SLEEP

Thursday, January 14, 2010
Meditation
The most active interferer with our sleep is stress. Not the stress a simple challenge brings that can bring us health, for this challenge can be a help to us. But the stress of worrying about the things where nothing is yet to be done. If there is something to be done, do it. If there is nothing that can be done, let it go.

This is often easier said than done. Meditation is the proven method to learning how to let go. Each gap in thought that we can embrace brings more peace to that moment. These moments begin to infuse themselves into our lives, if we but let them.

Meditate: every moment counts. Find a few moments every day. Find the gaps in between our thoughts, and simply sit with those empty spaces instead of the thoughts... just let the thoughts go. If they come, just let them go... find instead the void... and let the void grow.

From the void all things come, so only in the void does everything exist.
In the west we say that everything comes from somewhere; but in our teaching Everything comes from nothing. In the nothing there is potential for everything.

Friday, December 25, 2009
Quote by Edmund Vance Cooke
"Don't fight with the pillow, but lay down your head
And kick every worriment out of the bed" - Edmund Vance Cooke

Tuesday, December 15, 2009
"It is a common experience that a problem difficult at night is resolved in the morning after the committee of sleep has worked on it" - John Steinbeck

Tuesday, December 1, 2009
"May sleep envelop you as a bed sheet floating gently down, tickling your skin and removing every worry. Reminding you to consider only this moment" - Jeb Dickerson,

Friday, November 27, 2009
There are some herbs that have been reported to help us get to sleep: valerian, chamomile, lavender, hops, and passion-flower.

I use the chamomile...red chamomile with milk and honey are quite tasty.
The warm milk seems to help too.
The honey? probably doesn't help sleep;
but honey is a food with wonderful properties.
Though it is a sugar, so we should be careful how much.
But you don't need much, and I'm told honey never spoils?

Lavendar petals in a hot bath are very relaxing...

Have a good night sleep...

zzzz.....zzzzz....zzzzzz....zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz

Wednesday, November 25, 2009
Exercise and Sleep
I believe that exercise is important. Even a walk around the block can help us wind down and loosen us up.

In my uneducated opinion, we should begin the day with light stretching and work ourselves up into a fairly vigorous exercise routine, like lap swimming or running, to earn our breakfast.

Aerobic exercise is particularly good for sleep I think. To participate in an exercise routine during the day will help us sleep at night.

During the evening and night, I like Tai Chi, Yoga, and mediation.
These prepare us physically to loosen up, and also serve to reduce stress levels that might hamper our sleep.

Friday, November 13, 2009
James Allen Quote
The dreamers are the saviors of the world. James Allen

Wednesday, November 11, 2009
Breathing
The most basic element of our health, and therefore our sleep is breathing. Our Breathing should be complete. The breath should both expand our rib cage out, and move our diaphragm down. The in breath fills us completely...we are so full there is no room for anything else...naturally the air must leave...we allow it to go...slowly, slipping away. When we are completely empty a vacuum is created and naturally the air rushes in.

Practice this way of breathing consciously until it becomes unconscious, until we do it in our sleep.

Health
I think our general health effects our sleep. If we're carrying extra pounds, it's best to shed those. If we're not getting enough nutrition we'd better take a look at that too.

Sunday, November 8, 2009
quote from Dalai Lama on Sleep
"Sleep is the best meditation." - His Holiness, the Dalai Lama

Wednesday, October 28, 2009
eating before sleeping?
Obviously, if I don't recommend reliance on TV, Radio, or even books, I don't recommend reliance on alcohol either. Of course, we should avoid caffeine from coffee and chocolate and other stimulants too.

Sometimes a heavy meal can make us sleepy, but I don't think a heavy meal before bed is a good idea. Turkey, I've heard, has something in it that can make us drowsy...would a small slice work. Warm milk too seems to help some people. I like chamomile tea with a little milk and a dollop of honey, this seems to do the trick for me.

But if you eat before bed, eat light.

sleeping Habits
It's important to build sleeping habits. That's why the established time works so well. Slowly we get used to being in bed at that time, and eventually we get the idea it's time to sleep. The more successful the habit is, the more ingrained it becomes and the stronger it is. The less we follow it the less it works and the longer it takes to find what does. Some people go a whole life time without good sleep; but with good sleep habits, in time...we will sleep.

Other rituals work too. Even some like the TV, radio, or a book can work; But, as mentioned earlier, I think it's best to not rely on those; but again, if they work, they work. Maybe those can be done in the other room and you can slip into the bed? Those rituals are usually done as we fall asleep, and it's better to sleep in our bed. But some rituals can be done outside of the bed. Establish an order; ie...Write in our journal, drink a cup of warm milk, take a hot bath, brush and floss our teeth, meditate, turn down the covers...and slip into bed...lay our head on the pillow and sleep. Whatever you believe will work; but prepare well what you think will work and establish a pattern to follow.

Sleeping Environment
It's best to have soothing colors on the wall. Un-clutter the room. It would be best, in my opinion, to just have a comfortable bed, and only enough on the walls to make you feel cozy. Keep things simple, warm, and clean.

I know many of us like to listen to the radio or watch TV to put us to sleep. If it works for you, I guess it works. I suppose if there's no one with us, it helps us feel like we're not alone. But if it's not working anymore, try taking them out. The less electronics the better.

A book before bed is a habit many of us have too. It's better than the TV or radio. Again if it works, it works. But if it doesn't, see if you can just lay and wait for sleep to come. Even you have to wait, don't be anxious; this is the problem many of us have, is instead of laying there waiting to sleep we worry about the sleep we're not getting, this just makes it worse...If you're going to worry, and can't meditate...then maybe you have to try a soothing routine again...hot bath...reading the book. But this much I can tell you worrying won't put you to sleep, this is guaranteed. If you can meditate (any kind) lay there quiet and silent watching your breath go in and out...if you sleep, you sleep; if not, your meditation practice is getting well ingrained.

To fall asleep during meditation is not really meditation, as I learned it. But if we can't sleep, and it's time to sleep let's use it to get us there anyhow. We can learn other mediation methods that are 'real' later if we like.

Sleeping Schedule
I'm no doctor. so I suppose if we're really having trouble sleeping the Doctor could give us a prescription. But I don't care to take pills. Sleeping issues run in my family, but I sleep well almost all of the time. I think it's because I followed the stuff I'm going to write down for so long. But it does take time for the effects to be felt; 3 days, 3 months, even 3 years to take full effect. but if nothing is putting us to sleep yet, maybe these will give some life long sleeping habits.

Rule number one for me was to establish what my sleeping hours would be. Whatever we choose we need to stick with it, till it's established. I recommend 8 hours total with a combination of sleep and some from of meditation. 4 hours straight for sleep is a minimum...though I like 6 hours of sleep and two hours of meditation. The meditation can be done in one set of 2 hours or I like one hour as I awake and one hour before I sleep for most people; or 4 30 minute segments throughout the day is good too. Personally I now fall asleep too quickly to do the one before bedtime, so I do a morning set and then afternoon and/or evening set.

I now sleep from midnight to 6am; but I used to do 10pm to 4am; and 10:30 to 4:30. It depends on how you function best. If you're not into formal meditation, you can just lay in bed quiet and still...even if you do that for 8 hours without sleep, if you stick to the time schedule, you'll eventually go to sleep in there... just stick to the plan to build sleeping habits.