Insomnia is the mind telling the person that they have unresolved issues that they not deal with during the day. Insomnia is like a warning system for the mind.
Agree, I have bouts of insomnia during stressful periods. I think and think about a problem in my life until I find a resolution, helps to write it down, then I can sleep.
Yes the insomnia causes a lot of problems, but what caused the insomnia? I think that's his point. Insomnia to begin with is the unconscious busting through and keeping you awake. If you actually deal with those deep feelings on a deep cathartic level, you will mostly sleep like a baby. @@instagib5085
Instead of jumping on the computer every night for like three hours and then not wanting to go to bed because whatever I was doing was so dissociative and pleasurable, I've started just flopping into bed as soon as I get home and it definitely has had a huge impact on my mental stability during the day.
Ty for this. I do the same and pick my head for hours doing nothing but that. I avoid my bed cuz I’m scared to associate it with insomnia so i wait till im absolutely collapsed. i was thinking about making a rule that i should sleep before the next day starts. i usually go home and attempt to study but i cant ever. ty for giving the world your minute experience. it truly means the world to me.
An hour walk in nature everyday, magnesium ( good for the nervous system) , a dark room with no lights and a cup of warm raw milk at night , Cured me of 30 yrs of chronic insomnia. I forgot what a good nights sleep was. A lack of sleep was killing me mentally and physically. All due to life long chronic stress due to trauma. Stress is a killer. And a poor diet and lack of minerals in our diets disrupts sleep. If your overworked and stressed, the cortisol in your body is out of sync , therefore disrupting your cicardian rythom.
I've too had issues with insomnia and lack of quality sleep for the past few years. Luckily I've been able to overcome all sleep relates issues. The turning point for me has been the intake of fruits. The day I started eat fruits I started getting good sleep. Also, during the day I try to meditate for a few minutes every hour so that the nervous system is not in an overdrive when it's evening time. Very important to meditate before sleeping as well. Your last thoughts will lead you to your destination...
15:00 "The conscious part of me has a responsibility to set up my life so that I can sleep well" That is the whole purpose of life right there! :] Of course there are a lot of intrincacies to it, but I love that quote.
As a fellow constant-traveller I can relate to the struggle. Similar to your other tips, I found that the best way to fight jet lag is by scheduling flights where I can stay awake the whole time to then fall asleep immediately after landing. For example, when flying to China, I leave Los Angeles in the afternoon, which then has me landing 14 hours later in China (around 7pm China time). By the time I get to the hotel, I've already been awake for 20hrs so I fall asleep with no problem and my internal clock adjusts rather quickly.
From the time i went to school i couldnt Fall asleep forever. I felt totally awake but also bothered because i couldnt sleep i was Sweating and worrying. When i finally Fell asleep i offen had nightmares of death and war. Usually it took a lot of dedication to wake me up in the morning. It got worse over time and of course i ve always been tired in school. So when i was 17 i smoked weed for the first time. After some experience i realised that it helps me sleep. It was such a relief. I would smoke befor bedtime go to bed Fall asleep and sleep peacefully. Now i am 30 just quit smoking weed and since i have the same struggle sleeping. I dont feel like smoking again but i need to solve this.
Im a night owl and ever since I started working afternoons most of my depression and anxiety symptoms went away. I wake up naturally without an alarm daily feeling refreshed.
Here's an interesting bit of genetic sleep weirdness: It runs through my mother's family - sleeping 4-5h a night from birth to adulthood into elderly age. We don't get fatigued, and whilst sleeping 4-5h a night I was running long distance cross country for my city schools' team, and getting top marks at school with not a whole lot of effort. I can't sleep in the severe dark, it keeps me wide awake all night, I need a light on in the room and then I get my usual 75-80% REM, which I know is high. But I don't get fatigued, in fact I have too much energy unless I'm physically ill with something. My mother's family is the same.
Oh Boo! I've been a Paramedic for 30 years. Just finishing up a midnight call for a really sick patient. Years of that wreaks apocalyptic damage to your bio- rhythms along with everything else. Please forgive me if I take a Zolpidem once in a while. Sometimes, being a vegan, Cross fit 3 times a week, meditation, 2 spectacular rescued Border Collies and one sassy cat doesn't take enough bite out of the maelstrom of my life. Ironically, I had been admitted to the Graduate program at Pepperdine in Psychology and in part, due to watching these videos, I've decided to go into Health coaching instead and hopefully head off some of the messes we clean up after in this profession. Here's to a good night's sleep!
When I started working the nightshift--a lot of unconscious material started coming up. A lot of childhood conflicts I never knew existed woke up and became alive again. Not recommended, but it did force me to address deep issues.
I broke all kinds of records with 9 months of total sleep deprivation. Considered impossible. Totally anecdotal. During this time I could concentrate well enough to read thousand page SF books. That was followed by sleep disruption for 6 months & 3 more months of sleeplessness. 10 yrs latter I have some trouble with names & word recall. Still hear nasty but not threatening voices.
I have a strange conundrum. I haven't been able to do anything with my studies for a few years now. I also often go to sleep early in the morning. I try my best to sleep normally. Sometimes I manage to fight my sleep cycle to almost normal, but then very soon it goes awry again. I am living on my own, but I keep in touch with my parents. The problem is that my mother thinks that by sleeping odd hours I am somehow expressing some stubborn wilfulness. If I tell her that I have woken up in the morning, she acts like I had momentarily given up my stubbornness and agreed to do what I should do. As if my studies were not my studies and my success in life not mine but something she has asked me to do and give her but what I am stubbornly refusing to deliver. Also, she never appreciates any actual work I do or any initiative I take, but at the same time she seems to think that I have some kind of instinctual power that I could simply let loose and become an instant and spectacular success.
My sleep has been off since I was a child, tendency to go to bed in early morning, and wake up late (when I can), I have started taking mirtazapine a few months ago on and off(prescribed by GP). It helps but makes me too groggy during the day(even the smallest amount, 3 to 8mg); also worked night shifts for years, which messed up my sleep cycles even more. I honestly tried just about anything: exercising during the day, meditation, muscle relaxation techniques, aromatherapy, epsom salt baths, self-hypnosis, herbal teas and supplements, nothing really works. I noticed I sometimes get sleepy at 9-10 pm, but if I go to bed then I will wake up at 2-3 am and stare at the walls, then get sleepy at 10-11 am..it's so annoying. I can recognize that my brain is just wired and has to do with feeling unsafe...the weird part is I noticed I sleep much better when on vacations, even though I travel alone mostly. I don't know if it's about safety or just that I exercise a lot more(usually walking, swimming)
I have a lot to share on this topic. I’ve had so much experience with sleep deprivation & sleep disorders. Thank goodness my current situation allows for more peace & an environment that allows me to sleep well/ regularly .. My youngest brother gets into all kinds of trouble because of sleep deprivation. And he usually ends up in psych ward.. and once he gets into a regular sleep & eat pattern, he’s ok again. ~ I understand why many homeless people develop serious mental disorders, from lack of regulated sleep time. ~ It’s also important to have enough food to eat throughout the day, to be able to sleep well. When I was going through food starvation ( don’t ask ) I wasn’t able to sleep, which made me full of nervous anxiety & crazy thoughts the next day. A few days of this can wreck havoc !! Add to that, the space being freezing cold, or steaming hot ( can’t sleep ) and there’s more problems. ~ Sleep meds, even over the counter type, are highly addictive. My mom was prescribed all sorts of meds, back in the 1960’s, amphetamines for depression & Benadryl for sleep. She depended on these meds to get through her day. And it was a horror having to be a little girl with this mom who was always either moody or spacey. And she still didn’t sleep right because she would stay up very late watching scary movies on tv, or reading scary novels. So we grew up with irregular sleep patterns .. & a disregard for sleep. ~ Later I would do more harm to myself by doing double shifts, & not having enough to eat or sleep. Very dangerous. ~ I ended up having several physical medical emergencies. Subsequently I ended up for a 6 week rest in the countryside to rebalance~ I would revisit this issue again, when I got into a relationship with a person who TOTALLY disregarded any physical body regulations, like eating regular meals & keeping regular hours to sleep. He was a nervous wreck, & went to see doctors quite often, for assorted medical issues that arose as a direct result of the body being deprived of regular eating & sleeping times.