Self-experimentation: effective sleep. How to sleep in a short time? The less we sleep, the more fat we get

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Almost a third of their lives people spend on sleep. This process is vital for every person, although in itself it is still rather poorly understood. And while some people sleep eight, nine and even eleven hours a day, others need literally four to five hours to get enough sleep. It has long been known about people who spend on sleep, firstly, it is unrealistic (from the point of view of an ordinary person) little time, and secondly, their sleep and wakefulness patterns cannot be squeezed into the framework of any schedule.

In the USA there is the National Sleep Organization, where experts study all the features of this process. According to their research, for the average person, the best amount of time to sleep is 7-10 hours per night. However, other sleep cycles have been discovered and studied, in which the time for sleep is significantly reduced. The question arises: is it possible, spending only a few hours in a dream, to benefit from it and fully relax?

Most people are familiar with the monophasic sleep cycle. It is he who is used in life by many of us, and besides him, for the most part, we know practically nothing. But this cycle is actually not suitable for everyone, although it seems very practical. And besides it, there are four more sleep cycles, characterized by the fact that much less time is spent on sleep, but beneficial features dreams remain and manifest even more. These cycles are suitable for those who prefer not to spend almost half of the day sleeping, but to devote this time to some useful activities. Below we will introduce you to all the sleep cycles that are known to man today.

monophasic sleep cycle

The monophasic sleep cycle, as already mentioned, is the cycle favored by most of all people. It may consist of various stages, but always consists of one phase. The most important thing in this cycle is the achievement by the human body of the state of rapid eye movement - the state when the human consciousness is already asleep, and his body functions as efficiently as possible, because. the rapid eye movement stage helps the body perform health and body functions. And this stage is reached approximately an hour and a half after falling asleep.

People who follow a monophasic cycle, as a rule, go to bed in the evening (11-12 hours), sleep from 7 to 10 hours and wake up in the morning. It should be clarified: if a person’s activity is associated with a shift mode of work, then, being awake at night, he will sleep during the day, following the same cycle. So, a person wakes up, feels quite good and is ready for a new working day. It is also worth noting here that researchers still do not fully understand why a person needs sleep at all, even if he leads a passive lifestyle, but through observation of animals, it was concluded that sleep is a process necessary for survival.

Biphasic sleep cycle

The biphasic sleep cycle is the first cycle that belongs to the polyphasic sleep cycles, and is the most common of them. At the same time, it is the most practical and convenient for any person to implement. The biphasic cycle consists of two phases: the first phase is a 5-6 hour sleep, the second phase is a sleep that takes from 20 to 90 minutes. As a result, it turns out that the total sleep time can vary from about 5.5 to 10 hours a day.

If we consider this cycle from the point of view positive impact on the body, then we can safely say (based on the results of scientific research) that it is significantly more effective than a monophasic cycle, because not only has a better effect on health, but also improves mood, stimulates the brain, reduces stress and increases the quality indicator of human productivity. Some scientists are even inclined to believe that the biphasic cycle also has a developing effect, i.e. makes a person smarter.

Everyday sleep cycle

The ordinary sleep cycle is a cycle that can suit anyone, just like the biphasic one. But it differs in that it consists of one long phase of sleep, which takes about 3.5 hours, and three short phases of 20 minutes during the day. The philistine cycle was designed specifically to counteract the declines in our brain activity that are caused by our usual biorhythms: circadian, i.e. diurnal and ultradian, the period of wakefulness in which is less than a day.

As a suitable example, the following schedule can be used: the first phase runs from 21:00 to 00:30, and the next three at 04:10, 08:10 and 14:10. It is important to consider here that you cannot sleep in the early morning, for example, from 03:00 to 06:30, because. it is at this time that the likelihood that sleep will be of high quality is very small, which in turn is due to the peculiarities of the circadian biorhythm.

Dimaxion cycle

The Dymaxion cycle is considered the most difficult to perform - only people who have the DEC2 short sleep gene can use it. Such people are classified as "lack of sleep" and for a good sleep they only need one phase of sleep, lasting 4 hours. That is why the Dymaxion cycle is possible for them.

But one should not think that for other people this cycle is unrealistic. In fact, absolutely anyone can use it, it’s just that, most likely, it will turn out to be ineffective. The fact is that in the stage of rapid eye movement, which we talked about above, an ordinary person must spend a certain amount of time. And since The Dymaxion cycle includes a very short time for sleep, which we will discuss later, then the body of an ordinary person simply does not have enough time to rest.

