WHEN TO *NOT* TRUST YOUR THOUGHTS
Description: During my recent podcast discussion with @RossEdgley about motivation and how to access it using many mindsets — not just one, we arrived at the topic of circadian (cyclical) influences on mindset.
The major takeaway of that portion of podcast is this: the longer you have been awake and in particular when you are awake between the hours of 2 AM and 5 AM (this is assuming you are diurnal) your forebrain is not very good at regulating the aspects of your brain controlling emotionality, rationality, and strategic decision-making.
A different way to put this: you are seriously brain impaired during those hours.
Again, if you’re nocturnal because you work the night shift this is not the case for that 2 AM to 5 AM stretch but it is true for most people who follow a sleep-wake schedule of asleep sometime between 9pm and 12midnight and wake up 5-8am.
So rather than despair about the thoughts that you have if you wake up in the middle of the night or worse— rather than making important decisions on the basis of those thoughts, understand that if you wait 4 to 6 hours (and ideally get some more sleep!) you’ll be significantly sharper, physically stronger and significantly more durable in both mind and body…
… and therefore able to make far better decisions.
This might seem like simple advice. Or even common sense. But most people don’t realize that their brain just doesn’t function well at those hours, and therefore trusting your thoughts in those hours is not a good idea. Unless you have to in an emergency, of course.
The brain is a wonderful organ, but just like many aspects of our biology, not all of its features are adaptive. I thought they come to you when you wake in the middle of the night our altered because of circadian mechanisms.
Listen to your thoughts accordingly. Lend weight to them accordingly. Make decisions on the basis of them accordingly.
And speaking of thoughts, let me know yours about this topic, whatever they may be. Put them in the comments section below.
Thank you for your interest in science!
Disclaimer & Disclosures: https://www.hubermanlab.com/disclaimer Close description
The major takeaway of that portion of podcast is this: the longer you have been awake and in particular when you are awake between the hours of 2 AM and 5 AM (this is assuming you are diurnal) your forebrain is not very good at regulating the aspects of your brain controlling emotionality, rationality, and strategic decision-making.
A different way to put this: you are seriously brain impaired during those hours.
Again, if you’re nocturnal because you work the night shift this is not the case for that 2 AM to 5 AM stretch but it is true for most people who follow a sleep-wake schedule of asleep sometime between 9pm and 12midnight and wake up 5-8am.
So rather than despair about the thoughts that you have if you wake up in the middle of the night or worse— rather than making important decisions on the basis of those thoughts, understand that if you wait 4 to 6 hours (and ideally get some more sleep!) you’ll be significantly sharper, physically stronger and significantly more durable in both mind and body…
… and therefore able to make far better decisions.
This might seem like simple advice. Or even common sense. But most people don’t realize that their brain just doesn’t function well at those hours, and therefore trusting your thoughts in those hours is not a good idea. Unless you have to in an emergency, of course.
The brain is a wonderful organ, but just like many aspects of our biology, not all of its features are adaptive. I thought they come to you when you wake in the middle of the night our altered because of circadian mechanisms.
Listen to your thoughts accordingly. Lend weight to them accordingly. Make decisions on the basis of them accordingly.
And speaking of thoughts, let me know yours about this topic, whatever they may be. Put them in the comments section below.
Thank you for your interest in science!
Disclaimer & Disclosures: https://www.hubermanlab.com/disclaimer Close description
