The Nutrient: Perceived sleep quality, weekend warriors, sugar pills

Research

Good perceived sleep quality protects against the raised risk of respiratory infection during sleep restriction in young adults

This study of 1,318 military recruits looked at how sleep deprivation is associated with upper respiratory tract infections (URTI). I expected to see that anyone who was forced to sleep 2 hours less than normal would be more likely to get a cold. Not so.

"Sleep restriction increased the risk of physician-diagnosed respiratory infection but only in those reporting poor not good perceived sleep quality. Good perceived sleep quality was associated with protection against respiratory infection during sleep restriction."

Do you wake up feeling well-rested? Even if you're not getting about 8 hours, this research suggests that restricted sleep might still be enough for your immune system if you feel like you got enough sleep.

Takeaway
Sleep restriction of about 2 hours per night was associated with an increased susceptibility to respiratory infection, but only in those with lower perceived sleep quality. Good perceived sleep quality was associated with protection from a cold. This suggests that if you aren't going to get about 8 hours of sleep tonight, then prioritize ways to improve sleep quality (dark room, cool temperature, no dog on the bed, etc).

News

Does performing the recommended levels of weekly physical activity in 1 to 2 sessions (weekend warrior) vs 3 or more sessions (regularly active) influence mortality?

Adults who perform 150 minutes or more of moderate to vigorous physical activity (or 75 minutes of vigorous activity) per week may experience similar health benefits whether the sessions are spread throughout the week or concentrated in a weekend.

It's probably better for your mental and physical health to disperse movement throughout the week. BUT, this new dad is happy to see evidence that shows exercise can be reserved for the weekend when life is less chaotic.

Article

Antidepressants Work Better Than Sugar Pills Only 15 Percent of the Time

"People do get better on the drug—but in the vast majority of cases it's not because of what's in the drug. There are other treatments that are at least equally effective, and that don't carry the risks."

It would be nice if someone who is experiencing a persistent feeling of sadness, or loss of interest, or debilitating fatigue simply needed an antidepressant. Unfortunately, it's rarely that simple. There are other options, of course, including mindfulness, adaptogenic herbs, nutrients to recover deficiencies, binaural beats to help with sleep, anti-inflammatory diet...but nothing is as effective as finding and treating the cause.

Words of the week

"The one constant through your life is breath. All your friends, your family, the country you live in, all of that can change. Breath is with you always. When you get stressed—what changes? Your breath. When you get angry—what changes? Your breath. We experience every emotion with the change of the breath. When you learn to navigate and manage your breath, you can navigate any situation in life."
– Jay Shetty in Think Like a Monk

Enjoy your weekend.

Dr. Rondo