Brad is a venture capitalist and angel investor famous for (1) his incredible track record and (2) dropping F-bombs on business panels.1 Exhibit A: He was one of the few initial backers of Harmonix Music Systems, which he helped raise $500,000 in financing. They bled money for almost 11 years. A fool's errand! Then, in 2005, it had a small (sarcasm) video game success called "Guitar Hero." It sold in 2006 to Viacom/MTV for $175 million. Exhibit A: He was one of the few initial backers of Harmonix Music Systems, which he helped raise $500,000 in financing. They bled money for almost 11 years. A fool's errand! Then, in 2005, it had a small (sarcasm) video game success called "Guitar Hero." It sold in 2006 to Viacom/MTV for $175 million.

Brad's contrarian decisions often follow an elegant logic that others only pick up on well after the fact.

If he had found a tool for sleep a.n.a.lysis, I wanted to know all about it.

Of Motion and Waves: The Tools Brad's obsession ended up being the Zeo. It would be my first legitimate, next-generation sleep gadget.

Then I added more gadgets.

In the subsequent four months of testing, I also used heart-rate monitors, thermometers, continuous glucose monitors, two movement-detection devices (FitBit and WakeMate), and video recording of sleep movement. Often all simultaneously.

I looked like a comatose Robocop.

Both WakeMate and FitBit, worn on your wrist during sleep, use motion-sensing technology (accelerometry) similar to what's found in a Nintendo Wii controller. The data are interpreted using actigraphy algorithms, which are used to determine whether someone is awake or in one of the various stages of sleep. WakeMate features an alarm clock that can be set to wake you during specific "arousal points" in REM sleep (ostensibly to minimize grogginess) up to 30 minutes before a chosen wake time.

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The Zeo, in contrast, uses a headband that measures electrical patterns generated in the brain. It also has an alarm clock intended to wake you during periods of most elevated brain activity to minimize grogginess.

The first attempts to track and fix things were not encouraging.

For both accelerometer devices, time to fall asleep-the critical problem of "onset" insomnia-did not appear accurate. Despite claims to the contrary, it didn't appear that the accelerometers could distinguish between simple lack of movement and sleeping. I tested this by watching television for 30 minutes, remaining as perfectly still as possible before attempting to sleep. My "sleep" started roughly when I started watching TV.

The first good news came a week later: the intelligent alarms, Zeo and WakeMate, seemed to reduce grogginess. I was less b.a.s.t.a.r.dly in the morning and could think without two cups of coffee. Placebo or true cause and effect, the "smart alarms" seemed to help. This was an improvement, but I needed better sleep, not just better wake times.

This is where the Zeo really became valuable.

I began with a trial period of answering a subjective question each morning and a.s.signing a number: do I feel like s.h.i.+t (13) or do I feel awesome (810)? Nebulous answers between 4 and 7 that would skew interpretation were logged but ignored. In both extreme ranges, I then looked for patterns. Thanks to the continuous glucose monitoring, I also had food logs to use.

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Here are some of the initial findings:

1. Good sleep (810) was most dependent on the ratio of REM-to-total sleep, not total REM duration. The higher the percentage of REM sleep, the more restful the sleep. The higher the REM percentage, the better the recall of skills or data acquired in the previous 24 hours. Higher-percentage REM sleep also correlated to lower average pulse and temperature upon waking. The higher the percentage of REM sleep, the more restful the sleep. The higher the REM percentage, the better the recall of skills or data acquired in the previous 24 hours. Higher-percentage REM sleep also correlated to lower average pulse and temperature upon waking.

2. I could increase REM percentage by extending total sleep time past nine hours, or by waking for five minutes approximately four and a half hours after sleep onset. One waking of 510 minutes, approximately four and a half hours after sleep onset, dramatically increased REM percentage. It seems that one waking is not necessarily a bad thing, at least when intentional. One waking of 510 minutes, approximately four and a half hours after sleep onset, dramatically increased REM percentage. It seems that one waking is not necessarily a bad thing, at least when intentional.

3. Taking 200 milligrams of huperzine-A 30 minutes before bed can increase total REM by 20 30%. Huperzine-A, an extract of Huperzine-A, an extract of Huperzia serrata Huperzia serrata, slows the breakdown of the neurotransmitter acetylcholine.2 It is a popular nootropic (smart drug), and I have used it in the past to accelerate learning and increase the incidence of lucid dreaming. I now only use huperzine-A for the first few weeks of language acquisition, and no more than three days per week to avoid side effects. Ironically, one doc.u.mented side effect of overuse is insomnia. The brain is a sensitive instrument, and while generally well tolerated, this drug is contraindicated with some cla.s.ses of medications. Speak with your doctor before using. It is a popular nootropic (smart drug), and I have used it in the past to accelerate learning and increase the incidence of lucid dreaming. I now only use huperzine-A for the first few weeks of language acquisition, and no more than three days per week to avoid side effects. Ironically, one doc.u.mented side effect of overuse is insomnia. The brain is a sensitive instrument, and while generally well tolerated, this drug is contraindicated with some cla.s.ses of medications. Speak with your doctor before using.