~ In addition, he would take business calls any time of the day, & get fired up about a project so our regular sleep & eat patterns went out the window. I think he developed these habits in college, where lots of kids don’t sleep right or eat right for the sake of studies .. People in the entertainment field, & the medical profession, have the worst eat/sleep behaviors .. and perhaps is connected to the crazy behaviors you see from the entertainment people, & the mistakes you see in the medical field. ~ Long distance travel. I once flew 24 hours to get to the Far East. I could not sleep in the chair that is like a cushioned squash box. There is too much going on, and I felt terrible for quite awhile, once we arrived. Returning to the states was worse; because some relatives came to get us & wanted to hold an immediate family meeting. I tried to talk my partner into, “let’s just go home & relax awhile. We had work the next day., He refused, saying “ this is what we always do in my family. We get together after a long trip overseas !! “ And I thought “ gee, how inconsiderate?!” As I wrote this, I realize his entire family was sleep deprived. They simply put other things in front of, regular sleep & eating times. And I see the long term consequences, as well as the kids also living like there is no 24 hour cycle going on. ~ How I see it, is that the body system is a collection of systems, and they interact with the 24 hour cycles, as well as the other longer cycles like weekly, bi monthly, monthly, seasonal , etc. We are designed that way ❤️👈🏼😘 It’s a beautiful thing, when we stay in tune with those cycles. ~ On another note, my friend who lives in a gorgeous place up state, recently retired & decided to keep irregular hours. He has become moody, cranky, angry, and abusive in his speech. It’s like he’s a totally different person ! He feels like, since he doesn’t have to be at work , he can do what he wants !! It’s like he’s in the college years again ( he’s 70 ) To make matters worse, he gets up at 10 pm, & sleeps at 8 am. Whoa! I tried to get him back to morning times because, he’s the friend who helped balance me, when I got sick back then.. He was up every morning at 5am, out for a run by 6am, back by 7am. Have a shower & breakfast, go to work. He was such a regular guy. And very healthy, too. Now, he literally talks crazy. I thought it was maybe the loneliness & isolation, but now I’m thinking the sleep cycles are messed up, which means the eating cycles are messed up, which means the body is trying to digest food at times when it is designed to be on slow ~ mo so it can repair the inner bio/ systems. Then, he’s sleeping when the body is designed to be awake & moving !! ~ A few years ago I went through a series of major life changes, & this was my pattern. I was up at 5 am every day doing Inner work studies. I was out by 8am & doing a 1 hour walk. I was traveling to the seaside 3-5 times a week, where I would have lunch, go to the water, walk along the tide ( leg exercises ) & I taught myself kite flying to exercise my upper body muscles. Then I would return to the city & do everything in reverse. Make sure my dinner was around 5pm, get into quiet mode & sleep by 8pm. I did this every day for like 3 years steady. After that, I allowed myself to be more flexible, but in general I keep regular times to eat, sleep, & be quiet. I find it is a life changer. My chronic depression , atomic anxiety, are virtually all cleared up. ~ I think we all would feel better & do better with regular times to eat & sleep. 🥋🧚🏼♂️👼🏻 Thank you for a wonderful discussion 🌸🌸🌸
💥Sleep Deprivation is literally torture💥 The REM 'Rapid Eye Movements' during deep sleep states, clear emotional attachments from experiences made during the day, especially when those experiences were traumatic, this is a healing modality our marvelous bodies provide for us.
You can not imagine how happy I am finding your channel. You have beautiful personality! I wish I can be your friend and meet you in person one day! Thank you a lot Daniel
It seems that many, if not most, people routinely use some type of substances to deal with poor sleep hygiene. If it's not medication then it's coffee or energy drinks. Most people drink coffee every morning or multiple times per day, it seems-and can't properly function without it. To me, routinely tricking your body into feeling less tired than it actually is doesn't sound like a good idea from a long-term perspective. Personally, I've never been on any sleep or anxiety medication. I also have never drunk coffee on a regular basis. I always try to regulate my sleep naturally or adjust my day to my sleep schedule, depending on where I am and what I'm doing in life. Maybe I'll make a video on this topic, too. Thanks for the video, Daniel! -Darius
Study finds coffee drinking (may, due to possible overconsumption or genetic predispositions), have an inverse relationship with mortality. jamanetwork.com/journals/jamainternalmedicine/article-abstract/2686145 This could be b/c coffee drinkers DO have more regular sleep patterns than non-coffee drinkers. But I'll take the study over a random comment on a youtube video. Have a good one!
I like to review principles of sleep hygiene every two years or so because research will be updated as to the most current recommendations. Invariably I find a couple of new things I can incorporate into my sleep routine.
Towards the end of your video you mentioned journaling in the morning and I do that too and it does help and many times I am like what can I do different to make the day better and I literally sing the song I love my life by Robbie Williams. My dog and cat love it every morning.
I used to cut sleep out of my life in order to do more. I didn’t learn how important sleep was to my mind. Then I got sick long term and had to sleep a lot. I'm glad I went through that because I stopped feeling guilty for sleeping and I enjoy getting good sleep. I'm less keyed up and anxious, much less depressed.
Hi Daniel, I have suffered from Tinnitus (constant ringing in the ears) for about five years. Reading before I go to sleep helps me drop off but if I wake in the night it is difficult to relax enough to go back to sleep. It’s true that it can be very difficult to concentrate fully when I’m tired during the day. And yes, I’m sure it affects my memory too. I would give anything to hear silence again, especially in the middle of the night.
Have you ever considered listening to some ASMR sounds? It can stimulate the ears in a relaxing way. I am not so much accustomed to the whispering kind though.
This is great Daniel, just to hear from someone else who has and sometimes still does find sleep a challenge. I suffered from awful insomnia several years ago which led to being prescribed all sorts, SSRIs, Z-Meds, they all just made the anxiety attached to sleep way worse. I more than once contemplated suicide and sometimes I feel like it left me with PTSD. It was horrendous and I could not believe how lightly it was taken by medical professionals and even those in my own family. It did bring up old trauma like you say. Sometimes I would go 3 days without any sleep, all the while being besieged by crazy thoughts. From what you have said it sounds like psychosis.
I have middle insomnia and wow has it wrecked my reaction time, my anxiety, my stress levels… I’ve had it since a car wreck where I almost died and that was 15 years ago. I wonder how much more sharp and effective in life I would have been had that never happened.
Daniel your videos are so interesting and informative. I've recently returned from USA to UK and the jet lag was horrible! Maybe because I'm middle-aged and now takes longer to get back into a routine. Generally I normally sleep well but wake up much earlier as I've got older which is a good as I'm definitely a morning person. Hope you had a fabulous trip xxx
yep---I also journal first thing, before I even get out of bed---the gut still has room to speak before the daily minutiae starts to impinge on the good stuff----glad to hear from your sense Daniel---so much nonsense on the internet---and lastly, yes, melatonin is quite helpful and I just figure I may be taking (small dose) it for the rest of my life
Thanks for the info Donna---yeah, I realize that melatonin is a hormone, but I sleep so much better when I take even a small dose---but I will purchase Valerian next time I go to Natural Grocer's (today actually).
It might be that sleeping a very long time is good for your psychology, once in a while, it can be like Deluxe Dreaming, if you enjoy your dreams as I do. It's a kind of luxury the odd time that this happens for me. Thanks for the video, Daniel.
During my working career I worked the graveyard shift for more than 40-years. I preferred that time, but I don't know the reason. I simply felt an affinity for overnight work. I rarely suffered insomnia, but if I had to stay awake on a vacation or for some special reason my sleep cycle was shifted, I walked around in a mental fog. I could never trust myself driving, so I didn't drive or operate machinery during the day. I could probably write a book about the odd things about working the graveyard shift and loving it. On a jet-lag related note. I often vacationed at places on the opposite side of the Earth. Countries like India, Thailand, etc. It was incredible to keep my biological "sleep schedule" yet function perfectly well during the daytime. Returning to the U.S. was a breeze, because I never had to compensate for jet-lag.
