Apulu
17th September 2014, 06:31
Welcome to my first thread; I do hope you're not bored already.
I've been through many different patterns of sleep in my 'adult' life, and the total amount of time I sleep has varied considerably depending on what type of 'mode' I'm in and what rhythm I get into (or don't get into...!). I've had several periods of fairly intense insomnia, and that was no fun at all, to say the least. I would probably avoid, generally speaking, the person who says intense insomnia is fun.
I've tried to keep track of how I feel generally during each 'mode', and I feel the results have been pretty interesting.
I first experienced a mode of purposefully getting less sleep about 5 years ago. I was doing a 2 month yoga course in India, and we were starting at 05:30, so I think the most sleep I was getting was 6 hours, and the least 0 - 3 hours. I had a few bouts of insomnia during that time, but when I was sleeping consistently 4-6 hours, and having a nap in the afternoon, I noticed that my energy levels and my overall well-being had gone through the roof.
At the time, I put this mostly down to the amount of yoga I was doing, which was a lot (4 hours a day, 5 days a week). However, when I got back to Scotland, I noticed that even when I was doing consistently 1 - 2 hours of yoga 4/5 days a week, I generally felt at my peak in terms of positivity, energy levels and creative drive when I was getting LESS sleep at night (4 - 6 hours), rather than the seemingly ubiquitously prescribed 8 hours.
Obviously, different people are going to experience the same amount of sleep differently. But I think I can say for sure now, after a few years of experimenting, that I've felt at my best when getting 3 - 6 hours of sleep at night, and napping for 1 -2 hours in the late afternoon/early evening. And when I get into a habit of that, combined with the 1 - 2 hours of yoga, the difference in me in terms of energy levels, creativity and positivity, is nothing short of mind-blowing. The nap though, seems essential for me. Often, when I'm in this mode, but not all the time, I seem to go practically into shut-down in the late afternoon/early eavening, even when I've been feeling energetic up until then.
Once I'd established these facts for myself, I found I was still influenced by the 'medical wisdom' of the body generally needing 6-8 hours of sustained sleep per 24 hours to function properly, and I didn't seem able to completely trust my own findings.
Recently, having been intending, and then succeeding getting back into a mode of less sleep, more yoga, I've been reading Seth Speaks (Jane Roberts), and one chapter, called 'Sleep, Dreams, And Consciousness', seemed to fill in every blank, and much more, that my own experiments with amounts of sleep had left me with.
Seth is channeled material, to make that absolutely clear; I wanted my own experience prior to reading this to be the focus of the thread, and I think overall it is. I can totally understand severe skepticism towards any channeled material; I like to think that I'm using as much discernment as I can with whatever information I choose to pay attention to, and in that regard I don't see this type of material as being much different from any other, but I can really appreciate people's concerns with it. Anyway, a smallish snippet:
"Persons vary in the amount of sleep they need, and no pill will ever allow them to dispense with sleep entirely, for too much work is done in that state. However, this could be done far more effectively with two, rather than one, sleep periods, of lesser duration.
Two periods of three hours apiece would be quite sufficient for most people, if the proper suggestions were given before sleep - suggestions that would insure the body's complete recuperation. In many cases ten hours sleep, for example, is actually disadvantageous, resulting in a slugishness both of mind and body. In this case the spirit has simply been away from the body for too long a time, resulting in a loss of muscular flexibility.
As many light snacks would actually be much better than three large meals a day, so short naps rather than such an extended period would also be more effective. There would be other benefits. The conscious self would recall more of its dream adventures as a matter of course, and gradually these would be added to the totality of experience as the ego thinks of it.
As a result of more frequent, briefer sleep periods, there would also be higher peaks of conscious focus, and a more steady renewal of both physical and psychic activity. There would not be such a definite division between the various areas or levels of the self. A more economical use of energy would result, and also a more effective use of nutrients. Consciousness as you know it would also become more flexible and mobile".
Before reading this chapter, I had began to wonder, could the medical establishment's general prescription of 8 solid hours sleep, have a history of being promoted, purposefully, by our favorite power-hungry global elitists?
My own experiences have seemed to show me that too much sleep, consistently, (8-10 hours solid is my personal estimation of too much, for me) has generally left me feeling apathetic, uninspired, and lethargic. If that were true for most people, if not everyone, surely that would be something our elitist friends would be clamoring their little socks off to promote.
I remember hearing that Margaret Thatcher (infamous 'right-wing' UK prime-minister of the 1980's) survived on not more than 4 hours a night, and I seem to vaguely remember hearing similar things about Winston Churchil.
Obama: 4-6 hours. Clinton: 3-6 hours. Do they know something about sleep that 'the masses' don't?
Many Yogis I've read about, heard about, and at least one I've met, seemed to have thrived on about 4 hours, or less, a night. I don't know if they napped. Huge amounts of meditation probably negates the need.
Congratulations, you've got to the end of this rather long post. On an end note, the National Sleep Foundation, very sensibly, has this to say:
"Sleep needs vary across ages and are especially impacted by lifestyle and health. Thus, to determine how much sleep you need, it's important to assess not only where you fall on the "sleep needs spectrum," but also to examine what lifestyle factors are affecting the quality and quantity of your sleep such as work schedules and stress. To get the sleep you need, you must look at the big picture".
