Dr. Rhonda Patrick

There's a process called the glymphatic system that gets activated and it literally squirts this lymphatic fluid throughout our brain kind of like a wash, like a cleansing. And it physically forces it out through the lymphatic system. And it's very important for preventing the buildup of protein aggregates like amyloid beta, which is involved in Alzheimer's disease.

And it's why sleep is so inherently connected to neurodegenerative disease because it is a repair time, right? Lots of things are going on with the brain. but also your metabolism and blood pressure. Your blood pressure resets. Everything's resetting during sleep. Digestion shuts down so that you can do all this repair stuff. So if you think about your body as kind of like a phone.

And it's why sleep is so inherently connected to neurodegenerative disease because it is a repair time, right? Lots of things are going on with the brain. but also your metabolism and blood pressure. Your blood pressure resets. Everything's resetting during sleep. Digestion shuts down so that you can do all this repair stuff. So if you think about your body as kind of like a phone.

So your body is a phone, and if you don't recharge your phone at night, It dies. It dies. It's not going to run properly. It's going to eventually die and you won't be able to use it. So it's kind of like the same thing. You have to recharge your battery when you're sleeping and that's kind of what you do. And that includes everything from brain function to immune cell function.

So your body is a phone, and if you don't recharge your phone at night, It dies. It dies. It's not going to run properly. It's going to eventually die and you won't be able to use it. So it's kind of like the same thing. You have to recharge your battery when you're sleeping and that's kind of what you do. And that includes everything from brain function to immune cell function.

Your immune system is also replenished to metabolism. And this is something that I don't think a lot of people think of. Most people, when they think of being sleep deprived, they think of brain fog. I'm like, I'm not functioning properly. I'm not thinking like, you know, my sharpest. But I don't know that most people are thinking of type 2 diabetes, metabolic syndrome.

Your immune system is also replenished to metabolism. And this is something that I don't think a lot of people think of. Most people, when they think of being sleep deprived, they think of brain fog. I'm like, I'm not functioning properly. I'm not thinking like, you know, my sharpest. But I don't know that most people are thinking of type 2 diabetes, metabolic syndrome.

And this is something I know I certainly wasn't thinking about it until I became a new mother and was wearing a continuous glucose monitor. So that's something that you can attach to either your arm or I put it on my abdomen area and it continually measures your blood glucose levels. And of course, when you become a new parent, you're sleep deprived. You're not sleeping.

And this is something I know I certainly wasn't thinking about it until I became a new mother and was wearing a continuous glucose monitor. So that's something that you can attach to either your arm or I put it on my abdomen area and it continually measures your blood glucose levels. And of course, when you become a new parent, you're sleep deprived. You're not sleeping.

Yeah, especially a mother when you're waking up nursing your child three times a night. I mean, you're getting very fragmented sleep. And I was wearing a continuous glucose monitor and it was very eye-opening what was happening to my blood glucose regulation. I mean, it was completely shot.

Yeah, especially a mother when you're waking up nursing your child three times a night. I mean, you're getting very fragmented sleep. And I was wearing a continuous glucose monitor and it was very eye-opening what was happening to my blood glucose regulation. I mean, it was completely shot.

So my levels were looking like pre-diabetic. And this is like, I was still eating healthy, right? I was eating my healthy foods, my vegetables and my salmon and blueberries. Yeah, I wasn't as physically active as my usual because, you know, especially, you know, the first month after having a baby. But I'll get to some good news in a minute.

So my levels were looking like pre-diabetic. And this is like, I was still eating healthy, right? I was eating my healthy foods, my vegetables and my salmon and blueberries. Yeah, I wasn't as physically active as my usual because, you know, especially, you know, the first month after having a baby. But I'll get to some good news in a minute.

But that was, you know, to me it was just like it was so crazy to see like my fasting blood glucose levels so incredibly high without changing my diet, really. And, you know, I was still sort of physically active. I was going for walks, but I wasn't doing my usual like a run. I eventually started doing HIIT. So the point here is that actually even just...

But that was, you know, to me it was just like it was so crazy to see like my fasting blood glucose levels so incredibly high without changing my diet, really. And, you know, I was still sort of physically active. I was going for walks, but I wasn't doing my usual like a run. I eventually started doing HIIT. So the point here is that actually even just...

getting one to three hours less sleep per night for three nights in a row. I mean, think how common is it to get one hour less of sleep a night for three nights in a row? So common, so common. It happens to me all the time, all the time.

getting one to three hours less sleep per night for three nights in a row. I mean, think how common is it to get one hour less of sleep a night for three nights in a row? So common, so common. It happens to me all the time, all the time.

And there's been studies that have looked at, well, what does happen to normal, quote unquote, healthy people that haven't been diagnosed with any sort of metabolic disease? What happens is after three nights of getting one to three hours less sleep per night is that their body isn't disposing of glucose properly. So their blood glucose levels stay elevated.

And there's been studies that have looked at, well, what does happen to normal, quote unquote, healthy people that haven't been diagnosed with any sort of metabolic disease? What happens is after three nights of getting one to three hours less sleep per night is that their body isn't disposing of glucose properly. So their blood glucose levels stay elevated.

On top of that, insulin, they're not making enough insulin to lower the blood glucose levels. And so you get this double whammy, almost looking like insulin resistant or pre-diabetic if you were to just look at the hard numbers. And again, this is just from not getting enough sleep for three nights in a row.