4. The higher the percentage of deep-wave sleep, the better your subsequent physical performance.

5. More than two gla.s.ses of wine within four hours of sleep decreases deep-wave sleep 2050%. Even four gla.s.ses Even four gla.s.ses six six hours beforehand did not appear to have this effect, so the timing is crucial. Conversely, taking 15+ drops of California poppy extract appeared to increase deep-wave sleep up to 20%. hours beforehand did not appear to have this effect, so the timing is crucial. Conversely, taking 15+ drops of California poppy extract appeared to increase deep-wave sleep up to 20%.

6. Eating two tablespoons of organic almond b.u.t.ter on celery sticks before bed eliminated at least 50% of the "feel like s.h.i.+t" (13) mornings. Ever wonder how you can sleep 810 hours and feel tired? The likely culprit: low blood sugar. Make a pre-bed snack part of your nutritional program. One to two tablespoons of flaxseed oil (120240 calories) can be used in combination with the celery-and-almond-b.u.t.ter to further increase cell repair during sleep and thus decrease fatigue. Flaxseed oil tastes like a mixture of racc.o.o.n urine and asparagus, so-if you opt to include it-I recommend pinching your nose while consuming it, per Dr. Seth Roberts, whom we'll meet later. Ever wonder how you can sleep 810 hours and feel tired? The likely culprit: low blood sugar. Make a pre-bed snack part of your nutritional program. One to two tablespoons of flaxseed oil (120240 calories) can be used in combination with the celery-and-almond-b.u.t.ter to further increase cell repair during sleep and thus decrease fatigue. Flaxseed oil tastes like a mixture of racc.o.o.n urine and asparagus, so-if you opt to include it-I recommend pinching your nose while consuming it, per Dr. Seth Roberts, whom we'll meet later.

Turning Off Monkey Mind Next, I moved on to the biggest problem: getting to sleep in the first place. No matter how theoretically restful my sleep should be, based on Zeo results, more than 30 minutes of onset insomnia negated it all.

What follows are the changes and tools that had the largest effects on time-to-sleep. Some of them are more convenient than others. I excluded drugs3 from testing, and if a given improvement couldn't be replicated at least three times on consecutive nights, it was omitted. from testing, and if a given improvement couldn't be replicated at least three times on consecutive nights, it was omitted.

TEST 6770 AS YOUR BEDROOM TEMPERATURE.

This was the variable I experimented with the most while in Nicaragua for my medical tourism adventures (coming up later), and it was also the variable that had the most consistent effects. Specifically, using a single bedsheet at a room temperature between 67F and 70F produced the fastest time to sleep. Warmer temperatures never worked, but as low as 65F would work equally well if if I wore socks to keep my feet warm. If you can't control the ambient temperature, testing socks of different thicknesses is the easiest variable to change for tweaking heat loss. I wore socks to keep my feet warm. If you can't control the ambient temperature, testing socks of different thicknesses is the easiest variable to change for tweaking heat loss.

Ideal temperature is highly individual, and each person will have a narrow range, so experiment to find your own.

EAT A LARGE FAT- AND PROTEIN-DOMINATED MEAL WITHIN THREE HOURS OF BEDTIME.

I discovered this unintentionally while tracking testosterone changes. Consumed within three hours of getting under the sheets, meals of at least 800 milligrams of cholesterol (four or more large whole eggs) and 40 grams of protein produced dramatically faster time-to-sleep scores than meals of lower volume or lower protein and fat. Eating two rib-eye steaks, each about three-quarters of a pound, had the strongest tranquilizer-like effect.

USE LIGHT CUES THE PHILIPS GOLITE.

I bought this high-end blue-light emitter for a friend who suffers from seasonal affective disorder (SAD)-aka mild to severe depression during winter months.

He already owned the same device, so I began to use it as a replacement for coffee first thing in the morning. I set it to the side of my laptop, pointing at me for 15 minutes at about a 30-degree off-center angle (if noon is my laptop, pointing at me from 10 A.M A.M. or 2 P.M P.M.). That evening, my time to sleep was less than 10 minutes for the first time in weeks. I was able to replicate the effect four nights out of five.

Though most often used for jet lag or winter depression, I've found the goLITE to be singularly most useful as a corrective sleep tool, even if I wake up late and need to go to bed at a normal hour. Battery life is long and, at the size of a small square book, the goLITE is portable enough to fit in a carry-on travel bag.

