https://www.amazon.com/Body-Guide-Occupants-Bill-Bryson-ebook/dp/B07M82PNSX/
I am not affiliated with seller or author. It is an amazing book, essentially a condensed medical school education. It does not reference PFS, however.
As I’ve reported several times, I am extremely fortunate to have entirely recovered by June 2017 from worst-case scenario PFS that began June 2014 naturally/inexplicably EXCEPT “freakishly impossible” sleep dysfunction, caused by 15 years daily FIN use. (I very rarely sleep, survive on short “rest naps” randomly every day!
).
Anyways, I carefully read the “Sleep” chapter and took detailed notes to educate myself on this crucial life function:
- Sleep is critical but still largely a mystery.
- We don’t know why we must lapse into unconsciousness bc sleep beneficial functions could occur awake.
- Uncertain how or why lack of sleep can be fatal. (No sign of trauma after death)
- Nightly tune-up for body: resets immune system, cleans out neurotoxins, consolidating memories, restoring hormonal balance
- Hibernating animals sleep regularly, coma other times
- Some animals 1/2 brain sleep (birds when flying long distances)
- REM sleep may only warm up brain but possibly critical for mental development, babies 50+% REM sleep
- Men are erect 2 hours night
- We keep track of edge of bed during sleep, probably genetic from tree-dwelling days
- Normally only takes 5-15 minutes to sleep
- 4-5 sleep cycles a night
- Don’t need alarm clocks, normally brain will wake up at desired time mysteriously
- Dreams may be random sorting of info; we don’t normally remember them
- 1/3 of eye cells solely detect brightness/darkness; blind peeps can still utilize these cells!
- Scientists do not understand melatonin’s relationship to sleep, just helps us detect daylight.
- Adenosine builds up in brain over time, makes you irresistibly sleepier. Caffeine temporarily counters it, perks you up.
- 7-9 hours sleep normal, varies by age
- Schools start too early for teens’ sleep cycle
- We get significantly less sleep than 50 years ago, 8.5 hours -> 7 now
- 10-20% peeps suffer insomnia due to various causes
- Sleep deficiency may contribute to Alzheimer’s
- Lose weight to reduce snoring, which can cause sleep apnea, waking up briefly bc airways are constricted
- “Fatal familial insomnia” is very rare inherited total inability to sleep.
- Narcolepsy is incurable rare condition severely disrupting normal wakefulness
- Brain cells shrink 60% during sleep, allows fluids to clean out neurotoxins, which explains why you feel refreshed after waking
- 17yo in 1963 stayed awake for 11 days, not harmed!
- Yawns are total mystery, can trigger it in others!