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Good sleep, good learning, good life (2012)

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Re: Good sleep, good learning, good life (2012)

#31

Post by weakfish »

sudosteph wrote: post #17

I think nearly everyone should be screened for sleep apnea. The at-home test you wear on your finger is so cheap - it doesn't make sense not to do it for anyone who has any issues with sleep or tiredness in the day. I always thought that due to being female and a healthy weight, it wasn't something I needed to think about. I also didn't think I snored more than anyone else, so it took me years of poor sleep before a…

My comment is more of a complaint than a discussion so apologies, but I was disappointed recently because I did at an at home test and scored borderline. I was hopeful that it would be sleep apnea so I could go about solving my bad sleep, but a lab test showed conclusively that I didn’t have it.

I got checked out initially because I mentioned to my sister that I didn’t recall the last time I’d woken up and felt refreshed all day, even with 8+ hours, and she said “…that’s not good, get that checked out.”

Back to the drawing board :(

Re: Good sleep, good learning, good life (2012)

#32

Post by ray_v »

CalRobert wrote: post #23
VanTodi wrote: post #18

Earlier quoted context omitted.

In my area there is a saying like "it takes a village to raise a child". i believe that a good social network is not only important for the kid, but for the parents too. it helps so much to have a partner, grandparents, aunts/uncles, who can look over the kid just for a hour or 2, so you can get your rest. And its usually fun for the kids too. Now that i have 2 kids, a loving wife and 2 families around me, i have the…

As immigrants with no local network, having kids is basically putting yourself under house arrest for a decade or so. You can post bail (pay a babysitter) for occasional reprieve. I mean sure you can go do outings with kids, but for most of them, do you really want to? I know mine aren't particularly enthralled by trips to the Rijksmuseum. I don't think this is how humans usually raised kids...

We're in the same boat. Feels like mostly our society doesn't value having children - it's by and large not a very well supported activity. Even more so if you don't have immediate family to help support you.

Re: Good sleep, good learning, good life (2012)

#33

Post by Unai »

LZ_Khan wrote: post #9

Is the author suggesting people to have to live with going through a phase of being nocturnal? In the free running algorithm, we're supposed to sleep 15 minutes later each day until we're falling asleep at like 9AM? That's just incompatible with modern life right?

I once tried an extreme version of this. I became single and I already didn't have a fixed work schedule, so other than societal convention there was no reason for me to adhere to any regular day-night cycle.

So I tried sleeping when I was really tired, waking up without an alarm, eating when I was hungry, etc. I ignored watches, daylight and society. For context, my internal days have always been much longer than 24 hours, often finding myself going to sleep at sunrise; so I thought this was gonna be great, not having to spend an hour awake in bed.

It was horrible. And I mean HORRIBLE. I became a zombie, even though I was sleeping more than ever. I felt deeply depressed within two days. I lost all concept of the passage of time, and could never tell how long ago something had happened. I couldn't think properly or comunicate with other people. It affected me physically too, my weight, my stomach.

The experiment didn't last long. But I couldn't tell you how long.

Re: Good sleep, good learning, good life (2012)

#35

Post by nsbk »

amunozo wrote: post #19

As a Spaniard I am trying to honor my ancestors and nap when I can, but man, it feels almost impossible most of the days. It could be that I am having too much anxiety/stress, too much coffee in the mornings, lack of practice, or maybe all of them. Any experiences related to learning to nap or what worked for you over here?

Fellow Spaniard here. Our ancestors were definitely onto something! I think the most important thing when it comes to napping is to show up: find a comfortable spot, use an eye mask, and set a timer for whatever time you have (I typically do something between 10 to 30 minutes). Just close your eyes and don’t open them until the alarm goes off.

I don’t always nap, but I make sure to do so if I haven’t had enough sleep or when I’m stressed or overworked. The more work I have, the more naps I take. Three back to back meetings? 15 minutes nap for your brain to organize and process the information dump. You get the gist. Doesn’t have to be after lunch, just a few minutes when you need/have them.

I used to do the Dali nap: find a comfortable spot, hold a spoon in your hand, and close your eyes. Once you fall asleep the spoon will fall from your hand and wake you up. That makes sure you go into hypnagogic state, great for problem solving as the brain is in a creativity sweet spot.

