Why do I feel more alert when I get less sleep?

[Kmart1208]

The last couple of days had been really strange for me. Recently I've had a lot of homework in school, along with sports and friends, and the past couple of days I've gotten about 4 hours of sleep each night vs. the 9 hours of sleep I usually get. Strangely, in the morning and throughout the day I feel more alert and focused in school. When I get my normal 9 hours of sleep I tend to be more laid back and talkative. I thought that with less sleep i wouldn't be able to focus as much but now that I think about it I remember other times in the past where this has been the case. Does your brain release a chemical that makes you more focused when your sleep deprived?

-On a side note I didn't take any caffeine or anything to help keep me awake, just food and water.

 

[Quiksilver]

When your body is put under stress it has some backup plans. First, your body starts to release adrenaline to cope with the stress, second, your body starts to use more readily available fuel source.

To put it simply, your body copes with stress by releasing chemicals to deal with the problem, your body starts to eat your muscle mass for fuel, and your body begins storing carbs and food you eat as bodyfat.

enjoy!

 

[Kmart1208]

When your body is put under stress it has some backup plans. First, your body starts to release adrenaline to cope with the stress, second, your body starts to use more readily available fuel source.

To put it simply, your body copes with stress by releasing chemicals to deal with the problem, your body starts to eat your muscle mass for fuel, and your body begins storing carbs and food you eat as bodyfat.

enjoy!

LOL Damn I wasn't expecting THAT. Ok how bout this: Is there a way that you can get that same focused and alert feeling WITHOUT reducing sleep and taking drugs? cause it would kinda be more useful if I got that feeling more often.

 

[Fuglydude]

Quik gave you a succinct yet accurate answer.

When you don't get enough rest you are stressing out your body. Your body will upregulate your fight/flight response (the sympathetic nervous system) and release stress hormones like cortisol that will have catabolic activity. One of cortisol's functions is to signal your body to break down muscle protein for energy.

I have sleep issues, and normally I'm able to get by with 3-4 hours of sleep per night and in some ways I am more "on", alert and focussed as you describe. However, I can't keep doing this for more than 5-6 days, especially if I'm training hard.

I find good food, lots of hydration, with good supplementation helps. Normally I use a high potency multi (mega men from GNC) along with a 100 mg time release B-complex supplement and a mild thermogenic agent like green tea extract, etc. I totally drag ass if I don't take my multi vitamin.

 

[Kmart1208]

thanx

 

[Caferacer]

When your body is put under stress it has some backup plans. First, your body starts to release adrenaline to cope with the stress, second, your body starts to use more readily available fuel source.

To put it simply, your body copes with stress by releasing chemicals to deal with the problem, your body starts to eat your muscle mass for fuel, and your body begins storing carbs and food you eat as bodyfat.

enjoy!

Your body breaks down proteins only when it absolutely needs it. As long as their is glycogen and fat your body will not break down protein. It's an incredibly inefficient process which is why protein is the last thing used. Fat is used first, unless you are going through a starvation response, where your body will use both for fuel in an effort to gain energy and reduce the amount used by muscle that's not needed for survival.

As long as you are eating, your body will not break down protein just because you stayed up late studying/drinking/whatever.

 

[Quiksilver]

Your body breaks down proteins only when it absolutely needs it. As long as their is glycogen and fat your body will not break down protein. It's an incredibly inefficient process which is why protein is the last thing used. Fat is used first, unless you are going through a starvation response, where your body will use both for fuel in an effort to gain energy and reduce the amount used by muscle that's not needed for survival.

As long as you are eating, your body will not break down protein just because you stayed up late studying/drinking/whatever.

The assumption was that this dude is staying up night after night and putting abnormal stress on his body and CNS. The typical chemical response--to stress--in the body is to secrete cortisol in the bloodstream.

I do agree that if you're eating enough(in this case heaps) that you can reduce the catabolic effects of cortisol, but eating "enough" is a substantial amount over maintenance and you'd be storing bodyfat regardless. Even then I have doubts as to how long you could counteract raised cortisol levels with food alone..

I don't really know what logic your basing your opinions on, but this quote says what I'm trying to, much more clearly too :

Higher and more prolonged levels of cortisol in the bloodstream (like those associated with chronic stress) have been shown to have negative effects, such as:

* Impaired cognitive performance
* Suppressed thyroid function
* Blood sugar imbalances such as hyperglycemia
* Decreased bone density
* Decrease in muscle tissue
* Higher blood pressure
* Lowered immunity and inflammatory responses in the body, slowed wound healing, and other health consequences
* Increased abdominal fat

I remember Throttle had a good analogy about this...

Picture your body as a home. When there's troubled times ahead and you're short on cash or your electric bills have skyrocketed(stress), your natural response is to cut expenses and start saving in case the bad times linger. It's smart to cut the highest unneeded expenses first(muscle) and to start putting money in the piggy bank(bodyfat). Muscle requires a lot of calories to maintain, and excess musculature is unneeded, so the body will naturally want to shed musculature and reduce its caloric expenditure. When your body is under stress for long periods, it'll store what it can as bodyfat for a rainy day.

Hope that clears this up.

 

[kickureface]

To put it simply, your body copes with stress by releasing chemicals to deal with the problem, your body starts to eat your muscle mass for fuel, and your body begins storing carbs and food you eat as bodyfat.

enjoy!

where did you find the info for this?

also, i think there's a sweet spot of about 3-5 hrs of sleep that makes you feel alert, as that feels like a nice nap. at least it happens to me

 

[Crazy Asian]

a can of monster in the morning will do the trick.
although, i'm not exactly sure that's good for you.