One of the concerns that Dr. Walker shares in our recent podcast discussion are that many times the very substances we take in to help us sleep, may have subtle effects that ultimately undermine the enormous beneficial qualities that underpin sleep itself — something covered in great detail in the episode — by changing the architecture of sleep.

Alcohol, which many people appreciate for its ability to sometimes initially promote sleep owing to its qualities as a sedative, ultimately promotes fragmented sleep and can impact REM sleep. Moreover, the way alcohol impacts sleep can change between the beginning of your sleep and the latter portion as the ethanol levels decline throughout the sleep period.

More concerning than alcohol, however, is that sleeping pills may have under-appreciated effects as well: changes in the electrical signature of sleep, changes in susceptibility to infection and possibly cancer (associative data), and a reduction in neural plasticity in an animal research paradigm called “monocular deprivation” which tests the ability of the visual cortex to produce changes in ocular dominance.

While it may not be that surprising that if you alter the architecture of sleep — though nothing alters it as much as simply not getting it — that some of the benefits it clearly has been shown on the brain and the immune system might be subtly undermined. Even a partial night of sleep deprivation been shown to cause decline of ~30% in Natural Killer T cell activity.

Perhaps it is because of emerging research such as this, that the American College of Physicians has made the recommendation the sleeping pills no longer be the first-line recommended treatment and instead recommend Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Insomnia in its place, mentioned by Dr. Walker.

Relevant pubs:
• “Polysomnographic sleep disturbances in nicotine, caffeine, alcohol, cocaine, opioid, and cannabis use: A focused review.”
• “Partial night sleep deprivation reduces natural killer and cellular immune responses in humans.”
• “The Non-Benzodiazepine Hypnotic Zolpidem Impairs Sleep-Dependent Cortical Plasticity”
(And, of course, Matt’s book Why We Sleep)

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re: Dr. Matthew Walker on Sleep for Enhancing Learning, Creativity, Immunity, and Glymphatic System

Sleeping Pills May Dramatically Increase Death Rate
MARCH 05, 2012
Daniel Weiss, Senior Editor
A study of electronic medical records suggests that sleeping pill use may be associated with up to 500,000 additional deaths per year.

https://www.pharmacytimes.com/news/...ease-death-rate

Sleeping pills freak me out and I know many, many people who regularly use them (also in combination with other drugs). Health nut people, too. Not flaky people. Usually in combination with anti-anxiety drugs. My friend used to say his mother always said if you couldn't sleep you hadn't worked hard enough that day. I try to take that to heart.

I recently heard medications described as chemicals to hide the problem. So simple. So true. Actually NOT a cure. But I know you already know that....

Like a lot of other drugs, sleeping pills treat the symptom, not the cause.

Just as many drugs cover up the symptoms and don't touch the actual disease process going on, I think it's a sign that sleeping medications create the appearance of sleep without it actually being the kind of sleep we need.

And Ambien is probably the one most prescribed in my area (it was pushed at me twice) and it has bizarre side effects where people sleepwalk and do all kinds of things they wouldn't normally do, like eat cigarettes and wander around naked.

Doesn't sound restful to me.

Also, I got a sample of Dr. Parsley's sleep mix, from Rob Wolf.

Haven't tried it yet. My own sleep involves me getting to bed really early (7-8 pm), reading myself to sleep with my Kindle (low & no blue light) which often takes less than half an hour, and dealing with a wakeful period between 12 & 2am. I wind up getting up early (4-6 am) and I wind up with 8-10 hours of sleep.

Which is far better than it used to be But I'm open to improvement.

I use blue blocker glasses from an hour to 3 hours before bed. Stopped wearing sunglasses as getting the 10,000 lux of full sunlight starts your circadian rhythm. Sleep degrades in those that are older, and since I fit in that category being in my sixth decade, I work harder at getting at least 7-8 hours or more of sleep, cutting any caffeine after 10am, blocking blue light before bed, removed any electronic displays from my bedside, and stop eating at least 3 hours before bed (more like 7-9 hours with TRE lol).

Hmmm, forgot about how sunlight supports the circadian rhythm--- perhaps afternoon sunlight is more important than I realized. I tend to find excuses to stay indoors, especially in the winter.

Any thought on where Magnesium fits into this discussion? Is it more helpful than a pharmaceutical chemical?

My sister and I used to take this supplement just before bedtime when teens. And calcium dolomite. Mg is known to be one of the nutrients likely to be deficient-- 80% world wide, and more like cant quite remember the exact number, about 60% in the US.

Dr Amen talks about the importance in brain function but doe not address sleeping directly.

All great stuff! I use a sleep mask.

Absolutely. Being short of magnesium & GABA will mess with sleep.

obviously Mg is a mineral supplement. So about GABA, it is also made by the body--- or is supplementing worthwhile? ( Is Mg used to make GABA?)

No, GABA is a neurotransmitter. Relaxing.

So, lately I have upped my chelated magnesium intake and last night I took L-Theanine/GABA in the evening, and slept better! So, at least for me, these supplements are needed for better sleep at the moment, and I'm rolling with that.