It is a regular night in 2.4 lakh BC. You, a proud homo sapien, are snuggled under the stars on a bed of twigs when a rustle wakes you up. It is a tiger. Your brain immediately flips into survival mode:
“Stay awake and stay alive.” Forget REM sleep, you are up all night clutching a sharp rock and praying.
“I need energy to fight or flee.” Your body assumes famine is near (because hunting during tiger season? Risky business). And now it is making you crave anything edible.
“Food first, sleep later.” Even after a hefty breakfast of berries and beef, you are still munching.
By sunrise, you are exhausted, overfed and eyeing a nap you will never get because, surprise, the tiger is still out there.
Fast forward to 2024 AD
Congratulations! You are still a homo sapien, but now you are sitting in an air-conditioned apartment with Wi-Fi. No tigers, no spears. Yet here you are, sleep-deprived again. The tiger is gone, but its modern equivalent – a soul-crushing email – hits your inbox at 11 PM. You stay up working, powered by coffee and stress. Your brain, ever the drama queen, thinks:
“Oh no, starvation mode!” Yes, your perfectly stocked fridge and 24/7 food delivery mean nothing. Sleep deprivation tricks your brain into believing you are in survival mode, just like in 2.4 lakh BC.
“Feed me now!” Cue the hunger hormone ghrelin, whispering, “How about some chips? Or pizza? Better yet, both.”
“Still hungry!” Even after demolishing a family-size bag of snacks, you are still eating like there will be no tomorrow.
By morning, you are tired, bloated, and skipping your workout because your body is like, “Nope, we’re in low-power mode today.”
Why the same old pattern?
From 2.4 lakh BC to 2024 AD, biologically, you haven’t changed much. Sleep deprivation in both eras tells your body:
Ghrelin (hunger hormone) increases, making you hungrier.
Leptin (satiety hormone) decreases, so you don’t feel full.
You crave calorie-dense junk food (because your brain thinks you need quick energy to escape the “tiger”).
You are too tired to move, so you burn fewer calories.
This gives us the modern obesogenic equation:
Sleeping less + Eating more + Moving less = Weight gain
From tigers to taxes, not much has changed. Sleep deprivation still sends your appetite into overdrive. But unlike 2.4 lakh BC You, you have Netflix and nightlights, not predators. So do yourself a favor: get some sleep. Your ancestors would have killed for the chance.
***HIRING ALERT***
🚨Wanted: Virtual health and fitness coaches 🚨
We are on the hunt for TWO superhumans disguised as:
1️⃣ Nutrition and fitness coach who talks. Because the right knowledge, inspiration, and motivation build abs faster than crunches!
2️⃣ Certified personal trainer who is ready to accept the challenge of making people fit and fabulous – even remotely.
Experience? Optional. Passion? Mandatory.
We are looking for coaches who:
– Find purpose in making others healthier and happier.
– Have top-notch people skills and know human psychology.
– Understand nutrition, exercise and behavioral science.
Reply to this mail if you know a friend who just won’t shut up about protein and right posture as their dream job is just a DM away!