Guest: Dan Pardi
Dan Pardi — neuroscience researcher and founder of Dan’s Plan — visits the show to discuss the shocking research on how sleep deprivation impacts decision making, reaction time, memory, and weight gain.
Here are my notes!
6:26 – Almost every function of the brain is altered by sleep deprivation.
7:20 – How your brain encodes memories for retrieval and recall.
8:50 – Why “forgetting” is a good sign of memory.
11:20 – Do focus and attention span suffer when we don’t get enough sleep?
13:00 – How sleep deprivation triggers hyperactivity in children…and adults.
14:32 – Light and its effects on cognition and circadian rhythms.
17:32 – The behavioral consequences of mistimed light environment.
18:37 – Why you NEED to get outside at least 30 minutes a day. You master clock will thank you!
21:14 – An “enlightening” explanation for why outdoor exercise appears to be healthier than indoor exercise.
22:00 – 3 tips for telling your brain it’s dark out and time to wind down.
23:30 – “We’re getting 20% less sleep per night.” Yikes!
24:02 – Does wearing sunglasses throw off your master clock?
25:05 – A pretty cool app to create “virtual darkness” on your computer or tablet.
27:49 – Are you sleep deprived? Defining our individual sleep needs and the primary types of insomnia.
33:07 – More soup for you! A “sneaky” study on how our environment influences how much we eat.
35:48 – How sleep deprivation makes us more likely to eat foods we consider LESS healthy!
39:49 – Don’t go grocery while hungry…or sleep deprived!
40:15 – How deprived sleep makes you GAIN WEIGHT via imbalanced blood sugar, leptin, and ghrelin.
45:47 – Can sleep deprivation cause loss of muscle mass and reduced growth hormone output?
49:55 – Is obesity a memory disorder?
53:08 – Quantifying the Self: Nifty devices and apps that track your activity and behaviors.
Learn more about Dan at www.dansplan.com.