Reply to topic  [ 6 posts ] 
How Much Sleep Do You Need 
Author Message

Joined: Wed May 04, 2011 5:40 pm
Posts: 2156
Reply with quote
Post How Much Sleep Do You Need
In my experience, you can have the best diet in the world, have the best exercise program and be free from emotional stress, but if you aren't sleeping well, for whatever reason, it is virtually impossible to be healthy.

But how much sleep do you need for optimal health?

In this interview, Dr. Rubin Naimani -- a clinical psychologist, author, teacher, and the leader in integrative medicine approaches to sleep and dreams—sheds light on this question. [Read more...]


_________________
Think twice before you speak, especially if you intend to say what you think.

QRK: QifUSqn6ygXK61pEkm2g4iBY9ZcLw4g4su
FCK: FettxKyQVhsSURZt1XQxUTypwxEeBbTgUQ

Please visit http://forum.qrk.cc/ for all things Crypto!


Mon Apr 16, 2012 3:59 am
Profile
User avatar

Joined: Wed Apr 11, 2012 4:45 pm
Posts: 252
Location: South of the Equator
Reply with quote
Post Re: How Much Sleep Do You Need
andywight wrote:
But how much sleep do you need for optimal health?


More than I'm getting. :(


Mon Apr 16, 2012 8:24 am
Profile

Joined: Fri Apr 06, 2012 2:36 pm
Posts: 319
Reply with quote
Post Re: How Much Sleep Do You Need
I totally agree. Years ago I had a traumatic event which coincided with studying for my finals. I got about 30 mins - 2 hours sleep per night for around 3 months. The stress of it totally wiped me out nutritionally and had one health problem after another, I still don't feel 100% since. I'm convinced it was the missing sleep more than anything else that caused the health problems. So, I found all these things helpful:

Supplements to promote sleep:

Magnesium - try 200-400mg before beddy byes

Valerian - 450-900mg before beddy byes. Valerian is natural herb and sooths nerves and is a muscle relaxant - it acts at the GABA receptor level.

5 htp & B6 together - 50-150mg and 50-150mg. Promotes deep restful sleep, will give you trippy dreams too. They are both precursers to serotonin.

A small amount of the amino acid - methionine - 200mg will also promote sleep, especially in those who suffer with chronic fatigue and other possbile methylation problems. This should be balanced though with B5 B12 and folic acid, as if not, homocysteine levels will get too high. However, at 200mg once I day for a month shouldn’t have too much of an effect at the methylation level.

Kava Kava is also supposed to be effective but never tried it and it has liver toxicity issues.

Gotu Kola - 30 drops in some water/juice before bed. A little powerhouse of a herb and aids in clearing your mind and is useful to aid meditation.

Environment:

If noisy use earplugs or if you can't stand those in your ears try whitenoise. You can generate this yourself by downloading audacity (free audio program) and then on the generate tab select whitenoise and how long you want to generate it for - you can vary the frequency of it to your liking. You can then export into mp3. This immediately calms me, like the noise of a hoover (as long as it's not me hoovering!).

Ritualistic behaviour - eating before bed, doing certain things because you are anxious about sleeping will only make it worse. Change your habits. Get rid of the clock. Stop looking at it. The more you look at it the more you keep yourself awake. Most people underestimate the amount of sleep they get, as they dream about not sleeping and cannot determine it from reality.

Computer before bed is a no no.

No caffeine after 2pm. Try to have decaf.

Self Hypnosis:

Deep breaths through your left nostril. Block the right nostril with your thumb pressing against your nose. In through left nostril feel your stomach expanding and your chest and shoulders rising out exhale through mouth.

PMR - relax every muscle in your body from the top of your head to the tips of your toes. Do this by suggesting that your eye muscles are heavy…and….release any tension….repeat all the way down or tense your muscles, for example, squeeze your fist for count of ten and release and work your way down your body.

When you are in bed at night and you can't switch your mind off it is likely because your inner voice is too fast and manic. Consciously slow…….your………inner………voice………way down now…….way……………down………………….now……imagine your voice is cool and blue and tumbles downwards very very slowly.

Reassure yourself that you are safe. Don't tell yourself you are safe as your subconscious mind usually shouts bullshit…"I feel safe. Repeat.

I worry… less and less and less - repeat.

Try to induce hypnogogia by raising your eyes up and inwards to look at the pineal gland or point between your eyes…imagine some sort of fantasy - a sexual one is usually relaxing but may also stimulate! So try something soothing - create a beach paradise or your own utopian world but theme has to be calm and tranquility - don't start philosophising! An elevator going downwards and with each step you go down you feel ten times more deeply relaxed, do this in your slow……………..hyp----not---ic voice.

Imagine a box, feel it, hold it in your hands. Imagine all your worries, doubts, recurring thoughs entering the box for you to deal with at a later stage but not now.

Toss and Turn effect

This occurs because of sleep paralysis. Your body is trying to find out whether you are nearing sleep and sends your body a signal to move or roll over…..if you are sufficiently relaxed you will barely notice this signal and not respond. Your body will take this as you are ready to sleep and so can safely switch on sleep paralysis. If you keep moving, your body thinks you want to be awake and so will not paralyse the muscles. Resist the urge to continously move. However, if pressure is too much then obviously move but keep it too a minimum.

Induce yawning.


Mon Apr 16, 2012 10:50 am
Profile

Joined: Tue Feb 28, 2012 3:53 am
Posts: 313
Reply with quote
Post Re: How Much Sleep Do You Need
Supplements to help dsimon sleep:

a) take the family on a vacation leaving dsimon behind.

b) for exactly one week let all the property managers, real estate agents, banks and contractors do 1/2 of what they are supposed to.....1/2.

c) Mrs Simon will let mr Simon have any reclining chair he desires, no matter how hideous looking because mr Simon due to crushing his hip in an accident needs to sleep in a reclining position and needs a big ugly "manchair" to really sleep comfortably.

:cry:

Anybody can tell by my posting behavoir how much I sleep a night....about 3 hours.


Mon Apr 16, 2012 4:39 pm
Profile
User avatar

Joined: Thu Apr 05, 2012 11:41 pm
Posts: 565
Reply with quote
Post Re: How Much Sleep Do You Need
Thanks non-g.

Mr Simon, that sounds painful. Sorry to hear it. BTW, your posting style is Ok by me.

_________________
Image


Mon Apr 16, 2012 4:57 pm
Profile

Joined: Fri Apr 06, 2012 2:36 pm
Posts: 319
Reply with quote
Post Re: How Much Sleep Do You Need
No worries!

Ooh DSimon, you poor bugger you.

MSM is good at getting rid of inflammation and aches and pains and because it is a natural anti histamine, aids sleep too.


Tue Apr 17, 2012 11:01 am
Profile
Display posts from previous:  Sort by  
Reply to topic   [ 6 posts ] 

Who is online

Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 3 guests


You cannot post new topics in this forum
You cannot reply to topics in this forum
You cannot edit your posts in this forum
You cannot delete your posts in this forum
You cannot post attachments in this forum

Search for:
Jump to:  
cron
Powered by phpBB © 2000, 2002, 2005, 2007 phpBB Group.
Designed by STSoftware.