Understanding REM vs. NREM Sleep—and Why Your Late-Night Sleep Matters Most Sleep isn’t just “rest”—it’s a complex, structured process your body moves through in cycles, each made up of two key types of sleep: REM (Rapid Eye Movement) and NREM (Non-Rapid Eye Movement) sleep. These stages serve different purposes, and the balance between them shifts throughout the night in a way that’s crucial for your health. NREM Sleep: The Body's Deep Recovery Zone NREM sleep makes up about 75–80% of your total sleep and includes three stages. The deepest stage (often called slow-wave sleep) is where your body does much of its physical repair: muscle growth, immune system strengthening, and energy restoration. This stage dominates the first half of the night, which is why your body prioritizes NREM early on. REM Sleep: Where the Brain Reboots REM sleep is lighter and more mentally active. It’s where most vivid dreams occur, and it plays a vital role in emotional regulation, memory consolidation, and cognitive processing. REM becomes longer and more frequent in the second half of the night, especially in the final few cycles before waking. Why Timing Matters: Sleep Cycles Aren’t Equal Sleep cycles (which last about 90 minutes) repeat through the night—but early cycles are NREM-heavy, while later ones shift toward REM. If you cut your sleep short—say, by waking up early or staying up too late—you’re likely missing out on those later REM-rich cycles. Skipping REM? Here's What Can Go Wrong Missing REM sleep doesn’t just leave you feeling groggy—it’s been linked to issues like: - Impaired memory and concentration - Increased stress and emotional instability - Higher risk of anxiety and depression - Weakened immune function - Long-term risks for metabolic and cardiovascular health The Takeaway To feel mentally sharp, emotionally balanced, and physically restored, you need full sleep cycles—especially those REM-heavy cycles later in the night. That means getting enough total sleep time, not just “some sleep.” Skipping the last few hours can cost you more than just a few dreams. #WhyWeSleep

Let the other person feel that the idea is theirs. People are more committed to ideas they believe they’ve come up with, even if you’ve guided them towards it. #HowToWinFriendsAndInfluencePeople

What Is a Speculative Attack on the Dollar—And How Bitcoin Fits In A speculative attack on a currency happens when investors bet en masse that the value of that currency will fall—so they take actions that can accelerate or even help cause the collapse. Historically, these attacks have targeted currencies pegged to others or under pressure due to poor economic policy (like the Thai baht in 1997 or the British pound in 1992). But today, some believe we’re seeing the early stages of a speculative attack on the U.S. dollar—and Bitcoin is playing a key role. What Does a Speculative Attack Look Like? It starts with a loss of confidence. Investors begin to suspect that a currency—like the dollar—won’t hold its value due to things like: - High national debt and persistent deficits - Excessive money printing (monetary easing) - Political dysfunction or unsustainable spending In response, they begin moving their wealth into assets they believe can’t be devalued or seized. That could be gold, foreign currencies, real estate—or, increasingly, Bitcoin. Bitcoin as a Weapon of Speculation Here’s how people are using Bitcoin to mount a kind of slow-burn speculative attack: 1. Exiting fiat: They sell dollars for Bitcoin, reducing demand for the currency and opting out of traditional banking rails. 2. Front-running inflation: They expect that the U.S. will eventually have to inflate its debt away, making hard assets like Bitcoin more attractive. 3. Decentralized escape hatch: Bitcoin can’t be easily confiscated or frozen, making it a hedge against financial repression (capital controls, bank account freezes, etc.). 4. Network effect: The more capital flows into Bitcoin, the more it gains legitimacy and liquidity—feeding the cycle. This isn’t a coordinated “attack” in the military sense. It’s decentralized, ideological, and market-driven. But the effect is similar: it pressures the dollar system by draining confidence and capital. What This Means Going Forward If this trend continues, the U.S. might face increasing difficulty financing its debt or defending the dollar’s global reserve status. The Fed could be forced to raise interest rates or impose controls to prevent capital flight. Meanwhile, Bitcoin continues to grow as a parallel financial system, outside the reach of governments. We may be watching the beginnings of a new kind of currency war—one not fought with tanks or tariffs, but with code and confidence. #Bitcoin

Adenosine, Sleep Pressure & Caffeine: How It All Works Ever wonder why you feel tired the longer you’re awake? That’s mostly due to a chemical called adenosine. As you go about your day, adenosine gradually builds up in your brain as a byproduct of energy use. The more it accumulates, the more it signals your brain that it’s time to rest—this is known as sleep pressure. The longer you're awake, the stronger the pressure. Enter caffeine. Caffeine doesn’t “give” you energy—it blocks adenosine from binding to its receptors, essentially muting your brain’s sleep signals. That’s why you feel alert after coffee, even if your body is tired. But once the caffeine wears off, that backed-up adenosine hits all at once—hello, crash. Adenosine also works in sync with your circadian rhythm (your body’s internal clock). While the circadian rhythm helps determine when you should be awake or asleep based on light and dark, adenosine helps determine how much you need sleep based on how long you’ve been awake. Together, they’re the twin engines of your sleep-wake cycle—one driven by time, the other by use. #WhyWeSleep

The Real Rate of Inflation? Follow the M2 Money Supply Most people look to the Consumer Price Index (CPI) for inflation data—but that doesn't always tell the whole story. The real rate of inflation may be better reflected in the growth of the M2 money supply. M2 includes cash, checking deposits, and easily convertible near money. When the government and Federal Reserve inject large amounts of money into the economy (as we saw in 2020–2021), the supply of dollars increases—but the amount of goods and services doesn’t rise as fast. That’s basic supply and demand: more dollars chasing the same amount of goods means prices go up. So while CPI might show "moderate" inflation, if M2 is expanding rapidly, the true decline in your dollar’s purchasing power is likely much higher. Watch the money supply—not just the price index—if you want the real picture. #Bitcoin

Get That “Yes, Yes” Flowing One of the simplest, most effective ways to influence someone is to begin by focusing on areas of agreement. Start your conversation where you both see eye to eye—on facts, values, or shared goals. When the other person starts nodding and saying “yes,” they’re not just agreeing with you—they’re building momentum in their own mind toward cooperation. As Dale Carnegie said, “When a person says ‘no,’ all their pride demands that they remain consistent with themselves.” But when they say “yes,” they’re setting a positive pattern—one that leads to harmony, not resistance. So next time you want to persuade, don’t dive into conflict. Begin in agreement. Get them saying “yes, yes” from the very start.

Understanding Your Circadian Rhythm and Jet Lag Your circadian rhythm is your body’s internal clock, guiding your sleep-wake cycle, energy levels, and even digestion. When you travel across time zones, this rhythm gets thrown off, causing jet lag—fatigue, trouble sleeping, and feeling “off.” The key to adjusting? Take it slow. Your body typically adjusts by only about one hour per day, so if you jump ahead or fall behind several time zones, give yourself time to acclimate. Light exposure in the morning or evening (depending on the direction you're traveling), staying hydrated, and sticking to local meal times can help reset your rhythm gradually and reduce jet lag symptoms. #WhyWeSleep