TAX THE NERVOUS SYSTEM WITH ISO-LATERAL MOVEMENTS.

Exercise is commonly recommended to improve sleep.

The problem for me was that results were unpredictable. I might exercise for 20 minutes and fall asleep in 10 minutes, or I might exercise for two hours and fall asleep in two hours. There was no repeatable cause and effect. It seemed like a coin toss.

This changed when I began to incorporate iso-lateral (one-arm or one-leg) resistance training. I logged faster to-sleep times after 8 out of 10 training sessions. The more complex the stabilization required, the shorter the to-sleep time. To experience this effect for yourself, do a single session of pre-hab testing from the "Pre-Hab" chapter.

TAKE A COLD BATH ONE HOUR PRIOR TO BED.

The j.a.panese have longer average lifespans than most other nationalities, including Americans, whom they beat by more than four years. One explanation researchers have proposed is that the regular ofuro ofuro, or hot bath at bedtime, increases melatonin release and is related to mechanisms for life extension. Paradoxically, according to one of the Stanford professors who taught the sleep biology cla.s.s I took circa 2002, cold is a more effective signaler (aka zeitgeber zeitgeber, or "time giver") for sleep onset.

Perhaps the ofuro effect was related to the subsequent rapid cooling? Not eager to kill my swimmies with hot baths, I opted for direct cold.

I tested the effect of combining shorter-than-usual 10-minute ice baths with low-dose melatonin (1.53 milligrams) one hour prior to sleep. The ice bath is simple: put two to three bags of ice from a convenience store ($36) into a half-full bathtub until the ice is about 80% melted. Beginners should start by immersing the lower body only and progress to spending the second five minutes with the upper torso submerged as well, keeping the hands out of the water. (See "Ice Age" for other approaches and benefits.) It was like getting hit with an elephant tranquilizer. Best of all, this was true even when melatonin is omitted.

USE AN ULTRASONIC HUMIDIFIER.

The Air-O-Swiss Travel Ultrasonic Cool Mist Humidifier is incredible. It is small enough to fit in a jacket pocket (1.3 pounds), and its water source comes from any convenience store: a plastic water bottle turned upside down. The ultrasonic technology uses high-frequency vibrations to generate a micro-fine cool mist, which is blown into the room, where it evaporates into the air. This device is my go-to combination with the goLITE, especially after seeing how well it eliminates sinus problems while traveling. It also dramatically reduces facial wrinkles, which was an unexpected but pleasant side effect.

The Air-O-Swiss humidifier comes with a transcontinental travel AC adapter and exchangeable plugs that can be used in both the United States and Europe. My only complaint: it emits a stylish (but distracting) blue glow, so you'll need an eye-mask if you're light-sensitive like I am.

USE A NIGHTWAVE PULSE LIGHT.

The NightWave was introduced to me by a good friend named Michael, who also has severe onset insomnia.

During my testing, he started ranting and raving about this tiny device, a slow-pulsing light the size of a cigarette pack that helped him get to sleep in less than seven minutes. Dr. James B. Maas, Weiss Presidential Fellow and professor of psychology at Cornell University, is one of several researchers who have endorsed it.

From the NightWave website:

NightWave projects a soft blue light into your darkened bedroom. The "luminance" of the light slowly rises and falls. Lie with eyes open and synchronize your breathing with the blue wave as its movement becomes slower and slower. After a short time [the cycle Michael used was seven minutes long], NightWave shuts off and you roll over and fall asleep...unlike sound machines, the soft light does not disturb others.

It does work, but I found it less consistent than Michael did (his. .h.i.t rate was near 100%). I now travel with the NightWave but use it as a supplement to the goLITE when needed.

RESORT TO THE HALF MILITARY CRAWL POSITION.

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Lie on your chest with your head on a pillow and turned to the right. Both arms should be straight by your sides, palms up. Now bring your right arm up until the top of your right elbow is bent at 90 degrees and your hand is close to your head. Alternative hand placement: the right hand is under your pillow and under your head. Next, bring your right knee out to that side until it is bent at approximately 90 degrees.

This is a last resort that works for one simple reason: you can't move.

It's like a self-imposed papoose, which the Inuits and other cultures have used to calm infants by immobilizing them. To toss and turn from the half military crawl position, you have to first lift your entire body off the bed. Less fidgeting means faster sleep.

TOOLS AND TRICKS.

F.lux (http://stereopsis.com/flux/) It's possible that your computer screen is what's keeping you awake. F.lux is a free computer application that dims your computer screen when the sun sets. In the morning, it makes the screen return to its default sunlight-like settings. It's possible that your computer screen is what's keeping you awake. F.lux is a free computer application that dims your computer screen when the sun sets. In the morning, it makes the screen return to its default sunlight-like settings.

