Issue #104: Sleep and...Alcohol
Good morning. It’s Thursday, January 12th. In 1885, Dr. Pepper sold its first bottle in Waco, TX. 138 years later we just think of Dr. Pepper for all the commercials during college football games. Does anyone still drink it?
As for my 4-day fast: well Day 3 was shall we say...a challenge. A combination of fatigue with such a mental game of avoiding food. But just 1 day left - here's to hoping Day 4 brings a euphoric high from ketosis. Any suggestions for my dinner tomorrow night?? (team@thrive25.com).
“The last refuge of the insomniac is a sense of superiority to the sleeping world.”
From the Lab: Sedation vs Sleep
Take Action: Life Enjoyed on Your Terms
Speed Read: 3D Organ Bioprinting
Thursday Night In: Walnut & Rosemary Crusted Salmon
Moment of Fun: KLASK!
Per capita alcohol consumption across all people over 14 in the United States in 2020. This is the highest since 1990, but down from 2.75 gal per capita in 1980. (Statista)
Stick with us on some math: ~70% of the US population drinks + consumption breakdown (46% beers, 37% spirits, 17% wine) + % of alcohol ranges from 3-9% in beer to 11+% in wine to 96% in Polish-made Spirytus vodka (get out of the way Everclear). This all breaks down to each drinker consumes roughly 2 drinks per day.
From the Lab
Friday date night and you had a few glasses of wine - no problem right? Heck, maybe you’ll get even better sleep after a stressful week!
Turns out that alcohol induces “sedation”, which is different from sleep.
Sedatives like alcohol make us unconscious (why we feel we fall asleep quickly), but we miss the natural sleep stages - with alcohol we especially don’t get into REM sleep.
We actually wake up many times throughout the night (even if we don’t remember - what else happened last night, it’s all a little hazy now...maybe a CSI night?).
The result from a lack of REM sleep is:
Waking up not feeling refreshed and restored
Not releasing Growth Hormone (for metabolism and tissue repair)
Not releasing testosterone (not just for sex drive, but energy & motivation)
Not building memory of what we learned*
*On this last point, a study showed that of groups that learned something new, if the group members drank over the next 7 days it reduced the ability to retain that information by 30-50% when tested one week after initial learning. (Dr. Matthew Walker)
Take Action
Look, life is made to be enjoyed. That means different things to all of us. You decide how to live and when to indulge.
But just know that drinking later in the day will disrupt your sleep and chronic sleep deprivation is awful for your health. Few studies here - but there does seem to be a benefit (at least as it relates to sleep) to day drinking. (Maybe that’s why we tailgated in college at 9am 🤷).
One final note: if you do get a bad night sleep - don’t change your routine the next day. It’s so easy after a night of drinking to sleep in or double up the latte. Try to avoid the long nap and going to bed earlier that normal - just get back to your normal schedule.
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Speed Read
Health & Longevity in the News
Bacteria Meets AI: You've probably heard of E. Coli as the bacteria causing a spinach recall that makes us sick. But...turns out it just might be the key for Generative AI to create antibodies. It takes, on average, 5.5 years to create an antibody with a 4% success rate in clinical trials. Generative AI could reduce the creation period to under 2 years with greater success. (Learn more)
3D Organ Bioprinting: Why not? The problem: there are 100K+ people (and increasing) waiting for an organ transplant in the US. Solution: TBD - scientists are trying everything. In 2022, the first genetically modified pig heart was transplanted, but this was unsuccessful. Now 3-D printing of organs based on cells from the patient is in the hype cycle. (The Sun)
Jobs Report: What do companies get right and wrong about layoffs? On the precipice of a recession, many companies, especially Tech, have triggered some form of RIF. Sucks for the unemployed - but it really impacts everyone and the negative affects may outweigh the cost savings. (Harvard Business Review)
Thursday Night In
For me salmon needs to be prepared just right. This is a delicious way to get those healthy omega-3 fats - plus, you get the good stuff for your DNA with rosemary and walnuts. Let me know what you think of this one!
Moment of Fun
KLASK!!!
Max's family got this game for Christmas...even the 3-yr old can play. From Denmark - it's a mix of air hockey, foosball and billiards with magnets. With 4 ways to score it's paradoxically complicated and easy - but 100% fun. Just avoid the biscuits and own goals, or you're going to hear KLASK!!! ringing in your ears all night.
KLASK is in pubs across Denmark. If you don't live in the 2nd happiest country in the world - Google for a bar or Facebook group in your area, reach out to Max for a quick best-of-3 or buy the game.
*Thrive25 has no affiliation with KLASK
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We’re 40-something dads that felt our bodies and minds start to slow down and we’re not ready for that. We found too much information on every subject. So we started Thrive25 to transform what we’ve learned into something useful for the rest of us to spend just 3-5 min a day to optimize our health & longevity.
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The information in this newsletter is for informational purposes only and may not be appropriate or applicable based on your individual circumstances. Thrive25 Labs LLC does not provide medical, professional, or licensed advice. Please connect with your healthcare professional for medical advice specific to your health needs.