Help! need a technique to guide me into sleep.

[Korpo]

I used to need vast amounts of sleep as a teenager, when I was also having a lot of emotional turmoil. Sleep can level out the effects of stress, or at least help. If your nervous system is more prone to stress like mine is, it can be that you require extra sleep. Some people are simply born with different sleep needs.

I get sore eyes on waking when I slept too little. I also do not feel too well if I sleep like 10 or 12 hrs, then I actually feel less rested than after 8 hrs. In sleep you also move your eyes rapidly during REM sleep - if you have many dream phases you have more of these phases. If your eye muscles are tense or nearly strained, this might explain why your eyes are sore upon waking up.

I like CF's suggestion, it's splendid advice if you can pull it off.

I wish you a good night's sleep!

Oliver

[CFTraveler]

That's a good question; I'm a 'deep thinker' myself and I go from needing 12 hours to having times when I'm not sleeping at all. But it's somewhat seasonal or cyclic.

[al.luciddreamer]

These messages have actually answered a very important question for me, too -- and the question was why was I becoming more and more *awake* the longer I meditated?

I think because so many times meditation had led to sleep, I assumed that it always would. But lately it has been a LOUSY way to fall asleep! The longer I meditate, the more energized I feel.

Reading a boring book has been a much better way of inducing sleep lately. I think I'm going to move my meditation time to the daytime. I wonder if it could actually replace caffeine?!

[Akorah]

YES THATS IT! LONG REM STAGE! ahh thankyou.

I used a sleeping pill last night because I didn't want to risk trying to get to sleep without it.. I think I will continue taking them until i have sorted everything else out first like the pre-sleep ritual and waking up earlier. I tried to wake up earlier today but when my alarm went off I was still too tired and hit the snooze button several times then turned it off altogether thinking "f*ck it". When I woke up later (naturally from the very last dream) my eyes were once again really sore. I wrote down the dream I had and its no surprise now.. the dream I had was a very long dream that took many different turns so yeah now i know why

will have to try those pills someone mentioned for the eyes that sounds like a good idea.. my eyes must be going crazy during REM.

[Korpo]

The longer I meditate, the more energized I feel. [...]

I wonder if it could actually replace caffeine?!

Meditation is like cleaning up the mind, making space for new inputs, removing stress, and in the long term also healing. I used to meditate during lunch breaks in the spring/summer 2006 and it helped me feel more relaxed, eased stress and helped in general. I did 10-20 minutes outside in the sun.

It is surely more helpful in the long run than caffeine, but also enough sleep is important - neither meditation nor caffeine simply replace that.

Oliver