Ramblings 11: Sleep

Sleep is a wonderful invention.

It just happens to be a bit inconvenient at times. Like take right now for instance. For some reason I can barely keep my eyes open. It's not even dark outside. I had a full nights sleep but still my eyes are sagging and my head just keeps knodding off to sleep.

I am losing time people!

So I decided to blog about and see if it helps me wake up a bit.

And why is it when you are absolutely dead tired, and just get your head on the pillow that you can't sleep at all?

What special qualities are required that you can just fall instantly asleep? Well I know you can train for it. But why is it sometimes after say 24hours awake that you can't get to sleep the instant you lie down?

And others when you feel awake you can just close your eyes and fly off to the magical land of rainbows and dancing bunnies?

Okay, I don't dream about that but I think it's a funny picture.

Frankly I don't think we should attempt to regulate sleep. I recall a study in which they put people into a room with no clocks or windows. Or any method of telling what time it was. They found after a few days that people naturally take one longer rest and a nap or two. Naps usually took place after eatting.

Did you know you can burn all your calories sleeping, if you are at your optimum weight? That is if you sleep well.

And did you know drinking alcohol reduced the length and number of REM cycles? That means you don't process the information of the previous day.

Also having less REM cycles than natural leaves a person sleepy and feeling unrested.

You can even train and acquire new skills in dreams?

Hm, I think this is helping me wake up a little.