Big Idea Daily | The Power of Rest
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Why Sleep Alone Is Not Enoughby Matthew Edlund, MD |
“In order to fully know the peak experiences people describe as their best memories, indeed just to heal and survive illness, people need to learn how to rest.”MATTHEW EDLUND, M.D. |
BIG IDEA
Life Is Timed. Let’s Get In Rhythm.
FROM THE BOOK“Scientists at Colorado State University studying human genes reported in 2008 that about 98 percent or more of our genes operate according to twenty-four-hour patterns.
Life is timed, and sleep, like other forms of rest, also follows circadian rhythms. Circadian rhythms powerfully affect our behavior and our performance.”
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Brian's Notes
That’s amazing.
98 percent or more of our genes operate according to twenty-four-hour patterns.
Circadian rhythms are super (!) important. If we want to optimize, we need to pay more attention to how we harmonize with the natural rhythms of the world. And there’s no more powerful rhythm than our circadian rhythm.
Here’s how Dr. James Maas, another sleep genius, puts it in his great book Power Sleep (see those Notes): “It’s important to keep your biological clock in absolute synchrony with your daily routine. In this way the hours you spend in bed will correspond with the sleepy phase of your circadian rhythm and the hours you spend out of bed will correspond with the awake phase of your circadian rhythm. The only way to do this is to maintain a regular sleep schedule, going to bed at the same time every night and waking up at the same time every day, seven days a week.”
Dr. Edlund beautifully articulates the importance of creating rhythms in our lives. Being attuned to the flow and harmonizing powerfully.
Sleep is a powerful way to do that. (And so is “active” rest—which we’ll get to in a moment.) For now, a quick look at TV + sleep.
Big Ideas
01: LIFE IS TIMED
02: WANT TO GET DEPRESSED?
03: ACTIVE REST
04: NAPS
05: WORKING OUT YOUR BRAIN
“Ask yourself this: if you could do less and become healthier, more productive, and successful, would you do it? You can, if you know how to rest.”MATTHEW EDLUND, M.D. |
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