tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2513019539869706574.post2349925985745539399..comments2024-03-28T22:10:04.089+08:00Comments on Monsters and Manuals: Dealing with InsomniaUnknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger13125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2513019539869706574.post-425966976683186802022-02-04T00:30:06.720+08:002022-02-04T00:30:06.720+08:00After mentioning what I now know is called "b...After mentioning what I now know is called "biphasic sleeping", this just popped up in one of the newsletters I subscribe to: https://edition.cnn.com/2022/01/09/health/sleep-history-wellness-scn/index.htmldansumptionhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06403248887250857638noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2513019539869706574.post-37012286070464267972022-01-27T16:43:11.611+08:002022-01-27T16:43:11.611+08:00I've had a short period of insomnia due to sit...I've had a short period of insomnia due to situational stress in the past, and what worked well for me - in addition to meditation, which is always good - was melatonin. It's completely natural (your body produces it anyway), and its effect is very subtle, but for me it's been just enough.emarskhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10733243569261035165noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2513019539869706574.post-47988621617033946162022-01-26T19:54:05.543+08:002022-01-26T19:54:05.543+08:00Ha! Like I say, the Sharpham one was wonderful, re...Ha! Like I say, the Sharpham one was wonderful, really boosted me and my practice. Of course, not *much* of it stuck, but I think that's as much down to me as the retreat - I'm still in touch with other folks who were on it, and some have managed to meditate every single day since. It has certainly expanded my sense of what's possible, and enabled to access that understanding from time-to-time.<br /><br />It's a long way from you, but beautiful part of the country (and the barn itself is on a hill overlooking a stunning bend in the River Dart. Also next door to a really special natural burial field that was set up by friends of mine).<br /><br />Details: https://www.sharphamtrust.org/mindfulness-retreats/the-barn-retreatdansumptionhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06403248887250857638noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2513019539869706574.post-3609508214829408622022-01-26T17:50:20.436+08:002022-01-26T17:50:20.436+08:00Yeah, I've never been very good at doing tasks...Yeah, I've never been very good at doing tasks "mindfully". It only seems to work if I deliberately set aside time twice a day. Maybe I need a retreat...noismshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09933436762608669966noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2513019539869706574.post-35154534779067871402022-01-26T17:49:25.105+08:002022-01-26T17:49:25.105+08:00Yes, we do sleep in cycles and actually wake up 3-...Yes, we do sleep in cycles and actually wake up 3-4 times each night and immediately go back to sleep. Problems only really happen when you *notice* you're awake and then can't get back to sleep again. noismshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09933436762608669966noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2513019539869706574.post-58445384847116364132022-01-26T17:48:31.236+08:002022-01-26T17:48:31.236+08:00Haha. I actually had trouble sleeping the night af...Haha. I actually had trouble sleeping the night after I wrote this too. Tempted fate!noismshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09933436762608669966noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2513019539869706574.post-67520098418298487862022-01-26T17:47:59.620+08:002022-01-26T17:47:59.620+08:00Yes, the idea that everybody needs to have 8 hours...Yes, the idea that everybody needs to have 8 hours sleep a night is, from what I've read, a myth. In truth some people need as much as 10 hours, while some need as little as 4. For me, the sweet spot is about 6.5 hours. If I'm regularly on about that much sleep, I wake up refreshed in the morning and when I go to bed I'm asleep the moment my head hits the pillow.noismshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09933436762608669966noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2513019539869706574.post-71936725177682439372022-01-25T20:33:07.981+08:002022-01-25T20:33:07.981+08:00Reading this right now after having one of my inso...Reading this right now after having one of my insomnia nights. I'll think about this.Joshhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11103061574208320331noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2513019539869706574.post-70400258938538517942022-01-25T19:29:18.813+08:002022-01-25T19:29:18.813+08:00On the subject of meditation, learning that "...On the subject of meditation, learning that "you will be distracted every second" was a massive game-changer for me. I've always suffered from the huge self-doubt, that "I'm not doing this properly". Despite decades of meditation and being told that "there is no wrong way" I still harboured thoughts that I ought to be able to focus for longer periods. It was only when, on a meditation retreat the week before COVID became A Thing, a very experienced meditator told me that they can still spend a half-hour meditation being distracted every second that I finally felt competent. Like you say, the important thing is to (eventually) recognise this and come back to the practice.