02-02-2014, 06:20 AM
Nice block of information, monkeybread, thank you. One thing to add about the one size fits all time schedule - this actually is a huge problem concerning pupils, as they are not only less productive at school, but it actually is damaging to their health to be forced in a (for them) unnatural sleep schedule.
meat, if done right, that 20 minute nap (or 15 or 25, whatever works) should leave you completely fresh & awake without disturbing the ability to fall asleep at night due to the short amount of time. And not as dead as after a 2 hour nap in the evening. About the "not eating/drinking before going to bed" thing - I'm pretty sure it doesn't include water (or sugarless tea), as those liquids pass through you pretty fast. Staying hydrated is important (I even wake up at night if I didn't drink enough before). Whiskey for most people isn't as good, despite making you tired, the following sleep is not as rejuvating since your body has to work getting the poison out of your system. Eating meat (haha :P) actually should be fine, in normal quantities obviously, as the body needs protein to rejuvenate, especially after exercising... carbs, not so much (as you said).
monkeybread, you mentioned exercise ... any advice about when is the best time to do that? I have the problem that I just can't exercise in the morning because I get dizzy and perform very badly, but if I do it in the afternoon, I have a hard time falling asleep later. Would be really cool if I could work out early in the morning and be refreshed for the whole day (also for the feeling of accomplishment), but that just seems not to work for me (not sure if that can be practiced).
As for falling asleep, in addition to meditation, writing a (quick) journal entry can help too, to make the brain slow down a bit and put certain things out of the brain. This actually made me realize that when my brain is very frantic, it can pursue several trains of thought simultaneously (while writing), no wonder that this makes falling asleep hard. I wonder why this only happens in the evening/night, while I don't have problems sleeping at daytime (which I obviously try not to do).
meat, if done right, that 20 minute nap (or 15 or 25, whatever works) should leave you completely fresh & awake without disturbing the ability to fall asleep at night due to the short amount of time. And not as dead as after a 2 hour nap in the evening. About the "not eating/drinking before going to bed" thing - I'm pretty sure it doesn't include water (or sugarless tea), as those liquids pass through you pretty fast. Staying hydrated is important (I even wake up at night if I didn't drink enough before). Whiskey for most people isn't as good, despite making you tired, the following sleep is not as rejuvating since your body has to work getting the poison out of your system. Eating meat (haha :P) actually should be fine, in normal quantities obviously, as the body needs protein to rejuvenate, especially after exercising... carbs, not so much (as you said).
monkeybread, you mentioned exercise ... any advice about when is the best time to do that? I have the problem that I just can't exercise in the morning because I get dizzy and perform very badly, but if I do it in the afternoon, I have a hard time falling asleep later. Would be really cool if I could work out early in the morning and be refreshed for the whole day (also for the feeling of accomplishment), but that just seems not to work for me (not sure if that can be practiced).
As for falling asleep, in addition to meditation, writing a (quick) journal entry can help too, to make the brain slow down a bit and put certain things out of the brain. This actually made me realize that when my brain is very frantic, it can pursue several trains of thought simultaneously (while writing), no wonder that this makes falling asleep hard. I wonder why this only happens in the evening/night, while I don't have problems sleeping at daytime (which I obviously try not to do).