Hi Michael ~ You are appreciated & were a great help to me in 'GROUP' many years ago...I still have friends from those times...Love your videos...Best Wishes to you ! Don
Thank you for your videos, I found your channel by searching "sexual abuse by mothers" which made me immediately realize your channel was different and you yourself are incredibly brave. It is very inspiring to hear you point of view and gives me hope that I myself can recover from the mental illness that I have always suspected was a result from being abused by others and the frustration that came with there refusal acknowledge what they have done and continue to do to me. Thanks
Long rant take what you like leave the rest … I’ve been extremely exhausted for over a year. Without going into details, I do not drink or drug… I can only imagine what being stoned all the time feels like … That said, what has brought me to a wake call, is weight loss 15 plus pounds or more, rings around my eyes are black won’t go away, “word recall,” has kicked in …. And the worse just Saturday at 3:00am … leg muscle cramping from dehydration for 50 minutes brought me to “primal sounds” pain. So, my wife fortunately has politely remind me things I know, but have excused as can catch up later. Ok, “violations” “trauma” “past”… still some unresolved chaotic past issues, have me bringing in the human element, of LETTING GO! The “exercises” are phenomenal once I think more importantly is say OH YEAH! In my view, “sleep medications” are the western way … which I believe are “dangerous” ultimately. Nough said. Selfcare… is vital, and it’s my responsibility to be accountable if not for me …. For the world at large. Today I Am no longer a private, nor corporate, nor marketplace nuisance. I’ve taken, do take, an organic supplement has only .003% melatonin, most people spoken to take 3.0 to sky is the limit. I do cover eyes, ear plugs or overnight meditation. And the other practices you mention … I do all of what you’ve mentioned. People, “like sleep” “not taking responsibility on” … I could go on and on. My “dreams are phenomenal” when connected, “what can I do to not contribute to my problems.” Leave you with this … a great friend and still is today told me way back … “Kevin you can’t control the past, you can’t control the truth, you can’t control others ….You got the whole day off.” My wife is in a season of sleep. First was because extreme light blinding migraines we block out our window now a dark room all the time … results (which are obvious to me, but people have to figure it out as adults) …melatonin dump, serotonin dumps, even dopamine dumps is her cycle. She is an amazing wo-man, and I believe she will get through over or around it. The door is a great pathway to lighter days.
I absolutely love your videos. Your on point and yes I can relate to no sleeping for days and literally had a breakdown. And do remember not being able to concentrate and irritable and a kinda was like a zombie. It’s extremely difficult to sleep for me as I have a severe dissociative disorder and care for my husband now whom got a traumatic brain injury through a infection that traveled to his brain and it damaged the frontal lobe of his brain and it changed his personality and more aggressive and he gets overwhelmed easily. Although it’s not his fault it’s still difficult to deal with. Thank you for your informative videos and love your music videos. Shrinks drugged me up so much. I got better with a good psychologist and off all the da,n pills that I was told I have to stay on. Bullshit. Lol
I have a bit of (well meant and respectful as always) critique to what you are saying Mr. Mackler. Maybe at first I would just like to add something I think is true of sleeping medication: They are drugs, therefore it can logically be hard to get off them after a longer time taking them, we can totally agree with that, but, and admittedly I have no personal experience with sleeping medication, I think the maybe even greater problem with sleeping medication could be, that they influence your quality of sleep. What I mean by this is, that when you are on drugs, your mind isn't as clear and isn't as effective, which means that your dreaming will be influenced negatively as you can't process as much and as deeply, which is very bad fof your psyche. The other thing I maybe think would worth considering is that people who are depressed, yes, some of them tend to sleep a lot (myself included) and again, what you are saying is totally agreeable that a lot of times it is a way of 'escaping' life, but I wouldn't say it is necessarily always a way of dissociating. Depressed people have a lot of problems from the past and also often present to deal with. So when they stay in bed a lot, it could also be (at times) be a natural and healthy way of taking a break to try to get past things from the past before they go on and overwhelm themselves by trying to do both at once (which people of course should be able to do if their stage of healing is higher, but everything only at a time). Of course, if the depresssed person doesn't get into dealing with the past, it will be just a way of not having to live and dealing with anything. Another thing about 'hypersomnia' is, that people, whose problems are emerging from dissociation, either can't sleep because even their unconcious is overwhelmed by it or they are sleeping a lot (again, we can agree on that), which could also mean that, in fact, at least their unconcious tries very hard to deal with whatever is coming, but for one, it's bodily very consuming, there can be a loth of movement or sweating during sleep, so therefore the sleep isn't as effective bodily and the body will need more sleeping time to recover from the day than usual and for two, the brain actually really needs more time for dreaming, as so much and such hard, desturbing stuff is coming up. The thing about sleeping rythms is, that I think it is not always a good idea to 'force' it where you think it needs to be. Isn't, and I hope you agree, the bedt thing you can do for your mind and body to learn to listen to your body? In some cases, I think it could be even harmful to overgo your sleep needs to get into your regular pattern as soon as possible. I can give you a personal example: I would be working really hard on my inner problems, to the point where it takes my whole energy and wanting it or not, I would sink to sleep within 5 mins into it. I think this is a way of the unconcious saying: This needs my full capacity, I will do it for you, otherwise it is too much. And if somebody tries to wake me up at just that time, I would get incredibly irritated, angry and aggressive, not being really concious yet. My unconcious saying: Stop it now! You need the sleep NOW! And I think in a way that is fascinating. But I don't know, maybe none of what I said makes any sense. But thank you, for your videos, in a way, they always brighten up my day being reminded of not being such an alien as a very open, self aware person.
15:46 Thank you for saving me time by mentioning ear plugs. They have helped me to fall asleep when I had jet lag a couple times, and also now when there are sounds out of my control happening around me during my sleep time.
Hi Daniel! I came to an interesting discovery last night. I often have difficulty getting to sleep and often stay up later and later before going to sleep and have a lot of night rituals which often seem unnecessary and I figured out last night that what might help me is to listen to my body to know when I am tired and then just get ready quickly and sleep. I feel like this attentiveness is often not developed in people because their parents were not attentive to when they were tired. I think that consequently when people grow up they often can't judge for themselves, causing sleeping issues and anxiety. What are your thoughts on this?
With any drug you've used for a period of time, you should be careful when switching off of it. Your body adjusts to the chemicals you take, if you suddenly take away something the body's adjusted to, it becomes grossly imbalanced. To get off a drug you've been using for a long time, taking smaller and smaller doses over a period of time allows the body to slowly adjust to smaller doses of the drug, staying within balance and preventing horrifying side effects. That's how it works with most drugs, anyways. Most drugs shouldn't be taken long term. Many lose effect over time, many have side effects that become more serious the longer you've used it for, and you'll inevitably want to use another drug at some point, which could have negative interactions with the initial drug. Using the same drugs short term is perfectly fine. Drugs aren't bad because they're drugs, they're bad because you use them wrong (and your doctor might administer them wrong. Educated pharmacists know more about drugs than doctors do, ask them).
Hi there, love the channel, just found it. I've been lucky enough to have had insomnia less than a handful of times my whole life. I have quite the opposite trouble - staying awake. lol. I'm very interested in the topic of sleep, would love to see more videos on the topic. Some things I'm interested in right now are the differences in the effects of regular sleep versus REM sleep. And where dreams come to play into this. Do we only dream during REM? Are our dreams during REM different from non REM? Why is it we remember some dreams and not others? From my personal experience, I feel more rested physically and emotionally if I do not remember dreaming. There is also the interesting fact that SSRI drugs as well as medical cannabis are shown inhibit REM sleep.
All good points, and I learned few new ones. As they say - less sleep, less human. But oversleep can have also pretty negatyve consequences for motivation, in my case at least. Thanks.
Thank you. I liked a lot of what you had to say and you might be interested in the Personal Health System related to Human Design, which breaks the whole topic of sleep down to other levels.
What about when you sleep but your dreams ain't that bad, it's not nightmare or not particularly sad, sometimes it's even happy. But when you wake up, that's when things starts to hit, you feel depressed, regret, almost every negative feeling starts to come out, and you'll feel like crying so you open TH-cam or anything just to distract yourself or watch videos that are related to what you're feeling.
When i have to drive the following morning early, ill drink half a cup of nightquil (a very small sip) at 8pm and ill have two amazings cycles of sleep. I wake up feeling as fully recharged as possible. The benefits are great im super focused in the morning. My face is relaxed and my skin feels different. Benedryl is too strong and bad for your liver. Im glad you mentioned how you would only take something on a long flight. These things if utilitzes intelligently can help us function in good ways.
Im going thru insomnia now & only able to sleep 1 hour at a time. Im extremely stressed out on every level of life. My roommate is a narcissist. My body's muscles tighten up even worse while sleeping causing bad TMJ. Sometimes deep sleep meditation helps some nights anyway. I never sleep deep or good tho & it sux. I'm a night owl too. Anxiety is the so hard on us. Sleeping pills never work for me & then i have a hangover. Melatonin is a hormone so i would suggest cutting them in 4ths if u take them 💕
Insomnia as an adult construct of modern times seems valid. Hail natural sleep. Americans, we want easy everything. Good on you for reserving the benzos for certain contexts. Our society has us coping with modernity abd against our nature with crude science (pharmacology). Ambien sucks: makes me VERY depressed. Sleep mask, ear plugs: yes! Responsibility: I'm irresponsible. Employers are very "contra-som" (and antisocial for that matter). Naps are bad here too. I think meditation, journaling, and yoga are good bookends to a day. Sleep as avoidance: I see that in someone I love. Circadian rhythm is disrupted by our 24/7 culture.
