one of the most difficult skills i’ve ever learned is recognizing when i’m getting tired and need to sleep
when we’re not actively doing something else, the pattern of activity our brain settles into has been named “default mode network” by the experts
this is just a label. it just means the parts of the brain that are engaged when we’re in “default mode,“ which means not doing anything else
what is engaged in that mode is housekeeping. our mind wanders as we process outstanding things we haven’t had time to process yet. we’re making neural connections and resolving traumas. it’s really important stuff to do
honestly, it keeps up all night. at some point our consciousness is supposed to let go and we keep default mode-ing all through our sleep
our brain tissues do not have the same kind of access to our blood stream as most of the rest of our tissues. instead, our brain and spinal cord — that seems redundant — live in a fluid-filled sack of their own. the fluid they’re in is called simply “cerebral-spinal fluid”
what this means is that metabolic waste products from our brain cells don’t get to wash away in the blood stream. instead, all the chemical byproducts of cellular life build up in that cerebral-spinal fluid
when we sleep, what happens is our brain super-saturates with cerebral-spinal fluid. when we wake, all the excess fluid drains out through our lymphatic system
this is the slow pumping action that dilutes and flushes away brain cell metabolic waste
this is why good sleep is critical to keeping ourself functioning
our bodies have a natural rhythm they function on
studies of people in isolation have shown it’s not a strict 24-hour rhythm. nor is it necessarily 1-sleep and 1-wake per each day. not only do naps happen, there’s some evidence that naps are good for us
but the key takeaway is we do develop a rhythm
personally we’ve found the more we’re living with nature, the easier it is to aline our rhythm with the rising or falling of the sun. the more we live in a small haus with the curtains perpetually drawn, the more sporadic our rhythm becomes
the bigger risk here is weekends. if we have one set of rules for putting ourself to bed on work nights, and another for days off, we perpetually are scrambling our own rhythm
it’s pretty common for people who aren’t getting enough sleep to end up falling asleep when they practice meditation
what a powerful tool this can be
stretching comes in two forms:
(1) active, or yang-style, where we’re holding a powerful pose
(2) relaxing, or yin-style, where we’re sinking deeper into a passive pose
gentle stretching can help work tension out of the body. but if our goal is sleep, it makes sense to stick to more passive stretches
there’s an idea that our minds have only a few anchoring concepts that drive us: companionship, competition, creativity, and consuming
of these, consuming is the easiest, and ends up becoming habit and instinct
oh, we’re awake? we must be consuming something. if not food, or drink, then entertainment via our phone
the problem is this habit is bullshit. further, when it comes to sleep, the habit is full-on counter-productive
if the very instant we wake up we let ourself check messages, the very act of consuming wakes us up more. every single second we spend looking at a bright screen, letting our conscious mind focus in on problems and feels, that’s one more layer of relaxation that’s getting away
the only solution here is train ourself out of the habit
being awake does not mean we have to be consuming stories any more than it means we have to be writing them
it is possible to sit passively and rest
and perhaps even fall back to sleep
try meditation?
“10 down” is a mental pattern we can use for general relaxation. initially we invented the pattern as a technique to relax into flow arts. but it’s proven useful as our own personal sleep aid
the spell consists of counting down from 10. each step reminds us another part of ourself we need to relax. there are only 6 steps, meaning we run off the edge after 5. at that point we repeat again from 10
steps are:
this means make sure our arms and legs are comfortable. we’re not holding undue tension in any joint. check hands, elbows, shoulders, hips, knees, and feet
take a deep breath and let it out
here we check out chest and neck and face, relaxing anywhere we find tension
take another deep breath if desired
take one last deep breath then let go of controlling our breath
fear is the mind killer
fear is the little death that leads to total obliteration
i will face my fears and let them wash over
when my fears have passed, i will face their path
and find my fears have gone
only i remain
feelings are part of being alive
feelings need recognized
i face my feels and name them
• *[perhaps “anxiety”]*
on being seen each feeling settles
we are all us
repeated mantra: “that’s enough for now”
settle into being settled and let go the very words we’re using to settle
in time, we start again at 10