Laurence
I've been through many different patterns of sleep in my 'adult' life, and the total amount of time I sleep has varied considerably depending on what type of 'mode' I'm in and what rhythm I get into (or don't get into...!). I've had several periods of fairly intense insomnia, and that was no fun at all, to say the least. I would probably avoid, generally speaking, the person who says intense insomnia is fun.
I've tried to keep track of how I feel generally during each 'mode', and I feel the results have been pretty interesting.
I first experienced a mode of purposefully getting less sleep about 5 years ago. I was doing a 2 month yoga course in India, and we were starting at 05:30, so I think the most sleep I was getting was 6 hours, and the least 0 - 3 hours. I had a few bouts of insomnia during that time, but when I was sleeping consistently 4-6 hours, and having a nap in the afternoon, I noticed that my energy levels and my overall well-being had gone through the roof.
At the time, I put this mostly down to the amount of yoga I was doing, which was a lot (4 hours a day, 5 days a week). However, when I got back to Scotland, I noticed that even when I was doing consistently 1 - 2 hours of yoga 4/5 days a week, I generally felt at my peak in terms of positivity, energy levels and creative drive when I was getting LESS sleep at night (4 - 6 hours), rather than the seemingly ubiquitously prescribed 8 hours.
Obviously, different people are going to experience the same amount of sleep differently. But I think I can say for sure now, after a few years of experimenting, that I've felt at my best when getting 3 - 6 hours of sleep at night, and napping for 1 -2 hours in the late afternoon/early evening. And when I get into a habit of that, combined with the 1 - 2 hours of yoga, the difference in me in terms of energy levels, creativity and positivity, is nothing short of mind-blowing. The nap though, seems essential for me. Often, when I'm in this mode, but not all the time, I seem to go practically into shut-down in the late afternoon/early eavening, even when I've been feeling energetic up until then.
Once I'd established these facts for myself, I found I was still influenced by the 'medical wisdom' of the body generally needing 6-8 hours of sustained sleep per 24 hours to function properly, and I didn't seem able to completely trust my own findings.
Recently, having been intending, and then succeeding getting back into a mode of less sleep, more yoga, I've been reading Seth Speaks (Jane Roberts), and one chapter, called 'Sleep, Dreams, And Consciousness', seemed to fill in every blank, and much more, that my own experiments with amounts of sleep had left me with.
Seth is channeled material, to make that absolutely clear; I wanted my own experience prior to reading this to be the focus of the thread, and I think overall it is. I can totally understand severe skepticism towards any channeled material; I like to think that I'm using as much discernment as I can with whatever information I choose to pay attention to, and in that regard I don't see this type of material as being much different from any other, but I can really appreciate people's concerns with it. Anyway, a smallish snippet:
"Persons vary in the amount of sleep they need, and no pill will ever allow them to dispense with sleep entirely, for too much work is done in that state. However, this could be done far more effectively with two, rather than one, sleep periods, of lesser duration.
Two periods of three hours apiece would be quite sufficient for most people, if the proper suggestions were given before sleep - suggestions that would insure the body's complete recuperation. In many cases ten hours sleep, for example, is actually disadvantageous, resulting in a slugishness both of mind and body. In this case the spirit has simply been away from the body for too long a time, resulting in a loss of muscular flexibility.
As many light snacks would actually be much better than three large meals a day, so short naps rather than such an extended period would also be more effective. There would be other benefits. The conscious self would recall more of its dream adventures as a matter of course, and gradually these would be added to the totality of experience as the ego thinks of it.
As a result of more frequent, briefer sleep periods, there would also be higher peaks of conscious focus, and a more steady renewal of both physical and psychic activity. There would not be such a definite division between the various areas or levels of the self. A more economical use of energy would result, and also a more effective use of nutrients. Consciousness as you know it would also become more flexible and mobile".
Before reading this chapter, I had began to wonder, could the medical establishment's general prescription of 8 solid hours sleep, have a history of being promoted, purposefully, by our favorite power-hungry global elitists?
My own experiences have seemed to show me that too much sleep, consistently, (8-10 hours solid is my personal estimation of too much, for me) has generally left me feeling apathetic, uninspired, and lethargic. If that were true for most people, if not everyone, surely that would be something our elitist friends would be clamoring their little socks off to promote.
I remember hearing that Margaret Thatcher (infamous 'right-wing' UK prime-minister of the 1980's) survived on not more than 4 hours a night, and I seem to vaguely remember hearing similar things about Winston Churchil.
Obama: 4-6 hours. Clinton: 3-6 hours. Do they know something about sleep that 'the masses' don't?
Many Yogis I've read about, heard about, and at least one I've met, seemed to have thrived on about 4 hours, or less, a night. I don't know if they napped. Huge amounts of meditation probably negates the need.
Congratulations, you've got to the end of this rather long post. On an end note, the National Sleep Foundation, very sensibly, has this to say:
"Sleep needs vary across ages and are especially impacted by lifestyle and health. Thus, to determine how much sleep you need, it's important to assess not only where you fall on the "sleep needs spectrum," but also to examine what lifestyle factors are affecting the quality and quantity of your sleep such as work schedules and stress. To get the sleep you need, you must look at the big picture".
Laurence