The technique I use now is not strictly a nap but a relaxation technique called NSDR: Non-Sleep Deep Rest. It’s kind of a guided meditation that deeply relaxes your body and nervous system. Just 10 minutes can feel as restorative as hours of sleep. You can check Andrew Huberman's scripts or Youtube videos for a more body-hacking, science-backed vive, or channels like are Ally Boothroyd's [0] for a more spiritual take on the concept, also known as Yoga Nidra.

I hope that helps. And best of luck with your napping, honor the ancestors!

[0] https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL19-3B-OVYoc1sdjBBKLB...

Re: Good sleep, good learning, good life (2012)

#36

Post by tariky »

sminchev wrote: post #11

How can I explain to my 6 months old girl that we all need to sleep :D This is a bug in the universe! We need to sleep so that the levels of dopamine, and hormones of hunger and not hunger are at good levels, so that we can be healthy and strong, so that the immune system is stable and strong... And we need to get good sleep so that we can protect our children and be sane.... BUT the nature decided that the kids will…

I can relate to this. Got two kids and I must say if someone told me that it will be this hard I wouldn't believe it.

Raising kids is the hardest and most fulfilling job.

Re: Good sleep, good learning, good life (2012)

#37

Post by isolli »

amunozo wrote: post #19

As a Spaniard I am trying to honor my ancestors and nap when I can, but man, it feels almost impossible most of the days. It could be that I am having too much anxiety/stress, too much coffee in the mornings, lack of practice, or maybe all of them. Any experiences related to learning to nap or what worked for you over here?

Set a timer for 20 minutes, lie down (or at least close your eyes) and force yourself to stay motionless until the timer rings. Try to let your thoughts float freely... Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't, but you should try at least a few times. (And yes, maybe limit yourself to just one coffee in the morning.)

Re: Good sleep, good learning, good life (2012)

#38

Post by mainmailman »

master-lincoln wrote: post #27
egormakarov wrote: post #10

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I mean, they sell alcohol in shops for money, and not force it on you in some government-mandated way. Which kinda tells that people in general like to drink.

> Which kinda tells that people in general like to drink. No, it just tells you there is enough demand for alcohol selling to be a profitable business, not that people in general like to drink.

There are bars everywhere

Re: Good sleep, good learning, good life (2012)

#39

Post by dr_dshiv »

Ifkaluva wrote: post #24
soco wrote: post #13

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The topic is drinking so they mentioned drinking, and usually people do what they like to do, and in other news water is wet - but do we judge water for being wet? So let's stop virtue signaling because it's definitely not a show of virtue. I see where religious fundamentalism is taking the world and damn if I like it.

I’m not religious at all, and it’s not religious fundamentalism to point out that alcohol disrupts sleep, and that this likely is the primary factor affecting the poster’s sleep. Also not religious fundamentalism to point out that alcohol is a known carcinogen (: that’s just science. It’s a Group 1 carcinogen, the same group as tobacco and asbestos.

Sunlight is a carcinogen

Re: Good sleep, good learning, good life (2012)

#40

Post by amunozo »

nsbk wrote: post #35
amunozo wrote: post #19

As a Spaniard I am trying to honor my ancestors and nap when I can, but man, it feels almost impossible most of the days. It could be that I am having too much anxiety/stress, too much coffee in the mornings, lack of practice, or maybe all of them. Any experiences related to learning to nap or what worked for you over here?

Fellow Spaniard here. Our ancestors were definitely onto something! I think the most important thing when it comes to napping is to show up: find a comfortable spot, use an eye mask, and set a timer for whatever time you have (I typically do something between 10 to 30 minutes). Just close your eyes and don’t open them until the alarm goes off. I don’t always nap, but I make sure to do so if I haven’t had enough sleep…

Thank you so much for your detailed answer! I definitely try to show up, but I am an anxious person and sometimes trying to nap makes me even more anxious. However, it is true that even when I don't manage to sleep it helps relaxing me and giving me some extra energy.

I've also read about NSDR and wanted to try it, so having some sources is really helpful. Do you always practice it with some guided meditation or can you do it on your own? I kind of not like guided meditation. (No reason, it's just that kind of feel wrong. Probably I should just open my mind and try it more.) Thank you so much!

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