Health, Productivity

How To Make Your Brain Work After Lack Of Sleep

No harm to your health

If you are faced with the need for intensive mental work after a lack of sleep, this article is for you. The author has been in this situation many times.

The value of the proposed approach is that it solves this problem in the most natural way, without the use of any artificial stimulants. This makes this approach organically safe.

I must warn you, however, that this method should not be abused. Please remember that there is no substitute for a good, healthy night’s sleep. Regular sleep deprivation can cause your organism irreparable harm.

Also, I want to point out that what works well for one person may work worse for another.

I work in the field of information technology, where unexpected challenges can arise at any time. You have to work late occasionally, and in the morning, you have to finish what you didn’t do yesterday. Sometimes a night’s sleep may be reduced to four hours.

The inevitable consequence is psycho-emotional stress that does not end after waking up. This puts a tremendous strain on the brain, which is known to be the most resource-demanding organ. Despite weighing only about 2% of the body, it consumes about 20% of the body’s energy.

Lack of sleep is not only harmful to your brain, but it also has an insidious feature. You may wake up at a regular time and continue intensive mental work without any problems, but after a few hours, you will literally start to shut down.

Some people stuff themselves with coffee or other stimulants, but such means do more harm than good. Because in this way, a person tries to overcome sleep by means of over-stimulation of the nervous system, which is pure violence against it.

Of course, the body needs not to do that — it needs energy for its insatiable brain. A lot of compact and easily accessible energy. However, it is essential to note that this energy source is critical. The best source is protein.

Protein contains amino acids that regulate or modulate many key functions of the central nervous system. The brain uses these amino acids to synthesize various neurotransmitters and neuromodulators.

· Neurotransmitters send messages from one nerve cell to the next nerve, muscle, or glandular cell. These messages help control the limbs, keep the internal organs working, and process external information coming into the CNS.

· Neuromodulators are substances that, acting together with neurotransmitters, enhance excitatory or inhibitory responses of the brain’s ion channel receptors.

Lack of neurotransmitters and neuromodulators leads to so-called “metabolic stress,” which depletes the brain’s energy reserves. The result is:

· Difficulty maintaining normal cellular functions of the brain

· Overexcitation of neurons, which can lead to their death

· Release of reactive oxygen species that damage cell membranes and DNA.

Eventually, regular metabolic stress can cause pathology similar to Alzheimer’s disease.

The functions listed in the above table are closely related to the organism’s ability to function in stressful conditions and regulate or modulate many essential CNS functions.

Neurotransmitters are synthesized by neurons, often called the “gray matter of the brain.” To do this, they need the corresponding amino acids, the building blocks of more complex substances.

Thus, the amino acid composition of food is more important to the brain than to any other organ system. Studies show that the most important amino acid is tyrosine, which is found in protein-rich foods.

So, you have slept substantially less than usual and are forced to engage in intense mental activity. If you don’t change your regular eating pattern, you will:

1. not be able to perform your job effectively

2. soon find yourself unable to work, and finally,

3. experience painful feelings.

It is difficult for me to convey these sensations accurately; the closest thing is to call it a headache. But this is an inaccurate definition. In this state, it feels like something is happening to my brain as if it is gradually disintegrating inside my skull. It is one of the most disgusting and disturbing sensations I have ever experienced. Perhaps you know what I’m talking about.

Fortunately, this can be dealt with quite effectively by eating a portion of protein-rich food some time after waking up (1–2 hours later on).

This food can be either animal or plant-based. The former is more effective, but if you are a vegetarian or vegan, you are still in the game.

Let’s start with animal protein.

So, I have found by experience that beef works best. The protein content of beef is not the highest, but its caloric content is higher than other foods, which seems essential. Beef is so popular for a reason, as it probably gives the most complete sense of satiety.

And it is the champion of tyrosine content. To cover the daily dose, the average adult only needs to eat about 40 grams!

The top ten types of meat look like this:

For someone else, another meat would be better suited. In any case, the effect should manifest itself very quickly. As soon as you swallow the first piece, the disgusting feeling of “brain decay” will begin to diminish. When you’re done, you’ll be ready to go. Otherwise, follow your normal eating schedule.

As for plant-based protein, it can also help with the problem at hand. However, you will have to eat more food than those who eat meat.

In my experience, nuts and seeds are the closest things to meat. Adding dried fruit and some light fat (like sour cream or coconut oil) will make your meal even more delicious (you can play around with the composition of your tyrosine breakfast here).

Of course, you shouldn’t rely on your standard work capacity. Nevertheless, it should be at a high level. For me, it’s about 75–85% of normal. And it’s likely to stay that way for the rest of the day.

After that, a regular night’s sleep should be enough for your body to continue functioning normally.

Conclusion

So, I arrived at the above approach by experience. The scientific data to which I have referred in the text is a confirmation of this personal experience rather than its source.

In fact, this data may not yet explain everything. One often hears that the brain is the most complex object in the universe. Hence the caution with which scientists treat the results of their research.

I believe an approach based on carefully analyzing one’s condition and performance can be considered credible.

In itself, this approach is nothing original. No doubt, many people have come to something similar. I only wanted to emphasize the following important features:

1. To achieve the desired effect, it is necessary to supply nourishment to the brain instead of stimulating the nervous system. The widespread belief that coffee or other stimulants can help seems to me not only erroneous but harmful.

2. After a lack of sleep, it is natural to feel hunger. It should be understood that this is not some insidious trick of your selfish stomach but a direct signal from your brain that it urgently needs an unscheduled feeding.

3. It’s important to understand what to eat and what not to. Beware of carbohydrates and limit fat intake. You need protein.

So, I hope this article was helpful to you. Good luck in dealing with the consequences of sleep deprivation!

And remember — nothing can replace regular healthy sleep for you.

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