Sleeping Patterns Are Governed by Light

re: Sleeping Patterns Are Governed by Light

prune unit — Mon, 26 May 2008 23:04:21 GMT

There is a difference between lack of sleep and extremely erratic sleeping patterns.

re: Sleeping Patterns Are Governed by Light

melchior — Mon, 26 May 2008 14:39:07 GMT

As someone pointed out earlier, "Cavemen" probably didn't sleep in caves. Therefore they probably never slept in total darkness. T. S. Wiley's science is further questioned on www.wileywatch.com I strongly suggest that you check it out. Also, it seems that on this sight, sleep recommendations have fluctuated from 5hrs to 10hrs or more over the past several months.

re: Sleeping Patterns Are Governed by Light

Rachelsmename — Sun, 25 May 2008 02:56:59 GMT

Instead of eliminating all of the light from the bedroom at night, why could we not remedy the problem by simply wearing a sleeping mask?

re: Sleeping Patterns Are Governed by Light

ukbelle — Thu, 22 May 2008 14:29:20 GMT

If you are sleeping in a completely dark room, with windows covered by blackout drapes - how do you know when it is morning?

How does the light come in, in the morning, to stimulate your eyes,etc and wake you up?!?

re: Sleeping Patterns Are Governed by Light

Gabriele Remers — Thu, 22 May 2008 12:50:20 GMT

I also have trouble sleeping but I am wondering I think part of it could be not just light pollution but noice pollution. Now that spring is here I find it harder to sleep we open window for fresh air but we also hear the traffic in the distance. This can't be good for us!!

re: Sleeping Patterns Are Governed by Light

urchin — Thu, 22 May 2008 06:32:22 GMT

Did you hear the one about the dyslexic agnostic with insomnia?

He used to lay awake at night wondering if there really was a dog!

lol

re: Sleeping Patterns Are Governed by Light

urchin — Thu, 22 May 2008 04:59:26 GMT

After reading most of the responses here it is very clear that some believe that their way of curing insomnia is the only way. It is also apparent that there are people suffering serious sleep problems that some people don't quite 'get'. It's difficult to put yourself into someone else's suffering unless you have experience the same trouble and have the same emotional mechanism or reaction to sleep problems as others do.

In my posts I mentioned only a few of the things I have tried to cure, help, heal, change, stop the insomnia I suffer from. Believe me please when I say I've tried everything except accupuncture and now I am trying to find a really good physician who is knowledgeable about sleep disorders, hormone imbalances, etc in accupuncture....but they are not easy to find!

So far here is what the responses on this forum have suggested to anyone and all who are having sleep problems: water therapy (drink more water), HRT (or bio-identical hormone replacement therapy), progesterone cream from John Lee's website, sleep masks, standing barefooted on the Earth, changing your lifestyle, relaxation techniques, sleeping in dark rooms, audio tapes, exercise and diet, no sugar diets, light boxes, candles, full spectrum light bulbs, earplugs----no noise, shutting off all electricity or unplugging all devices, melatonin, sex, Vitamin B complex, Magnesium oil transdermal through the feet, hypnotherapy, block-out-light window shades, Lunaception: sleep in total darkness all month except when there is a full moon, change the way you think, prayer, meditation, 5 Htp (also can cause depression in those predisposed to depression btw and should not be taken with anti-depressants), .........did I leave anything out? sorry if I did.

What this indicates to me is that each one of us is different and that there is no one way of curing sleep problems. Sleep disorders range from mild to moderate to dysfunctioning to severe. It is a holistic human ailment.

re: Sleeping Patterns Are Governed by Light

DEBBDEBB — Wed, 21 May 2008 18:36:38 GMT

Seems like an easy solution would be a sleep mask. Problem solved. Yes????

re: Sleeping Patterns Are Governed by Light

carley44 — Wed, 21 May 2008 16:51:12 GMT

When you think about it- man was NEVER meant to have any kind of artificial light. As a child living in very small town america, we had total darkness, lots of woods and very little electric light. We could still see the stars back then. That was our light at night or the moon. I sleep in total darkness and no electric anything on next to me. I have no trouble sleeping at all.

