What protocols can I use to mitigate the effects of sleep deprivation
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To mitigate the effects of sleep deprivation, advocates for several protocols, most notably Non-Sleep Deep Rest (NSDR) protocols. NSDR includes practices like hypnosis and yoga nidra, which are designed to help the brain and body enter a state of deep relaxation and can assist in falling back asleep or to recover some of the benefits of sleep that might have been missed. NSDR can be particularly useful if you're waking up in the middle of the night and struggling to fall back asleep, or even during the day as a way to teach your nervous system to calm down 1 2 3.
Additionally, exercise, even when sleep deprived, can offer some benefits, particularly if done early in the day to avoid further disrupting your sleep schedule. It may make compensatory adjustments in immune system function and blood sugar regulation that mitigate some of the detriments associated with a lack of sleep 4.
Finally, if you're sleep deprived, there are certain practices you can implement to help you concentrate and focus better. NSDR is again mentioned as effective for this purpose, as it can be restorative and sort of simulate some of the benefits of sleep, in particular the restoration of dopamine levels 5. However, stresses that these are not replacements for sleep, but rather tools to help cope with the inevitable short-term periods when optimal sleep isn't possible 6.
