Sleeping pills stop the brain’s system for cleaning out waste
https://arstechnica.com/science/2025/01/how-sleeping-pills-interfere-with-the-brains-internal-cleaning-mechanism/Open linkView original on ponder.catSyndicated from the fediverse. Read and engage on the original instance.
View original on ponder.cathttps://arstechnica.com/science/2025/01/how-sleeping-pills-interfere-with-the-brains-internal-cleaning-mechanism/Open linkView original on ponder.cat
17 replies
For those interested, the book Why We Sleep by Matthew Walker has very understandable details about sleep. He touches on the waste removal during NREM. He initially became interested in sleep by finding that Alzheimer’s was first predictably detected in changes in EEG sleep waves before symptoms of forgetfulness began.
Nobody better check this book out from Anna’s archive. /s
This book is a great gift for new parents.
The only substance, that is mentioned, is zolpidem.
And from the article:
Not all sleeping pills are bad?
Which is rarely prescribed anymore because it’s so addictive.
In any case it’s not the kind of pill you’re allowed to take for life, just for 2 weeks of treatment or whatever.
Seems to me that the implication is that most/all current sleeping pills have this negative side effect
Melatonin is safe?
Quality control on melatonin products is atrocious. It might help for a night or two in the correct dose. But you might inadvertently take a 120x dose.
https://arstechnica.com/science/2023/04/crazy-variability-of-melatonin-in-sleep-aid-gummies-may-keep-you-up-at-night/
Melatonin actually messes up with your sleep cycle I wouldn't recommend taking it before talking with a doctor and knowing all the potential side effects;
my family and I learned the hard way🙃
How did it change your cycle ?
The first few days of using melatonin seemed to help me sleep but after a couple of days it seemed like the drowsy feeling became unstable and delayed at times.
After like a week I stopped using it altogether after searching and learning about all the details online and I'd be feeling drowsy during the daytime, I almost fell asleep on the bus several times which was scary.
Again I'd recommend consulting a doctor (or your family doctor) and learn about the details online before taking melatonin🫡🌻
As long as you weren't the driver, doesn't sound very scary :-)
Best case scenario: It takes an extra 1hr 30min trip back
Worst case scenario: you're forced off at a bad part of the city potentially in freezing cold temperatures
I don't know the city by heart so if my phone dies I'm also shit out of luck there as well🙃
? More like 'if only we had a good sleeping pill'
Yeah I’m wondering if THC has any similar impact since it generally can keep people from reaching REM and dreaming normally… idk about NREM tho
Could we theoretically create drugs that clean up the waste and all that jazz, therefore getting rid of the need to sleep? 🤔
Don't need to sleep? That just means more time to work!