I have read a couple books by sleep specialists and really want to encourage everyone to look into CBT-I and an in patient sleep study!!! Quit 12 years of ambien trazodone yada yada cold Turkey never felt better!!!
about the cycles of the sun... i am quite positive some of my problems with sleep stem from the fact that i live very north. 24h sunlight during summer and hardly any during winter. it really messes you up - especially during winters. i don’t feel very energized but surprisingly not very tired either. it’s like an eternal early night and your body never really knows what to do. i often end up doing stuff til the early hours of morning, go to sleep, and end up missing the couple somewhat sunlight-y hours the day has to offer...
Hi, I've just discovered your videos. Please try the 'Tapping' for Jet lag. TFT, Though Field Therapy, is the original 'tapping' of the meridians on the body, while you are "thinking" of the thing that's bothering you. If you go back to the "cause" of the thing....everything clears. Its like a "do it yourself" Acupuncture. It works on many things and you do not need to know someone's story. 3 of us went to Union Square after 9/11 disaster. We did TFT on many people that day and switched their shattered nervous systems back on. EFT, Emotional Freedom Technique is also the same work as TFT. Thank you for your videos.
It’s true, what I do in travel is set my watch ahead 2 hrs then slowly get to the time zone I will arrive in then the same before coming back 14 hr trips I make sure I slowly adjust the only time difference I have no problem with is 8 hr difference as I the UK vs Pacific time so 11pm is 7am in Scotland the 8 hr difference Is very much like a shift change that certain jobs require . Also I dislike changing our clocks back in fall then ahead in spring that’s insane it messes with everyone
Everything to do w/ sleep is a quintessential nightmare. It's years later but I've never become used to looking like an alien while I sleep. That mask & CPAP machine makes me look that way & all this because I had a dream (more than once now) that came true after I had a clinical death/dying experience after being shot in the back and my lung collapsing, sending my lungs & then heart into arrest. My brain was starting to follow suit when they resuscitated me. But increasing my O2 levels did nothing to prevent these dreams. In fact, I prefer the muddled way my dreams came across before the machine & elevated O2 saturation level turned any dream I have crystal clear.
Not sure if there is already a comment about this but melatonin is commonly overdosed, which is not inherently dangerous but can cause morning drowsiness or other side effects. It should be taken in the lowest dose possible, even as low as 0.3 mg. (We can also help our bodies make it by reducing exposure to blue light at night.) The bottle pictured in the video is a common but high dose of 3mg. Melatonin has antioxidant as well as sleep benefits but doesn't work any better for sleep when overdosed. It is interesting, though, that doses of dozens of milligrams have been used in COVID, and doses up to 10mg or so can help and be well tolerated in some other medical conditions. Point well taken regardless that a lifestyle that promotes good sleep is important.
OMG! I had a medical grade insomnia a few years ago. It was SO PAINFUL! It must have been 3-4 days of psychosis! I had an odd walking gait and would bump into people. My speech was fried.
Been reading a bit about sleep and it turns out the brain actually "washes" itself with spinal fluid while we sleep. It actually does repair work like our body would do to muscles we worked out at the gym.
Hi Daniel! I’m struggling with acute chronic insomnia for 2 years. I can’t sleep without a pill (I take an AD trazodone 50mg). Someone recommended going to therapy for at least a year. It’s been 10 months and even though I see results in my daily life (self-esteem, boundaries, started feeling repressed anger etc) it doesn’t affect my sleep at all. Without the pills I can be awake for 5 days straight. Could you please advice something? 😢
I've been awake for 7 days before... twice. Yeah, at one point I forgot how to communicate, that part of my brain shut down. I could think what I wanted to say, but it came out wrong. It was part of a alcohol binge, so could be dehydration too.
My inner clock is set to a 25 hours day/night cycle, and after years of trying to change that and failing, I gave up and adapted to it instead, and life has been much better since. Some sleep advice is great, but some advice is a pure nightmare for anyone with my inner cycle, in particular the ”good to bed and go up at the same time every day”. Following that advice ruined my life for years. If I ever meet the guy who came up with it in a dark secluded alley, there is no telling what might happen.
My mom works as a train conducter 8 days in a row and when she comes back from work she acts psychotic everything drives her nuts , and before work she also has this snaps and it is like a completely different person
My husband has a brain injury that has screwed up his sleep, and now I’m in the throes of menopause...I get hot flashes every 10-15 minutes that has me Sweaty and Sleepless in Cyberspace... It SUCKS!
What do you think about herbal supplements use for sleep? Also you mentioned techniques you used to help get to sleep. Could you list those techniques or make a video I'm sure you have a wealth of knowledge.
you traveled so much.. wish you made video about your trips too, about your views on other countries and cultures. like China, from an anthropological point of view China is the opposite of USA, USA is about individualism (both the good and bad aspects of it), China is about collectivism, about the group.. wish you made a video about that cuz it would be such an interesting topic and I'd love to know your opinion on these 2 different ways of life. A lot of what you say is based on individualism, because you come from the US, I'm from Europe and that's enough to make me feel a little bit different from you.. some think individualism and collectivism are 2 different ways of living that will always co-exist, some others think that one of the 2 is "the next step" of human civilization.. what do you think?
Hi there, Daniel!! Thank you so much for yet another incredibly insightful video!! I was wondering... could you please share some of the techniques and calming mental exercises you mentioned that work for you?? I see that you did this video about 2 months ago, so you might not ever even notice this comment or question, but I had to at least try. I just discovered your channel a few days ago, and I've been pretty much binge watching your videos & films ever since, LOL. Hearing your perspective on so many different things has been positively fascinating to me, on a few levels. It's somewhat rare that I actually subscribe to a channel, but yours was an absolute must! Thank you again, Kat
Trazodone and hydroxyzine fucking messed me up. I only did it for 19 days and I'm on day 42 of being off from cold turkey Thee only meds I've ever been prescribed. I'm actually sleeping better than when I was on the meds but man it gave me anxiety and depression I never asked for. You're right. Sleeping is natural. We just need to train our brains. It's not easy at all. But I believe It's highly possible to get your sleep back.
My days when I can't fall asleep are usualy caused by stress and panic attacks. I already made peace with them existing once in every couple of months so now I just go through it. When I can't sleep, I'm so moody the next day, and everyone gets on my nerves and I just want to be alone(even more because I always usualy want to be alone too xD)
Insomnia is the mind telling the person that they have unresolved issues that they not deal with during the day. Insomnia is like a warning system for the mind.
I think that would be more like bad dreams. Insomnia is more generalized
I totally agree, at least in my case.
Agree, I have bouts of insomnia during stressful periods. I think and think about a problem in my life until I find a resolution, helps to write it down, then I can sleep.
Yes the insomnia causes a lot of problems, but what caused the insomnia? I think that's his point. Insomnia to begin with is the unconscious busting through and keeping you awake. If you actually deal with those deep feelings on a deep cathartic level, you will mostly sleep like a baby. @@instagib5085
Instead of jumping on the computer every night for like three hours and then not wanting to go to bed because whatever I was doing was so dissociative and pleasurable, I've started just flopping into bed as soon as I get home and it definitely has had a huge impact on my mental stability during the day.
Ty for this. I do the same and pick my head for hours doing nothing but that. I avoid my bed cuz I’m scared to associate it with insomnia so i wait till im absolutely collapsed. i was thinking about making a rule that i should sleep before the next day starts. i usually go home and attempt to study but i cant ever. ty for giving the world your minute experience. it truly means the world to me.
An hour walk in nature everyday, magnesium ( good for the nervous system) , a dark room with no lights and a cup of warm raw milk at night , Cured me of 30 yrs of chronic insomnia. I forgot what a good nights sleep was. A lack of sleep was killing me mentally and physically. All due to life long chronic stress due to trauma. Stress is a killer. And a poor diet and lack of minerals in our diets disrupts sleep. If your overworked and stressed, the cortisol in your body is out of sync , therefore disrupting your cicardian rythom.
