Skipping 1 night of sleep a week

[Guacamayo]

In the Special Forces of countries like Israel they don't sleep once a week throughout their 3 or 5 year service.

I know that chronic sleep deprivation destroys the body, but losing sleep once a week actually raises dopamine and perhaps testosterone. Apparently it also raises thyroid function.

Would there be any health benefits to me skipping sleep one night per week at the age of 35? Or is it only beneficial for the young and detrimental for the old?

Throughout the course of a couple of months last year I was sleeping around 2 hours per night (got home at 4 am on a Sunday and woke up at 6am like I usually do) and didn't really feel any more or less tired throughout the day...at least nothing that a couple of cups of coffee couldn't fix.

 

[Rinse & rePeat]

In the Special Forces of countries like Israel they don't sleep once a week throughout their 3 or 5 year service.

I know that chronic sleep deprivation destroys the body, but losing sleep once a week actually raises dopamine and perhaps testosterone. Apparently it also raises thyroid function.

Would there be any health benefits to me skipping sleep one night per week at the age of 35? Or is it only beneficial for the young and detrimental for the old?

Throughout the course of a couple of months last year I was sleeping around 2 hours per night (got home at 4 am on a Sunday and woke up at 6am like I usually do) and didn't really feel any more or less tired throughout the day...at least nothing that a couple of cups of coffee couldn't fix.

I find when i don't get sleep I get more hyper and more energitic, rather than sleepy or sluggish, and your explaination must explain why. I can go many nights without sleep. With that being said I love a good night of sleep. I would have thought it unhealthy to not get sleep, but with what you said, that it possibly raises thyroid function I am not sure what to think now.

 

[NodeCerebri]

Well, there are short-term effects (= feeling amazing), and long-term effects (unpredictable, but mostly not so good).
I would look into the mechanism of sleep and what it is good for (resetting brain function and putting reparation mechanism into function). I know a person who never seems to sleep like normal people, but he is some sort of meditating and ”cleaning“ his mind and body otherwise through this meditation so that he cannot necessarily be considered as sleep deprived.

Also, feeling amazing by not getting the recommended standardized amount of sleep can be a result of increased stress hormones. That can create the impression of feeling great when sleep deprived, depending on your physical state. This could also be done in a more subtle and maybe less dangerous way by fasting for one day, I’d presume.
Interesting observation nonetheless.

 

[Lokzo]

A single night of sleep deprivation makes me euphoric the next day.

 

[Rinse & rePeat]

A single night of sleep deprivation makes me euphoric the next day.

I am glad I am not the only one who gets energized from no sleep. Everyone thinks I am crazy cause they are crabby and dragging when they don't get a enough sleep

 

[Vanset]

A single night of sleep deprivation makes me euphoric the next day.

same here. endless energy, zero brainfog. what's the mechanism?

 

[stressless]

I wonder if this is a cortisol and/or adrenaline response. It feels good to run on stress short term, but there's always a crash which seems indicative of a stressor on the body.

 

[redsun]

In the Special Forces of countries like Israel they don't sleep once a week throughout their 3 or 5 year service.

I know that chronic sleep deprivation destroys the body, but losing sleep once a week actually raises dopamine and perhaps testosterone. Apparently it also raises thyroid function.

Would there be any health benefits to me skipping sleep one night per week at the age of 35? Or is it only beneficial for the young and detrimental for the old?

Throughout the course of a couple of months last year I was sleeping around 2 hours per night (got home at 4 am on a Sunday and woke up at 6am like I usually do) and didn't really feel any more or less tired throughout the day...at least nothing that a couple of cups of coffee couldn't fix.

I don't know where you read it raises dopamine or testosterone. Dopamine may acutely rise if you pull an all nighter as a compensatory mechanism to deal with the day ahead on no sleep. Your noradrenaline and cortisol will go through the roof as your body is exposed to sunlight and light in general which is telling it to wake up. This massive increase in stress hormones is what raises energy levels.

Sex hormones rise during sleep. This is why if you want the most optimal T levels, you need to optimize sleep. If you miss a normal sleep window your T will not rise back up like usual and will stay low the next day. T is highest in the early morning and slowly lowers throughout the day until its lowest point before you sleep. Chronic sleep deprivation demolishes testosterone and is damaging to the whole body as oxidative stress strongly elevates. It also causes a build up of amyloid beta in your brain which will increase your chance of getting alzheimers. Sound healthy?

So no, even one night a week is terrible and chronic sleep deprivation is very bad for overall health whether your old or young.

