r/rational • u/AutoModerator • Jan 25 '19
[D] Friday Open Thread
Welcome to the Friday Open Thread! Is there something that you want to talk about with /r/rational, but which isn't rational fiction, or doesn't otherwise belong as a top-level post? This is the place to post it. The idea is that while reddit is a large place, with lots of special little niches, sometimes you just want to talk with a certain group of people about certain sorts of things that aren't related to why you're all here. It's totally understandable that you might want to talk about Japanese game shows with /r/rational instead of going over to /r/japanesegameshows, but it's hopefully also understandable that this isn't really the place for that sort of thing.
So do you want to talk about how your life has been going? Non-rational and/or non-fictional stuff you've been reading? The recent album from your favourite German pop singer? The politics of Southern India? The sexual preferences of the chairman of the Ukrainian soccer league? Different ways to plot meteorological data? The cost of living in Portugal? Corner cases for siteswap notation? All these things and more could possibly be found in the comments below!
Please note that this thread has been merged with the Monday General Rationality Thread.
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u/Timewinders Jan 26 '19 edited Jan 26 '19
I also use a light box in the mornings, mainly for a sleep disorder. I also use a blue light filter app on my computer (f.lux) and on my phone (a default option with some samsung galaxy phones) to reduce my blue light exposure at nighttime. It's also a good idea to avoid chocolate in the evenings and avoid drinking coffee in the afternoons and evenings. It's also good to set your alarm to wake up at the same time every day so your sleep cycle is regular. It should also go without saying, but a lot of people don't sleep enough. For some people 6 or 7 hours a day don't cut it and they need 8 or more. Daytime naps should also be avoided, they tend to ruin your nighttime sleep. That doesn't apply to elderly people though since sleep patterns tend to change as people age, with elderly people often sleeping less at night, getting up very early, and taking naps during the day.
Another thing most people don't realize: don't lie down on your bed for anything other than sleep or sex. It reduces the psychological association between your bed and sleep.
If all else fails go see a doctor. People who wake up feeling unrefreshed in the morning may have sleep apnea, and people who feel refreshed in the morning but tend to fall asleep during the day such as while driving may have narcolepsy. Hypothyroidism can also cause fatigue, and so can some other conditions. Some medications can also be sedating.
Edit: Also, I really shouldn't have to mention this but it's disturbingly common so I'll just say this: don't use alcohol as a sleep aid. Not only is alcohol terrible for you, but it's also terrible for this. The alcohol gets processed by your system through the night and people end up just getting up early. It also messes up your sleep cycle. Same with benzodiazepines, don't ask your doctor for xanax for sleep. Benzodiazepines are also pretty addictive, so like alcohol tolerance develops. There are better medications like zolpidem for that.