I've too had issues with insomnia and lack of quality sleep for the past few years. Luckily I've been able to overcome all sleep relates issues. The turning point for me has been the intake of fruits. The day I started eat fruits I started getting good sleep. Also, during the day I try to meditate for a few minutes every hour so that the nervous system is not in an overdrive when it's evening time. Very important to meditate before sleeping as well. Your last thoughts will lead you to your destination...
You are an original thinker on so many levels Daniel... please keep on posting your work helps me a great deal.
15:00
"The conscious part of me has a responsibility to set up my life so that I can sleep well"
That is the whole purpose of life right there! :]
Of course there are a lot of intrincacies to it, but I love that quote.
As a fellow constant-traveller I can relate to the struggle. Similar to your other tips, I found that the best way to fight jet lag is by scheduling flights where I can stay awake the whole time to then fall asleep immediately after landing. For example, when flying to China, I leave Los Angeles in the afternoon, which then has me landing 14 hours later in China (around 7pm China time). By the time I get to the hotel, I've already been awake for 20hrs so I fall asleep with no problem and my internal clock adjusts rather quickly.
From the time i went to school i couldnt Fall asleep forever. I felt totally awake but also bothered because i couldnt sleep i was Sweating and worrying. When i finally Fell asleep i offen had nightmares of death and war. Usually it took a lot of dedication to wake me up in the morning. It got worse over time and of course i ve always been tired in school. So when i was 17 i smoked weed for the first time. After some experience i realised that it helps me sleep. It was such a relief. I would smoke befor bedtime go to bed Fall asleep and sleep peacefully. Now i am 30 just quit smoking weed and since i have the same struggle sleeping. I dont feel like smoking again but i need to solve this.
I hope you’ve been able to sleep well again
Im a night owl and ever since I started working afternoons most of my depression and anxiety symptoms went away. I wake up naturally without an alarm daily feeling refreshed.
Here's an interesting bit of genetic sleep weirdness:
It runs through my mother's family - sleeping 4-5h a night from birth to adulthood into elderly age. We don't get fatigued, and whilst sleeping 4-5h a night I was running long distance cross country for my city schools' team, and getting top marks at school with not a whole lot of effort. I can't sleep in the severe dark, it keeps me wide awake all night, I need a light on in the room and then I get my usual 75-80% REM, which I know is high. But I don't get fatigued, in fact I have too much energy unless I'm physically ill with something. My mother's family is the same.
Oh Boo! I've been a Paramedic for 30 years. Just finishing up a midnight call for a really sick patient. Years of that wreaks apocalyptic damage to your bio- rhythms along with everything else. Please forgive me if I take a Zolpidem once in a while. Sometimes, being a vegan, Cross fit 3 times a week, meditation, 2 spectacular rescued Border Collies and one sassy cat doesn't take enough bite out of the maelstrom of my life.
Ironically, I had been admitted to the Graduate program at Pepperdine in Psychology and in part, due to watching these videos, I've decided to go into Health coaching instead and hopefully head off some of the messes we clean up after in this profession. Here's to a good night's sleep!
Hope you slept well!!
When I started working the nightshift--a lot of unconscious material started coming up. A lot of childhood conflicts I never knew existed woke up and became alive again. Not recommended, but it did force me to address deep issues.
I’ve just opened a folder in my playlist calls ‘Daniel’ and I’m about to watch ALL of your videos until the end.
I broke all kinds of records with 9 months of total sleep deprivation. Considered impossible. Totally anecdotal. During this time I could concentrate well enough to read thousand page SF books. That was followed by sleep disruption for 6 months & 3 more months of sleeplessness. 10 yrs latter I have some trouble with names & word recall. Still hear nasty but not threatening voices.
I have a strange conundrum. I haven't been able to do anything with my studies for a few years now. I also often go to sleep early in the morning. I try my best to sleep normally. Sometimes I manage to fight my sleep cycle to almost normal, but then very soon it goes awry again. I am living on my own, but I keep in touch with my parents. The problem is that my mother thinks that by sleeping odd hours I am somehow expressing some stubborn wilfulness. If I tell her that I have woken up in the morning, she acts like I had momentarily given up my stubbornness and agreed to do what I should do. As if my studies were not my studies and my success in life not mine but something she has asked me to do and give her but what I am stubbornly refusing to deliver. Also, she never appreciates any actual work I do or any initiative I take, but at the same time she seems to think that I have some kind of instinctual power that I could simply let loose and become an instant and spectacular success.
You are incredible! Love your personality, listening to your views and wonder where you have been all my life. Keep them coming Daniel!
Cannot express how much your videos have helped clarify ideas and concepts that I’ve always known. Thanks for making these!
My sleep has been off since I was a child, tendency to go to bed in early morning, and wake up late (when I can), I have started taking mirtazapine a few months ago on and off(prescribed by GP). It helps but makes me too groggy during the day(even the smallest amount, 3 to 8mg); also worked night shifts for years, which messed up my sleep cycles even more. I honestly tried just about anything: exercising during the day, meditation, muscle relaxation techniques, aromatherapy, epsom salt baths, self-hypnosis, herbal teas and supplements, nothing really works. I noticed I sometimes get sleepy at 9-10 pm, but if I go to bed then I will wake up at 2-3 am and stare at the walls, then get sleepy at 10-11 am..it's so annoying. I can recognize that my brain is just wired and has to do with feeling unsafe...the weird part is I noticed I sleep much better when on vacations, even though I travel alone mostly. I don't know if it's about safety or just that I exercise a lot more(usually walking, swimming)
I know you said supplements but did you ever try Magnesium Glycinate? Good stuff.
I have a lot to share on this topic. I’ve had so much experience with sleep deprivation & sleep disorders. Thank goodness my current situation allows for more peace & an environment that allows me to sleep well/ regularly .. My youngest brother gets into all kinds of trouble because of sleep deprivation. And he usually ends up in psych ward.. and once he gets into a regular sleep & eat pattern, he’s ok again. ~ I understand why many homeless people develop serious mental disorders, from lack of regulated sleep time. ~ It’s also important to have enough food to eat throughout the day, to be able to sleep well. When I was going through food starvation ( don’t ask ) I wasn’t able to sleep, which made me full of nervous anxiety & crazy thoughts the next day. A few days of this can wreck havoc !! Add to that, the space being freezing cold, or steaming hot ( can’t sleep ) and there’s more problems. ~ Sleep meds, even over the counter type, are highly addictive. My mom was prescribed all sorts of meds, back in the 1960’s, amphetamines for depression & Benadryl for sleep. She depended on these meds to get through her day. And it was a horror having to be a little girl with this mom who was always either moody or spacey. And she still didn’t sleep right because she would stay up very late watching scary movies on tv, or reading scary novels. So we grew up with irregular sleep patterns .. & a disregard for sleep. ~ Later I would do more harm to myself by doing double shifts, & not having enough to eat or sleep. Very dangerous. ~ I ended up having several physical medical emergencies. Subsequently I ended up for a 6 week rest in the countryside to rebalance~ I would revisit this issue again, when I got into a relationship with a person who TOTALLY disregarded any physical body regulations, like eating regular meals & keeping regular hours to sleep. He was a nervous wreck, & went to see doctors quite often, for assorted medical issues that arose as a direct result of the body being deprived of regular eating & sleeping times.~ In addition, he would take business calls any time of the day, & get fired up about a project so our regular sleep & eat patterns went out the window. I think he developed these habits in college, where lots of kids don’t sleep right or eat right for the sake of studies .. People in the entertainment field, & the medical profession, have the worst eat/sleep behaviors .. and perhaps is connected to the crazy behaviors you see from the entertainment people, & the mistakes you see in the medical field. ~ Long distance travel. I once flew 24 hours to get to the Far East. I could not sleep in the chair that is like a cushioned squash box. There is too much going on, and I felt terrible for quite awhile, once we arrived. Returning to the states was worse; because some relatives came to get us & wanted to hold an immediate family meeting. I tried to talk my partner into, “let’s just go home & relax awhile. We had work the next day., He refused, saying “ this is what we always do in my family. We get together after a long trip overseas !! “ And I thought “ gee, how inconsiderate?!” As I wrote this, I realize his entire family was sleep deprived. They simply put other things in front of, regular sleep & eating times. And I see the long term consequences, as well as the kids also living like there is no 24 hour cycle going on. ~ How I see it, is that the body system is a collection of systems, and they interact with the 24 hour cycles, as well as the other longer cycles like weekly, bi monthly, monthly, seasonal , etc. We are designed that way ❤️👈🏼😘 It’s a beautiful thing, when we stay in tune with those cycles. ~ On another note, my friend who lives in a gorgeous place up state, recently retired & decided to keep irregular hours. He has become moody, cranky, angry, and abusive in his speech. It’s like he’s a totally different person ! He feels like, since he doesn’t have to be at work , he can do what he wants !! It’s like he’s in the college years again ( he’s 70 ) To make matters worse, he gets up at 10 pm, & sleeps at 8 am. Whoa! I tried to get him back to morning times because, he’s the friend who helped balance me, when I got sick back then.. He was up every morning at 5am, out for a run by 6am, back by 7am. Have a shower & breakfast, go to work. He was such a regular guy. And very healthy, too. Now, he literally talks crazy. I thought it was maybe the loneliness & isolation, but now I’m thinking the sleep cycles are messed up, which means the eating cycles are messed up, which means the body is trying to digest food at times when it is designed to be on slow ~ mo so it can repair the inner bio/ systems. Then, he’s sleeping when the body is designed to be awake & moving !! ~ A few years ago I went through a series of major life changes, & this was my pattern. I was up at 5 am every day doing Inner work studies. I was out by 8am & doing a 1 hour walk. I was traveling to the seaside 3-5 times a week, where I would have lunch, go to the water, walk along the tide ( leg exercises ) & I taught myself kite flying to exercise my upper body muscles. Then I would return to the city & do everything in reverse. Make sure my dinner was around 5pm, get into quiet mode & sleep by 8pm. I did this every day for like 3 years steady. After that, I allowed myself to be more flexible, but in general I keep regular times to eat, sleep, & be quiet. I find it is a life changer. My chronic depression , atomic anxiety, are virtually all cleared up. ~ I think we all would feel better & do better with regular times to eat & sleep. 🥋🧚🏼♂️👼🏻 Thank you for a wonderful discussion 🌸🌸🌸
Thank You for sharing
There is a military method to fall asleep which is about relaxation of the muscles beginning with the muscles inside your mouth..