 

[BearWithMe]

same here. endless energy, zero brainfog. what's the mechanism?

cortisol

 

[Brandin]

A single night of sleep deprivation makes me euphoric the next day.

Makes me feel better but since my brain isnt recovered I feel less smart haha...

 

[Riesensackteil]

cortisol

I think so, too. My eyes bulge like a maniac and the skin around it retracts when I skip a night of sleep. It is typical stressed state.

 

[Grapelander]

Tony Wright has the World Record for staying awake. He does it so that the left part of the brain will release control.
He then states he has super strength and increased energy.
He is also really into fruits (sex organs of plants) and thinks they drove human development.
He sees us as currently devolving and left brain dominance as a symptom.

Did sex with plants drive human evolution? Pt 1​

Did sex with plants drive human evolution? Pt 2​

Our Ancestors Were Genetically Re-engineered. By Tony Wright. Part 1​

Our Ancestors Were Genetically Re-engineered. By Tony Wright. Part 2​

Our Ancestors Were Genetically Re-engineered. By Tony Wright. Part 3​

C-Realm interview full length

 

[Rinse & rePeat]

Tony Wright has the World Record for staying awake. He does it so that the left part of the brain will release control.
He then states he has super strength and increased energy.
He is also really into fruits (sex organs of plants) and thinks they drove human development.
He sees us as currently devolving and left brain dominance as a symptom.

Did sex with plants drive human evolution? Pt 1​

Did sex with plants drive human evolution? Pt 2​

Our Ancestors Were Genetically Re-engineered. By Tony Wright. Part 1​

Our Ancestors Were Genetically Re-engineered. By Tony Wright. Part 2​

Our Ancestors Were Genetically Re-engineered. By Tony Wright. Part 3​

View attachment 32737
C-Realm interview full length

How bizarre! Sex with plants is really "out there". What do you think of his belief about that? I personally "get" the idea of gaining more energy from sleep deprivation, because I have been doing it quite a bit on and off throughout my life, and a lot lately. There was a long period that I had sleeplessness from high histamines, but now it stress driven. I feel like it is better to go with it and be upbeat, busy and a bit hyper than be complaining, lethargic and unproductive. I still am "thrown off" by having sex with plants. I can't even open your links cause I don't want to even want to imagine anymore about that.

 

[Guacamayo]

@Grapelander interesting! See, ideas like these are why I love the Ray Peat forum.

 

[Grapelander]

How bizarre! Sex with plants is really "out there". What do you think of his belief about that? I personally "get" the idea of gaining more energy from sleep deprivation, because I have been doing it quite a bit on and off throughout my life, and a lot lately. There was a long period that I had sleeplessness from high histamines, but now it stress driven. I feel like it is better to go with it and be upbeat, busy and a bit hyper than be complaining, lethargic and unproductive. I still am "thrown off" by having sex with plants. I can't even open your links cause I don't want to even want to imagine anymore about that.

Initially ran into this work researching "right brain" so I was actually surprised at his staying awake methodology.
'Sex with plants' is really saying 'eating fruit' (hello Miley). He sees fruit as the sex organs of the plant. He thinks the phytochemicals in fruit evolved the brain.
I think we also need protein. Even hummingbirds eat small insects.

 

[VitoScaletta]

Tony Wright has the World Record for staying awake. He does it so that the left part of the brain will release control.
He then states he has super strength and increased energy.
He is also really into fruits (sex organs of plants) and thinks they drove human development.
He sees us as currently devolving and left brain dominance as a symptom.

Did sex with plants drive human evolution? Pt 1​

Did sex with plants drive human evolution? Pt 2​

Our Ancestors Were Genetically Re-engineered. By Tony Wright. Part 1​

Our Ancestors Were Genetically Re-engineered. By Tony Wright. Part 2​

Our Ancestors Were Genetically Re-engineered. By Tony Wright. Part 3​

View attachment 32737
C-Realm interview full length

Lmao! He was on meth

 

[VitoScaletta]

Even hummingbirds eat small insects.

In reality there is almost no mammal or avian who exclusively eats plants.
Horses, apes, chickens, cows etc. Will all happily go for extra "protein" on the side if they feel like it.

 

[danishstargazer]

Sometimes I do sort of a coffee o rama and miss a night's sleep and it instantly cures depression for me.

 

[Blue Water]

OP, do you have a study or any rationale for why dopamine/testosterone would be increased after a night of sleep deprivation or is this personal experience?

 

[slimdaddydogjim]

No can do...with both the sleep deprivation and the plants!