The Dimaxion cycle includes 4 phases of 30 minutes each at different times of the day, which, in general, is only 2 hours a day! But there are people who managed to adapt to the Dimaxon cycle in a slightly different way: their day includes one phase lasting 1.5 hours, two phases of 30 minutes each and another phase of 20 minutes. Total almost 3 hours a day.

Uberman cycle

The Uberman cycle is also called the Superman cycle. This cycle seems even more fantastic, because it consists of six phases of sleep for 20 minutes, which again gives a total of 2 hours a day. Each phase is separated from the previous one by an equal time period, for example at 00:00, 04:00, 08:00, 12:00, 16:00 and 20:00. Sometimes people add two more phases of 20 minutes to these six phases. Then the following picture is obtained: a person should sleep for 20 minutes, for example, at 00:00, 03:00, 06:00, 09:00, 12:00, 15:00, 18:00 and 21:00. It is important to keep in mind that an additional 40 minutes, “located” in the cycle incorrectly, can knock it down, as a result of which the cycle will become ineffective. Uberman cycle users say that any missed 20 minutes of sleep can lead to a state of tiredness, fatigue, exhaustion and a desire to get to bed sooner. Therefore, following the established schedule is very important.

The presented cycle can be quite difficult to use, because. the daily routine of many people (work schedule, etc.) can become a significant obstacle to its implementation. If you decide to "become a superhuman", be sure to think through all the details. And one more thing: people using the Uberman cycle notice that this cycle has a very beneficial effect on the practice of lucid dreams - they become brighter and "alive".

What to choose?

The question of which cycle to choose for yourself is very relevant. The answer to it depends solely on the specifics of your lifestyle. And if the first two polyphasic cycles are more adapted for use, then the Dimaxion and Uberman cycles are much more difficult to introduce into your life. In addition, if you choose them, then be prepared that until you fully adapt (up to 10 days), you will be in a somewhat inhibited state.

In conclusion, I would like to add a few recommendations that will help you adjust to any cycle as quickly as possible and without “complications”:

• Freeing up time for wakefulness, you should know what you will do in your new free hours;
• To adapt to the cycle, it is desirable to have 2-3 more or less free weeks at your disposal. Otherwise, the new regime may adversely affect your activities;
• If you have begun to adapt to a new cycle, in no case do not quit. At first it can be quite difficult, but over time the body adapts and becomes easier. Starting to adhere to any schedule, do not change the time and do not skip sleep phases, otherwise you will have to start all over again;
• Keep in mind that you need to fall asleep in suitable conditions for this, and use an alarm clock, sunlight, music, etc. to wake up;
• Stick to a proper diet and try to eat less fatty foods.

Everything else depends only on your desire and perseverance!

Have you ever wanted to try a new sleep cycle? What did you find most interesting?

How to get enough sleep a short time and how realistic is it? History claims that Napoleon, Gaius Julius Caesar, Margaret Thatcher, da Vinci, Salvador Dali and Churchill had only 4-5 hours a day to sleep. But these were people with very powerful motivation: da Vinci was waiting for a muse, Dali's crazy genius forcibly drove himself into a half-drunk sleepy state, and the iron lady Thatcher preferred to "sacrifice sleep time in order to have a decent haircut." BUT how to get 4-6 hours of sleep an ordinary person who does not need to conquer the world in the morning?

How much sleep do you need to get enough sleep?

Official medicine assures that an adult needs 6-9 hours to recuperate. At the same time, in parallel, there are a lot of experiments that prove that 4-5 hours will be enough, or, conversely, 10 hours will not be enough. For example, American scientists isolated their experimental subjects from daytime sleep and hours for a month, and allowed them to sleep to their heart's content. As a result, they have established a 12-hour schedule - half a day of wakefulness, half a day of sleep. But Napoleon, claimed that "Napoleon sleeps 4 hours, the elderly - 5, the soldiers - 6, the women - 7, the men - 8, and only the sick sleep 9." This leads to the obvious conclusion: how much sleep to get enough sleep, only the person himself can know, sleep patterns are very individual. But with all this, sleep can be made more efficient!

Theories of sleep

classical theory

Our doctors advise to stick to 8 hours of sleep, while going to bed at 22:00. And they explain this with a schedule for the production of hormones in a dream. Healthy weight hormones ghrelin and leptin are produced from 23:00, self-tropic growth hormone is produced 2-3 hours after falling asleep, the protective hormone melatonin is formed only in the dark from midnight to 4 in the morning. It turns out that if you didn’t go to bed on time, it means you are vulnerable to stress and fullness.