California Poppy Extract (www.fourhourbody.com/poppy) This extract from the California poppy acts as a mild sedative, and I found it to increase my percentage of deep-wave sleep. This extract from the California poppy acts as a mild sedative, and I found it to increase my percentage of deep-wave sleep.

The Zeo Personal Sleep Coach (www.fourhourbody.com/zeo) Brad Feld's favorite sleep device. The Zeo uses a headband that measures electrical patterns generated in the brain and can wake you at a point of elevated brain activity. It was the only recording device that offered usable data and that consistently reduced grogginess. Brad Feld's favorite sleep device. The Zeo uses a headband that measures electrical patterns generated in the brain and can wake you at a point of elevated brain activity. It was the only recording device that offered usable data and that consistently reduced grogginess.

Philips goLITE (www.fourhourbody.com/golite) This light is most responsible for my sub10 minute sleep times after decades of futile effort. I'll usually set it to the side of my laptop for 15 minutes a day. Battery life is long, it's portable enough to take in a carry-on bag, and it can also replace your morning coffee if you give yourself 23 days to adapt. This light is most responsible for my sub10 minute sleep times after decades of futile effort. I'll usually set it to the side of my laptop for 15 minutes a day. Battery life is long, it's portable enough to take in a carry-on bag, and it can also replace your morning coffee if you give yourself 23 days to adapt.

NightWave (www.fourhourbody.com/nightwave) My friend Michael found that the NightWave (a slow-pulsing light the size of a cigarette pack) was a permanent fix to his sleeping problems. I travel with the NightWave and use it is a supplement to the goLITE. My friend Michael found that the NightWave (a slow-pulsing light the size of a cigarette pack) was a permanent fix to his sleeping problems. I travel with the NightWave and use it is a supplement to the goLITE.

Air-O-Swiss Travel Ultrasonic Cool Mist Humidifier (www.fourhourbody.com/humidifier) This device is my favorite pairing with the goLITE. It improves both time to sleep and depth of sleep, not to mention skin and sinus health. This device is my favorite pairing with the goLITE. It improves both time to sleep and depth of sleep, not to mention skin and sinus health.

Sleep Cycle iPhone Application (www.lexwarelabs.com/sleepcycle) The Sleep Cycle alarm clock a.n.a.lyzes your sleep patterns and uses the iPhone's in-built accelerometer to wake you when you are in the lightest sleep phase. This has been the #1 paid app ($0.99) in many countries, including Germany, j.a.pan, and Russia. The Sleep Cycle alarm clock a.n.a.lyzes your sleep patterns and uses the iPhone's in-built accelerometer to wake you when you are in the lightest sleep phase. This has been the #1 paid app ($0.99) in many countries, including Germany, j.a.pan, and Russia.

"Lucid Dreaming: A Beginner's Guide" (www.fourhourbody.com/lucid) Lucid dreaming, as clinically demonstrated by Stephen LaBerge of Stanford Univeristy, refers to becoming conscious during REM and affecting dream content. To facilitate lucid dreaming, I have used huperzine-A to increase REM percentage. Lucid dreaming, as clinically demonstrated by Stephen LaBerge of Stanford Univeristy, refers to becoming conscious during REM and affecting dream content. To facilitate lucid dreaming, I have used huperzine-A to increase REM percentage.

Lucid dreaming can help you accelerate skill acquisition, improve sports performance, and reactivate "forgotten" languages. This article is a concise step-by-step how-to guide for beginners.

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End of Chapter Notes 1. Not to be remiss, investor Dave McClure gives Brad a run for his money. Not to be remiss, investor Dave McClure gives Brad a run for his money.

2. It is therefore called an acetylcholinesterase inhibitor. The It is therefore called an acetylcholinesterase inhibitor. The -ase -ase of acetylcholinesterase indicates it breaks down the preceding molecule. of acetylcholinesterase indicates it breaks down the preceding molecule.

3. Except melatonin in one case. Except melatonin in one case.

BECOMING UBERMAN.

Sleeping Less with Polyphasic Sleep Death, so called, is a thing which makes men weep, And yet a third of life is pa.s.sed in sleep.-Lord ByronThey say he only sleeps one hour a night. You know about this guy? Tyler Durden?-Fight Club Scientists know embarra.s.singly little about why we spend roughly one-third of our lives asleep.

It can't be as simple as tissue repair. Full-grown giraffes, as one example, weigh approximately 1,760 pounds but sleep an average of just 1.9 hours per 24-hour cycle.

Eight hours per night doesn't apply to most of the animal kingdom. Is there any reason why humans can't emulate giraffes?

Is it possible to cut your total sleep time in half, yet feel completely refreshed?

The short answer is yes.