I so appreciate you Daniel. You help me so much. I love your authenticity and empathy. Thank u for this content. Hugs to you.
💥Sleep Deprivation is literally torture💥
The REM 'Rapid Eye Movements' during deep sleep states, clear emotional attachments from experiences made during the day, especially when those experiences were traumatic, this is a healing modality our marvelous bodies provide for us.
Love it. Wonderful! ❤️😴
I had bad sleep apnea for decades and u can't explain to people how much that effects your behavior- your mind.
You can not imagine how happy I am finding your channel. You have beautiful personality! I wish I can be your friend and meet you in person one day! Thank you a lot Daniel
It seems that many, if not most, people routinely use some type of substances to deal with poor sleep hygiene. If it's not medication then it's coffee or energy drinks. Most people drink coffee every morning or multiple times per day, it seems-and can't properly function without it. To me, routinely tricking your body into feeling less tired than it actually is doesn't sound like a good idea from a long-term perspective.
Personally, I've never been on any sleep or anxiety medication. I also have never drunk coffee on a regular basis. I always try to regulate my sleep naturally or adjust my day to my sleep schedule, depending on where I am and what I'm doing in life. Maybe I'll make a video on this topic, too.
Thanks for the video, Daniel!
-Darius
Yes ,please.
That ia great you are so healthy. Good job.
Study finds coffee drinking (may, due to possible overconsumption or genetic predispositions), have an inverse relationship with mortality. jamanetwork.com/journals/jamainternalmedicine/article-abstract/2686145
This could be b/c coffee drinkers DO have more regular sleep patterns than non-coffee drinkers. But I'll take the study over a random comment on a youtube video. Have a good one!
I like to review principles of sleep hygiene every two years or so because research will be updated as to the most current recommendations. Invariably I find a couple of new things I can incorporate into my sleep routine.
Towards the end of your video you mentioned journaling in the morning and I do that too and it does help and many times I am like what can I do different to make the day better and I literally sing the song I love my life by Robbie Williams. My dog and cat love it every morning.
i love that you are on the internet, thank you
Good information. Many thanks!
Very helpful video. Thank you Daniel.
I used to cut sleep out of my life in order to do more.
I didn’t learn how important sleep was to my mind.
Then I got sick long term and had to sleep a lot.
I'm glad I went through that because I stopped feeling guilty for sleeping and I enjoy getting good sleep.
I'm less keyed up and anxious, much less depressed.
Hi Daniel, I have suffered from Tinnitus (constant ringing in the ears) for about five years. Reading before I go to sleep helps me drop off but if I wake in the night it is difficult to relax enough to go back to sleep. It’s true that it can be very difficult to concentrate fully when I’m tired during the day. And yes, I’m sure it affects my memory too. I would give anything to hear silence again, especially in the middle of the night.
Have you ever considered listening to some ASMR sounds? It can stimulate the ears in a relaxing way. I am not so much accustomed to the whispering kind though.
Daniel , thank you for being there.whenever i'm suffering ( which is mostly always ) I watch ur videos and feel better.
melatonin addiction messed me up for 3 years and took 6 months of withdrawal symptoms to finally free again
good for you to have the guts to do something good for yourself i applaud you
This is great Daniel, just to hear from someone else who has and sometimes still does find sleep a challenge. I suffered from awful insomnia several years ago which led to being prescribed all sorts, SSRIs, Z-Meds, they all just made the anxiety attached to sleep way worse. I more than once contemplated suicide and sometimes I feel like it left me with PTSD. It was horrendous and I could not believe how lightly it was taken by medical professionals and even those in my own family. It did bring up old trauma like you say. Sometimes I would go 3 days without any sleep, all the while being besieged by crazy thoughts. From what you have said it sounds like psychosis.
I have middle insomnia and wow has it wrecked my reaction time, my anxiety, my stress levels… I’ve had it since a car wreck where I almost died and that was 15 years ago. I wonder how much more sharp and effective in life I would have been had that never happened.
Daniel your videos are so interesting and informative. I've recently returned from USA to UK and the jet lag was horrible! Maybe because I'm middle-aged and now takes longer to get back into a routine. Generally I normally sleep well but wake up much earlier as I've got older which is a good as I'm definitely a morning person. Hope you had a fabulous trip xxx
yep---I also journal first thing, before I even get out of bed---the gut still has room to speak before the daily minutiae starts to impinge on the good stuff----glad to hear from your sense Daniel---so much nonsense on the internet---and lastly, yes, melatonin is quite helpful and I just figure I may be taking (small dose) it for the rest of my life
Thanks for the info Donna---yeah, I realize that melatonin is a hormone, but I sleep so much better when I take even a small dose---but I will purchase Valerian next time I go to Natural Grocer's (today actually).
It might be that sleeping a very long time is good for your psychology, once in a while, it can be like Deluxe Dreaming, if you enjoy your dreams as I do. It's a kind of luxury the odd time that this happens for me. Thanks for the video, Daniel.
not2tees / I agree, sometimes I just want to stay in bed all day & be cozy 😍
During my working career I worked the graveyard shift for more than 40-years. I preferred that time, but I don't know the reason. I simply felt an affinity for overnight work. I rarely suffered insomnia, but if I had to stay awake on a vacation or for some special reason my sleep cycle was shifted, I walked around in a mental fog. I could never trust myself driving, so I didn't drive or operate machinery during the day. I could probably write a book about the odd things about working the graveyard shift and loving it.
On a jet-lag related note. I often vacationed at places on the opposite side of the Earth. Countries like India, Thailand, etc. It was incredible to keep my biological "sleep schedule" yet function perfectly well during the daytime. Returning to the U.S. was a breeze, because I never had to compensate for jet-lag.
Hi Michael ~ You are appreciated & were a great help to me in 'GROUP' many years ago...I still have friends from those times...Love your videos...Best Wishes to you ! Don
People who go to bed at a chosen time and fall right to sleep still astound me.
Thank you for your videos, I found your channel by searching "sexual abuse by mothers" which made me immediately realize your channel was different and you yourself are incredibly brave. It is very inspiring to hear you point of view and gives me hope that I myself can recover from the mental illness that I have always suspected was a result from being abused by others and the frustration that came with there refusal acknowledge what they have done and continue to do to me. Thanks
Long rant take what you like leave the rest …
I’ve been extremely exhausted for over a year. Without going into details, I do not drink or drug… I can only imagine what being stoned all the time feels like …
That said, what has brought me to a wake call, is weight loss 15 plus pounds or more, rings around my eyes are black won’t go away, “word recall,” has kicked in …. And the worse just Saturday at 3:00am … leg muscle cramping from dehydration for 50 minutes brought me to “primal sounds” pain.