<br /><br />Speaking of retreats, I really recommend them for anyone who is keen to meditate but doesn't have the confidence. Although not all retreats are equal: my first one was with Buddhists, who turned out to be the Wrong Kind of Buddhist. It was all a bit Christian, sitting in front of a huge gold statue and being told "oh Buddha, we are not worthy".<br /><br />The retreat I did in 2020 was a non-religious one at Sharpham Barn in Devon. It was really brilliant, not least because meditation was a relatively small part of the schedule. The real focus was on mindful gardening, cooking and housework. It's so easy to view mindfulness as just this thing that you do for 10 minutes a day. Bringing it into the rest of your life is so important, and again something that (while aware of) I really struggled with before that retreat.dansumptionhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06403248887250857638noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2513019539869706574.post-85621702407576266112022-01-25T17:33:51.647+08:002022-01-25T17:33:51.647+08:00Although I rarely suffer from problems getting off...Although I rarely suffer from problems getting off to sleep (though, like Lance, I've found it impossible to get any kind of routine) I often wake up in the night, and sometimes struggle to get back to sleep. The best cure I've found for it is to sit up in bed and read - reading makes my eyes sleepy at the best of times, and where my eyes go my body usually follows. I'm sure this won't work for everyone, but it's pretty much guaranteed in my case.<br /><br />I remember reading somewhere that this "break in sleeping" is quite natural, our sleep goes in cycles of, if I remember rightly, around 3 hours. Occasionally I will embrace this and get up and work for a bit - I find that I do some of my best work this way, although it's virtually impossible to drag myself out of a warm bed (though I've found that easier in the last couple of days, since listening to your interview with Dave, due to the excitement of potential).<br /><br />BTW one of my favourite words ever is "pernoctator", which I've used for a photography project and book. As I said above, I think it's probably natural for us to pernoctate)dansumptionhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06403248887250857638noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2513019539869706574.post-41415202391589509982022-01-25T13:52:51.809+08:002022-01-25T13:52:51.809+08:005 50 am: This is all YOUR fault. Seriously though...5 50 am: This is all YOUR fault. Seriously though, kind and thoughtful information, much appreciated. <br /><br />...<br /><br />*looks at time*<br /><br />THIS IS ALL YOUR FAULT!Nickhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10092002529591261902noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2513019539869706574.post-5715533804578741152022-01-25T10:44:08.255+08:002022-01-25T10:44:08.255+08:00I appreciate you putting this out there. I’ve neve...I appreciate you putting this out there. I’ve never had chronic insomnia, but if I ever do I’ll reach back to this postHer Christmas Knighthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09445850026904816000noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2513019539869706574.post-12585429626332864642022-01-25T07:14:35.680+08:002022-01-25T07:14:35.680+08:00Interesting post.
I'm a weird case, I definit...Interesting post.<br /><br />I'm a weird case, I definitely wouldn't calluses an insomniac, but I do have a hard time setting a "schedule." Naturally(when I don't have work or school or some reason to wake up at a specific time) I don't get tired(and want to go to sleep) until I've been awake at least 18 hours, and sleep for 10ish hours. You'll notice that's much longer than 24 hours, so I kinda go through cycles of being out of sync or in sync with the rest of world. If I have work or something(working from home doesn't create the same kind of pressure as normal) I can wake up at the same time every day, but not necessarily go to bed at the same time, I'll end up sleeping anywhere from 3 to 11 hours a night. I also like to enjoy naps, so sometimes I'll take a nap immediately after work, but then stay up half the night, getting in a few hours of sleep in the morning. I actually like this last one the most where I sleep for a few hours, be awake and then sleep again, I can just never get it on a steady schedule. All of this is somewhat irrelevant to me though because I can make myself fall asleep in 5 minutes if I want to, no matter how tired I am(the key word there is want, lol).Lance Duncanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13817319325489613672noreply@blogger.com