re: Sleeping Patterns Are Governed by Light

richmorr — Wed, 21 May 2008 14:11:55 GMT

There is a lot of interest in this topic. Dr. M. is right: it matters a lot. My wife and I have only recovered our health after we returned to good deep sleep at night. Here is a viewpoint that might help someone. Your responses to light when you sleep are - within limits, of course - governed by the habit of your body. The body is defined by its habits. The wide variety of habits reported here suggest that we can change them. Sometimes it would really benefit us if we could speak to the body and say, "Body, could we modify our sensitivity-to-light habit so we could get better sleep?" As I understand it, when the body evaluates a habit, it looks for an emotion that is aroused by (electrically connected to) that habit. I have found geometric figures very helpful in re-defining my emotions in healthy ways. I remember my mother, late in life, used to get a lot of satisfaction from knitting. There was something about the geometry and the hand movement that left her emotionally quieter and helped her sleep. I am sure that activity prolonged her life.

re: Sleeping Patterns Are Governed by Light

greentiger — Wed, 21 May 2008 13:05:47 GMT

Cloth sleep masks work great to block out light at night.

re: Sleeping Patterns Are Governed by Light

Laurie Bluth — Wed, 21 May 2008 12:57:24 GMT

I have had multiple positions with many shifts and being on call - which have really messed up my sleep. I did find some time ago that total dark really helped. I also know that stress has a significant effect. I have used several stress reducing technics, including ones promoted by Dr. M, which have helped as well.

The questions are interesting - those who ask how can you find the bathroom in total darkness - let your instincts take over! Sight challenged folks find the way with no problem - so can you. I taught myself to make it all through any house in which I have lived in total black (closed my eyes). It is very handy when the power goes out! Turning on a flashlight is the same as turning on a light - don't do it.

re: Sleeping Patterns Are Governed by Light

Daisy Navidson — Wed, 21 May 2008 07:32:32 GMT

For whatever reason, complete darkness makes me wide awake and dim lighting makes me sleepy. I know that's not the norm, but it may have something to do with the fact that I have delayed sleep phase syndrome (DSPS). The best way to describe my DSPS is that my energy increases tremendously as the evening approaches -- no matter how much or how little sleep I had the previous night (or day), and no matter what time I wake up on any given day. Then shortly before sunrise (when the sky has just barely started to become lighter), I suddenly become very sleepy and am able to fall asleep quickly and maintain a very deep, restful, uninterrupted sleep for the next eight hours or longer. Although the DSPS hasn't caused my health to suffer at all (I'm now in my late 40's, have never had an illness, and have effortlessly maintained an ideal BMI), it has limited me to working on the second shift for most of my life so far. (I'm able to work on the third shift as well, but extreme sleepiness often sets in very suddenly between 4 and 5 am -- depending on the time of year.)

Anyway, back to the lighting issue... Whenever I want to fall asleep at a "decent hour" like midnight -- I leave a lamp on (with a 40 watt soft white bulb) and place a little turbo fan (set to low speed) on my bedside stand. I know that seems counterintuitive to the majority of people who need complete darkness and complete silence to sleep, but the combination of dim lighting and white noise will induce sleepiness in me -- that is, as long as I don't try to force myself to go to sleep when my energy level is still too high (before midnight). I don't know WHY it works, I just know THAT it works.

re: Sleeping Patterns Are Governed by Light

wiccy — Wed, 21 May 2008 03:32:19 GMT

There were a couple of comments about actually feeling more awake at night and being able to sleep easier during the day. I have always felt this. My body starts to feel more active at night. About 2 or 3 hours after dinner. In the day time I can fall asleep at the drop of a hat. It is almost comforting. Why is this? Is there some sort of reason for this? Is there anyone else like this?

re: Sleeping Patterns Are Governed by Light

webwitch6 — Wed, 21 May 2008 03:27:03 GMT

I have had insomnia since I was around 8 years old. I have tried everything, black out drapes, towels on the floor, no clocks, no lights, no TV, back to TV to fall asleep, a tiny nightlight, pets in the bedroom, no pets in the bedroom, hubby in the bed, two twin beds, and hubby down the hall. I dont eat late at night, I have a cup of decaf tea at night. I work at home right now, but I have had graveyard shift jobs, 9to 5ers and everything in between. I am pretty sure I was made not to have to sleep like everyone else. (I am hardly ever tired either) When the occasion arises that I actually do sleep-it is for 8 or 9 hours, after falling asleep by 6 a.m. and I feel like absolute crap when I awaken.

So I decided not to sweat it. I dont fight it anymore, when I am sleepy, whether it is 9 pm or 6 am, I turn in for a couple of hours.

I cant subscribe to the "oh my GAWD! I must be sick!!" theory about everything since I have always been a weird one!