So, my wife fortunately has politely remind me things I know, but have excused as can catch up later.
Ok, “violations” “trauma” “past”… still some unresolved chaotic past issues, have me bringing in the human element, of LETTING GO!
The “exercises” are phenomenal once I think more importantly is say OH YEAH!
In my view, “sleep medications” are the western way … which I believe are “dangerous” ultimately. Nough said.
Selfcare… is vital, and it’s my responsibility to be accountable if not for me …. For the world at large. Today I Am no longer a private, nor corporate, nor marketplace nuisance.
I’ve taken, do take, an organic supplement has only .003% melatonin, most people spoken to take 3.0 to sky is the limit.
I do cover eyes, ear plugs or overnight meditation. And the other practices you mention … I do all of what you’ve mentioned. People, “like sleep” “not taking responsibility on” … I could go on and on. My “dreams are phenomenal” when connected, “what can I do to not contribute to my problems.”
Leave you with this … a great friend and still is today told me way back … “Kevin you can’t control the past, you can’t control the truth, you can’t control others ….You got the whole day off.”
My wife is in a season of sleep. First was because extreme light blinding migraines we block out our window
now a dark room all the time … results (which are obvious to me, but people have to figure it out as adults) …melatonin dump, serotonin dumps, even dopamine dumps is her cycle.
She is an amazing wo-man, and I believe she will get through over or around it. The door is a great pathway to lighter days.
I absolutely love your videos. Your on point and yes I can relate to no sleeping for days and literally had a breakdown. And do remember not being able to concentrate and irritable and a kinda was like a zombie. It’s extremely difficult to sleep for me as I have a severe dissociative disorder and care for my husband now whom got a traumatic brain injury through a infection that traveled to his brain and it damaged the frontal lobe of his brain and it changed his personality and more aggressive and he gets overwhelmed easily. Although it’s not his fault it’s still difficult to deal with. Thank you for your informative videos and love your music videos. Shrinks drugged me up so much. I got better with a good psychologist and off all the da,n pills that I was told I have to stay on. Bullshit. Lol
Feeling this today.
Wow I haven't seen you in a long time! How are you??? And yes sleep is amazing!!!
Beginning of techniques for falling asleep begins at 7:45 in the video.
I have a bit of (well meant and respectful as always) critique to what you are saying Mr. Mackler. Maybe at first I would just like to add something I think is true of sleeping medication: They are drugs, therefore it can logically be hard to get off them after a longer time taking them, we can totally agree with that, but, and admittedly I have no personal experience with sleeping medication, I think the maybe even greater problem with sleeping medication could be, that they influence your quality of sleep. What I mean by this is, that when you are on drugs, your mind isn't as clear and isn't as effective, which means that your dreaming will be influenced negatively as you can't process as much and as deeply, which is very bad fof your psyche. The other thing I maybe think would worth considering is that people who are depressed, yes, some of them tend to sleep a lot (myself included) and again, what you are saying is totally agreeable that a lot of times it is a way of 'escaping' life, but I wouldn't say it is necessarily always a way of dissociating. Depressed people have a lot of problems from the past and also often present to deal with. So when they stay in bed a lot, it could also be (at times) be a natural and healthy way of taking a break to try to get past things from the past before they go on and overwhelm themselves by trying to do both at once (which people of course should be able to do if their stage of healing is higher, but everything only at a time). Of course, if the depresssed person doesn't get into dealing with the past, it will be just a way of not having to live and dealing with anything. Another thing about 'hypersomnia' is, that people, whose problems are emerging from dissociation, either can't sleep because even their unconcious is overwhelmed by it or they are sleeping a lot (again, we can agree on that), which could also mean that, in fact, at least their unconcious tries very hard to deal with whatever is coming, but for one, it's bodily very consuming, there can be a loth of movement or sweating during sleep, so therefore the sleep isn't as effective bodily and the body will need more sleeping time to recover from the day than usual and for two, the brain actually really needs more time for dreaming, as so much and such hard, desturbing stuff is coming up. The thing about sleeping rythms is, that I think it is not always a good idea to 'force' it where you think it needs to be. Isn't, and I hope you agree, the bedt thing you can do for your mind and body to learn to listen to your body? In some cases, I think it could be even harmful to overgo your sleep needs to get into your regular pattern as soon as possible. I can give you a personal example: I would be working really hard on my inner problems, to the point where it takes my whole energy and wanting it or not, I would sink to sleep within 5 mins into it. I think this is a way of the unconcious saying: This needs my full capacity, I will do it for you, otherwise it is too much. And if somebody tries to wake me up at just that time, I would get incredibly irritated, angry and aggressive, not being really concious yet. My unconcious saying: Stop it now! You need the sleep NOW! And I think in a way that is fascinating.
But I don't know, maybe none of what I said makes any sense. But thank you, for your videos, in a way, they always brighten up my day being reminded of not being such an alien as a very open, self aware person.
Marion Öschelmüller : Beautiful sharing 💕 Thank you 🤗🌸💖
My favorite sleep medication, The Crafsman, here on TH-cam.
True amen. I say it all the time!
Thank You
15:46 Thank you for saving me time by mentioning ear plugs. They have helped me to fall asleep when I had jet lag a couple times, and also now when there are sounds out of my control happening around me during my sleep time.
Hi Daniel! I came to an interesting discovery last night. I often have difficulty getting to sleep and often stay up later and later before going to sleep and have a lot of night rituals which often seem unnecessary and I figured out last night that what might help me is to listen to my body to know when I am tired and then just get ready quickly and sleep. I feel like this attentiveness is often not developed in people because their parents were not attentive to when they were tired. I think that consequently when people grow up they often can't judge for themselves, causing sleeping issues and anxiety. What are your thoughts on this?
I think you're on to something.
With any drug you've used for a period of time, you should be careful when switching off of it. Your body adjusts to the chemicals you take, if you suddenly take away something the body's adjusted to, it becomes grossly imbalanced. To get off a drug you've been using for a long time, taking smaller and smaller doses over a period of time allows the body to slowly adjust to smaller doses of the drug, staying within balance and preventing horrifying side effects. That's how it works with most drugs, anyways.
Most drugs shouldn't be taken long term. Many lose effect over time, many have side effects that become more serious the longer you've used it for, and you'll inevitably want to use another drug at some point, which could have negative interactions with the initial drug. Using the same drugs short term is perfectly fine. Drugs aren't bad because they're drugs, they're bad because you use them wrong (and your doctor might administer them wrong. Educated pharmacists know more about drugs than doctors do, ask them).
Hi there, love the channel, just found it. I've been lucky enough to have had insomnia less than a handful of times my whole life. I have quite the opposite trouble - staying awake. lol. I'm very interested in the topic of sleep, would love to see more videos on the topic. Some things I'm interested in right now are the differences in the effects of regular sleep versus REM sleep. And where dreams come to play into this. Do we only dream during REM? Are our dreams during REM different from non REM? Why is it we remember some dreams and not others? From my personal experience, I feel more rested physically and emotionally if I do not remember dreaming. There is also the interesting fact that SSRI drugs as well as medical cannabis are shown inhibit REM sleep.
All good points, and I learned few new ones. As they say - less sleep, less human. But oversleep can have also pretty negatyve consequences for motivation, in my case at least. Thanks.
Thank you. I liked a lot of what you had to say and you might be interested in the Personal Health System related to Human Design, which breaks the whole topic of sleep down to other levels.
Use a technique called *Paradoxical Intention* to help yourself fall asleep. It's also useful for letting go of obsessive thoughts and phobias.
What about when you sleep but your dreams ain't that bad, it's not nightmare or not particularly sad, sometimes it's even happy. But when you wake up, that's when things starts to hit, you feel depressed, regret, almost every negative feeling starts to come out, and you'll feel like crying so you open TH-cam or anything just to distract yourself or watch videos that are related to what you're feeling.
When i have to drive the following morning early, ill drink half a cup of nightquil (a very small sip) at 8pm and ill have two amazings cycles of sleep. I wake up feeling as fully recharged as possible. The benefits are great im super focused in the morning. My face is relaxed and my skin feels different.
Benedryl is too strong and bad for your liver.
Im glad you mentioned how you would only take something on a long flight. These things if utilitzes intelligently can help us function in good ways.
Really important !!Thank you Daniel, Been thorough much of this.
So interesting to listen to.
