Yesterday, we looked at the impact early school start times have on academic performance and teenage auto fatalities.  Today we explore the impact on mental health. 

1: According to sleep expert Matthew Walker: “Forced by the hand of early school start times, this state of chronic sleep deprivation is especially concerning considering that adolescence is the most susceptible phase of life for developing chronic mental illnesses, such as … continue reading

1: The start time for more than 80 percent of public high schools in the United States is 8:15 a.m. or earlier.  In fact, nearly 50 percent of those start before 7:20 a.m.

“School buses for a 7:20 a.m. start time usually begin picking up kids at around 5:45 a.m.,” writes sleep expert Matthew Walker in Why We Sleep: Unlocking the Power of Sleep and Dreams.  “As a result, some … continue reading

1: 1: Getting better at getting better is what RiseWithDrew is all about.

Monday through Thursday, we explore ideas from authors, thought leaders, and exemplary organizations. On Friday, I share something I am working on or we are doing at PCI in our quest to earn a spot on Fortune magazine’s 100 Best Companies to Work For.

“I’ll sleep when I’m dead.” That was something I used to say as … continue reading

The answer may be to restrict time in bed, perhaps to just six hours of sleep, writes Dr. Matthew Walker in Why We Sleep.  

“By keeping [insomnia] patients awake for longer, we build up a strong sleep pressure. Under this heavier weight of sleep pressure, patients fall asleep faster, and achieve a more stable, solid form of sleep across the night,” he writes. “Upon reestablishing a patient’s confidence in … continue reading

1: In the past month, nearly 10 million Americans have swallowed some type of sleeping aid.

This reality is unfortunate and dangerous, writes sleep expert Matthew Walker in Why We Sleep: Unlocking the Power of Sleep and Dreams: “Sleeping pills do not provide natural sleep, can damage health, and increase the risk of life-threatening diseases,” he writes.

Sleeping pills like Ambien and Lunesta “target the same system in the … continue reading

1: Many people swear by a bath before bedtime.  We believe we fall asleep faster because we feel “toasty and warm to the core,” writes Matthew Walker in Why We Sleep: Unlocking the Power of Sleep and Dreams.

“Hot baths prior to bed can induce 10 to 15 percent more deep NREM (deep) sleep in healthy adults,” he notes.  

But not for the reason we think.  

A “hot bath … continue reading

1: The date was September 4th, 1882.  The world was about to change forever.  

At 257 Pearl Street, not far from the Brooklyn Bridge, Thomas Edison’s power-generating station began supplying electricity to customers in the First District, a one-quarter square mile area in New York City.

“For the first time, the human race had a truly scalable method of unbuckling itself from our planet’s natural twenty-four-hour cycle of light and dark,” … continue reading

1: The two most feared diseases in the modern world are dementia and cancer. “Both are related to inadequate sleep,” writes Matthew Walker in Why We Sleep: Unlocking the Power of Sleep and Dreams.  

So far this week, we’ve looked at the connection between a lack of sleep and auto fatalities as well as anger and hostility. Today we look at the link between dementia and sleep. … continue reading

1: How many times have we heard or said those unfortunate words? It might be the unfolding tragedy when “a soldier irrationally responds to a provocative civilian, a physician to an entitled patient, or a parent to a misbehaving child,” writes Matthew Walker in Why We Sleep: Unlocking the Power of Sleep and Dreams.

All too often, regret is the emotion that follows.

And many times, it is tired, … continue reading

More than 2 million people will fall asleep this week in the United States while driving their motor vehicle, writes Matthew Walker in Why We Sleep: Unlocking the Power of Sleep and Dreams.  

“Drowsy driving is as problematic as drunk driving,” he observes. “Drunk drivers are often late in braking, and late in making evasive maneuvers. But when you fall asleep, or have a microsleep, you stop … continue reading