Sleeping / Napping Too Much = No Killer Instinct?

PeatThemAll

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Oct 3, 2015
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Had one of these go-to-bed-at-8-after-a-big-meal then woke up around 1AM and then 2 hour on/off sleep blocks.

Although feeling like s*** today, I noticed that my (ego?) resistance to do stuff I don't like was almost inexistent, and my focus on the task at hand was also increased.

Makes me wonder if I might be sleeping/napping too much? Not willing to go the Everyman / Überman way though (finals).

Have you had any long-term success experimenting with shorter sleep schedules?
 

snowboard111

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Dec 13, 2015
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I don't see any problems with sleeping 7-8 hours per night... anything over that seem a little too much (or maybe it's a clue for something else) ??? If you're sick, that's another thing, obviously
As far as napping, you have to know whether you're napping because you're tired, bored or just enjoy it :D

IMO, there's nothing great that come with shorter sleep schedules (less than 6h)... From the age of 15 to 25, I was sleeping at most 6h and I can tell you that at 21, I was beat up.
I've studied/work around people who we're having the same kind of sleep schedule and in retrospect most of them we're probably not "healthy"...
There's a whole cultures of sleeping less -> accomplishing more -> productivity -> and blablabla. And you have those "sleep hacker" that just nap and never sleep...
It's all crap...

I haven't look but I think it's kind of obvious that when the body is asleep it's probably use energy for many things that don't happen when you're awake/moving/reasoning/interacting...
Dreaming is probably energy dependent but what about repairing itself also since it's might have a sort of surplus of energy...

Anyway... I am no sleep expert but I don't see any kind of biological advantage with short sleep
 
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PeatThemAll

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Oct 3, 2015
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Currently testing the drug-free insomnia recommendations (CBT via stimulus control, sleep restriction, and meditation/thought reprogramming). Started a sleep log. 16.5 hours awake without naps makes for a loooooooong day. But the close 3.5 + 4 hour sleeping blocks, separated by less than 20 minutes between them (TMI: bathroom break) were worth it. Dreamt a lot. Haven't felt this good upon waking up in a long, long time.
 

Rahmon

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May 4, 2016
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Sleep can be very complex and the solutions to insomnia even more. Sleep should be restorative. One should be able to go to bed and wake up the next day feeling good. It takes some people 8 hours, and other less. Some don't feel quite right unless they have a bit more. We are all different and with that so is the solution. Whatever you do, then gauge it's success on how you feel in the long term. You might find short term benefits but doing it in the longer term might have its drawbacks. I myself need at least 7 hours and if I fall short ...say 6 hours each day, I'll gradually get more and more tired. However that was over a decade ago before I started having Chronic insomnia, and now its been a difficult ride to find a solution.
 

x-ray peat

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Dec 8, 2016
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I am a big fan of Inclined Bed Therapy.
Home - Inclined Bed Therapy (IBT) - Restore & Support Your Health For Free - Gravity, Circulation - InclinedBedTherapy.com
Inclined Bed Therapy: Tilt your bed for healthful sleep - Health Supreme

Basically you just raise the back legs of the bed by 6 inches. I think my sleep has improved but there are a ton of other benefits that you supposedly get. It takes a bit to get used to but once you do you don't notice it.

Ray Peat on Inclined bed therapy
"It seems biologically reasonable. I think migraines involve excess cholinergic activity, related to the “learned helplessnes” physiology, and that slight tilt would tend to keep the balance of the autonomic nervous system from shifting too far in that “demobilized” direction." Ray Peat


 

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