Im going thru insomnia now & only able to sleep 1 hour at a time. Im extremely stressed out on every level of life. My roommate is a narcissist. My body's muscles tighten up even worse while sleeping causing bad TMJ. Sometimes deep sleep meditation helps some nights anyway. I never sleep deep or good tho & it sux. I'm a night owl too. Anxiety is the so hard on us. Sleeping pills never work for me & then i have a hangover. Melatonin is a hormone so i would suggest cutting them in 4ths if u take them 💕
Listening to this way past bedtime 🤯. I think I possibly need 9 hours a night in bed resting.
Insomnia as an adult construct of modern times seems valid.
Hail natural sleep.
Americans, we want easy everything.
Good on you for reserving the benzos for certain contexts.
Our society has us coping with modernity abd against our nature with crude science (pharmacology).
Ambien sucks: makes me VERY depressed.
Sleep mask, ear plugs: yes!
Responsibility: I'm irresponsible. Employers are very "contra-som" (and antisocial for that matter).
Naps are bad here too.
I think meditation, journaling, and yoga are good bookends to a day.
Sleep as avoidance: I see that in someone I love.
Circadian rhythm is disrupted by our 24/7 culture.
Drinking lots of water can help against sleep deprivation. Body needs water to function well.
Also eating enough healthy food
And eating not too late at night.
I have read a couple books by sleep specialists and really want to encourage everyone to look into CBT-I and an in patient sleep study!!! Quit 12 years of ambien trazodone yada yada cold Turkey never felt better!!!
about the cycles of the sun... i am quite positive some of my problems with sleep stem from the fact that i live very north. 24h sunlight during summer and hardly any during winter. it really messes you up - especially during winters. i don’t feel very energized but surprisingly not very tired either. it’s like an eternal early night and your body never really knows what to do. i often end up doing stuff til the early hours of morning, go to sleep, and end up missing the couple somewhat sunlight-y hours the day has to offer...
If you are ever in Australia, you can stay with us, just send us a line.
Hi, I've just discovered your videos. Please try the 'Tapping' for Jet lag. TFT, Though Field Therapy, is the original 'tapping' of the meridians on the body, while you are "thinking" of the thing that's bothering you. If you go back to the "cause" of the thing....everything clears. Its like a "do it yourself" Acupuncture. It works on many things and you do not need to know someone's story. 3 of us went to Union Square after 9/11 disaster. We did TFT on many people that day and switched their shattered nervous systems back on. EFT, Emotional Freedom Technique is also the same work as TFT.
Thank you for your videos.
It’s true, what I do in travel is set my watch ahead 2 hrs then slowly get to the time zone I will arrive in then the same before coming back 14 hr trips I make sure I slowly adjust the only time difference I have no problem with is 8 hr difference as I the UK vs Pacific time so 11pm is 7am in Scotland the 8 hr difference
Is very much like a shift change that certain jobs require . Also I dislike changing our clocks back in fall then ahead in spring that’s insane it messes with everyone
In some cultures sleep is like short death soul leaves the body goes to world of souls waking up soul returns
That doorknob to nowhere is terrifying!😳
It's a closet :)
"Tangential". LOL. That's so me when I am not well rested.
Everything to do w/ sleep is a quintessential nightmare. It's years later but I've never become used to looking like an alien while I sleep. That mask & CPAP machine makes me look that way & all this because I had a dream (more than once now) that came true after I had a clinical death/dying experience after being shot in the back and my lung collapsing, sending my lungs & then heart into arrest. My brain was starting to follow suit when they resuscitated me. But increasing my O2 levels did nothing to prevent these dreams. In fact, I prefer the muddled way my dreams came across before the machine & elevated O2 saturation level turned any dream I have crystal clear.
Not sure if there is already a comment about this but melatonin is commonly overdosed, which is not inherently dangerous but can cause morning drowsiness or other side effects. It should be taken in the lowest dose possible, even as low as 0.3 mg. (We can also help our bodies make it by reducing exposure to blue light at night.) The bottle pictured in the video is a common but high dose of 3mg. Melatonin has antioxidant as well as sleep benefits but doesn't work any better for sleep when overdosed. It is interesting, though, that doses of dozens of milligrams have been used in COVID, and doses up to 10mg or so can help and be well tolerated in some other medical conditions. Point well taken regardless that a lifestyle that promotes good sleep is important.
thanks for sharing this! -Daniel
I'm so glad I've come across you!! You're so helpful for me. God is love. God is glorious. God hates sin. 🎉
OMG! I had a medical grade insomnia a few years ago. It was SO PAINFUL! It must have been 3-4 days of psychosis! I had an odd walking gait and would bump into people. My speech was fried.
I really enjoy your posts.Thanks for your contributions to society.
Two words: chamomile tea. Very mild relaxant. Been around for ages. Pretty safe, IMO.
Been reading a bit about sleep and it turns out the brain actually "washes" itself with spinal fluid while we sleep. It actually does repair work like our body would do to muscles we worked out at the gym.
I can't sleep because of your videos. This is so interesting! 😁
Hi Daniel! I’m struggling with acute chronic insomnia for 2 years. I can’t sleep without a pill (I take an AD trazodone 50mg). Someone recommended going to therapy for at least a year. It’s been 10 months and even though I see results in my daily life (self-esteem, boundaries, started feeling repressed anger etc) it doesn’t affect my sleep at all. Without the pills I can be awake for 5 days straight. Could you please advice something? 😢
I've been awake for 7 days before... twice. Yeah, at one point I forgot how to communicate, that part of my brain shut down. I could think what I wanted to say, but it came out wrong. It was part of a alcohol binge, so could be dehydration too.
My inner clock is set to a 25 hours day/night cycle, and after years of trying to change that and failing, I gave up and adapted to it instead, and life has been much better since. Some sleep advice is great, but some advice is a pure nightmare for anyone with my inner cycle, in particular the ”good to bed and go up at the same time every day”. Following that advice ruined my life for years. If I ever meet the guy who came up with it in a dark secluded alley, there is no telling what might happen.
I get refreshing sleep maybe 5x a year. It’s 3AM now. Very typical. I don’t take sleep meds or any meds.
You were an aware teenager. Smart.
My mom works as a train conducter 8 days in a row and when she comes back from work she acts psychotic everything drives her nuts , and before work she also has this snaps and it is like a completely different person
WOW!!! :0 I saved a lot of money. THANK YOU
Yes, It's very hard to sleep.
My husband has a brain injury that has screwed up his sleep, and now I’m in the throes of menopause...I get hot flashes every 10-15 minutes that has me Sweaty and Sleepless in Cyberspace...
It SUCKS!
try an Epson Salt bath. Dr. Mercola on u tube talks about sleep hygiene.
What do you think about herbal supplements use for sleep? Also you mentioned techniques you used to help get to sleep. Could you list those techniques or make a video I'm sure you have a wealth of knowledge.
you traveled so much.. wish you made video about your trips too, about your views on other countries and cultures. like China, from an anthropological point of view China is the opposite of USA, USA is about individualism (both the good and bad aspects of it), China is about collectivism, about the group.. wish you made a video about that cuz it would be such an interesting topic and I'd love to know your opinion on these 2 different ways of life.
A lot of what you say is based on individualism, because you come from the US, I'm from Europe and that's enough to make me feel a little bit different from you.. some think individualism and collectivism are 2 different ways of living that will always co-exist, some others think that one of the 2 is "the next step" of human civilization.. what do you think?
Hi there, Daniel!! Thank you so much for yet another incredibly insightful video!!
I was wondering... could you please share some of the techniques and calming mental exercises you mentioned that work for you??
I see that you did this video about 2 months ago, so you might not ever even notice this comment or question, but I had to at least try.
I just discovered your channel a few days ago, and I've been pretty much binge watching your videos & films ever since, LOL. Hearing your perspective on so many different things has been positively fascinating to me, on a few levels. It's somewhat rare that I actually subscribe to a channel, but yours was an absolute must!
Thank you again,
Kat
Trazodone and hydroxyzine fucking messed me up. I only did it for 19 days and I'm on day 42 of being off from cold turkey
Thee only meds I've ever been prescribed. I'm actually sleeping better than when I was on the meds but man it gave me anxiety and depression I never asked for. You're right. Sleeping is natural. We just need to train our brains. It's not easy at all. But I believe It's highly possible to get your sleep back.
My days when I can't fall asleep are usualy caused by stress and panic attacks. I already made peace with them existing once in every couple of months so now I just go through it. When I can't sleep, I'm so moody the next day, and everyone gets on my nerves and I just want to be alone(even more because I always usualy want to be alone too xD)
I didnt watch the video tbh..
But my first impression on the title is that good sleep is a result of good mental health
Good sleep is good to being a person