Predispositions

A new year is here! Did the holidays involve some disruption by seasonal viruses and unpleasant weather? I'm sorry if that's the case.

I borrowed this book by Dr. Michael Mosley entitled "Fast Asleep" and was reminded about the importance of sleep. Especially the part of our cycle involving deep sleep where our brain receives an increased amount of cerebrospinal fluid as a sort of deep cleaning routine. The system in-charge is called the glymphatic system and it helps rid our brains of wastes and protein deposits, including those associated with Alzheimer's disease. I think on average, I have had enough sleep in my life. I have never really truly pulled an all-nighter because I'm physically incapable of doing so. I need to sleep. In fact and unfortunately, there have been occasions of low self-discipline and I have napped in the late afternoon for more than half an hour and those occasions normally lead to either disturbing dreams or sleep paralysis. 

I got a smart speaker for our bedroom and now I've been listening to airplane cabin sounds and would reduce the brightness of the bedroom light to induce sleepiness. This has been very effective for the past few weeks this new year. I will surely continue the habit, because I end up waking up earlier than the average time last year and have more energy during the day. I've also taken some brief walks in the morning and after lunch, which is synergistic to this rekindling of my love for a good night's sleep.  I always thought that I was a morning person, or a 'lark' as Dr. Mosley labels it. Based on my DNA test results that I just received today, I'm a night person. I'm curious about what genes determine that trait. 

Also, the expected revelation is that I'm overwhelmingly Filipino with trace amounts of Korean and Iberian Spanish. I opted to have my sample discarded and not used for research--and no family tree or connections. Because the Philippines is an archipelago, physical traits are immensely diverse. Centuries of colonial rule and trading with adjacent nations have surely made Filipinos admixed. It can be confusing for non-Filipinos and it's common for Filipinos to be mistaken for other nationalities...until they start inviting folks to karaoke and to help themselves with lumpia. I have been mistaken for being other East Asian nationalities and I remember a conference where I was mistaken for a Mexican. Well, the Philippines and Mexico were under Spanish colonial rule at the same time for centuries. I suppose it could make sense. Except, I can freely say that I enjoy puto (a sweet and delicious steamed rice muffin), best enjoyed with butter or cheese and a cup of traditional tsokolate hot chocolate. I leave the internet sleuthing about it to you.

Sleep, DNA, food. What a strange post.