Fast sleep technique

But the American theory of Professor Richard R. Budzin advises to go to bed only when you feel like it. BUT how long does it take to sleep, according to his version? Enough and 6 hours, if strictly follow his recommendations. Here they are. Lie down when you want. Use the bed solely for sleeping or sex. If after 10 minutes you have not fallen asleep, get up and continue to be awake so that a strong relationship arises. mattress- fast sleep. Get up at the same time in the morning according to the alarm clock. Don't sleep during the day. It should be added that the professor specialized in the treatment of insomnia, but he did not say anything about increasing personal efficiency during the day.

intuitive theory

It is known that sleep is divided into slow and fast stages, and these stages change cyclically. The most important for rest and recuperation is slow sleep. Therefore, some experimenters act in search of an individual sleep schedule as follows: they do not sleep for a day, in the evening they wait for the moment when they feel unbearably sleepy and fix this hour as the ideal time to go to bed. But if they have not fallen asleep in 5 minutes, then they get up and wait for the next “episode”. And in the morning, it is believed that it is important to wake up in a period of fast superficial sleep. Moreover, closer to dawn, the share of non-REM sleep decreases and the share of REM sleep gradually increases. For this, special devices are used (for example, alarm clocks for iPhone or Android that recognize sleep phases) or an alarm clock is set every time for a new time in 10-minute increments. Experimentally, it turns out when the phase of REM sleep occurs, during which it is easiest to wake up. As a result, we have a strict sleep schedule: on the side - strictly by the hour, we get up at the alarm clock, including on weekends.

Ayurveda

It would be unfair to remain silent about the method used by yogis and most of India for many centuries. It is recommended to sleep from 21:00 to 4:00. From 22:00 to midnight, the body plunges into deep dreams, the energy of happiness penetrates the human brain, and a feeling of complete relaxation is formed. From midnight to 2:00 a person is replenished with vital energy. And by 4:00 the body is filled with the energy of bliss.

Obviously, all methods do not strongly contradict each other and agree that need to get enough sleep qualitatively, not quantitatively. Let's now remember the best helpers of healthy sleep.

The right mattress

You can have an orthopedic bed or a regular one. sofa, the main thing is that you should be comfortable falling asleep on it. Standard requirements are medium hardness and a flat surface. And if you combine a bedroom and a living room, then it is better to choose direct models - for example, the Na-divane.ru website advises such a transformer. Pillow selected individually. Of course, orthopedists recommend sleeping on round rollers (ideally with natural filler - buckwheat husks, juniper shavings), but let's be realistic - pillows should dispose to sleep, and not to a test of willpower.

Good bedding

Here the connection is as follows: the body in a dream has a lower temperature, and an increase in temperature is a signal to wake up. And natural fabrics cotton, satin, silk) support the natural thermoregulation of the body, unlike synthetic fabrics. You can not refuse from the psychological aspect. Director of the online store where it is sold luxury bed linen, Ksenia Ermokhina believes: “A bed set is like good clothes, it should please and decorate you. However, it is not necessarily your silk or cotton bedding should be white or light. It is believed that one sleeps better in dark underwear, and today designers repeat all catwalk trends and prints in home textiles.” As for the color - the true truth: on dark linen, sleep is stronger. This is because the sleep hormone melatonin is destroyed in the light, and dark underwear, unlike white, does not reflect the light of external sources. Yes, by the way, if you decide to purchase luxury bed linen dark colors, then take care of black out blackout curtains.

Soothing scents for the home

aromatherapy- an excellent ally of sound sleep. Scented candles buy can be from lavender, sandalwood, mint collections. Frankincense, patchouli, wormwood, jasmine, oregano, lemon balm also have a relaxing effect. To create the right evening home fragrances, can choose scented candles, aroma lamp or reed diffuser. And it is better to prefer the latter. As site experts explain, a lamp or candle, where lavender and others flavors often mixed with synthetic components, a combustion product is released during the aromatization process. And in reed diffusers, oils are evaporated using reed sticks, the intensity of the aroma can be adjusted, creating a light and unobtrusive fragrance.

We hope that our advice did not drive you into a slumber. And even if so, we have fulfilled our mission - you are halfway to a sound and healthy sleep!

We continue the selection of materials on the topic of dreams. In this publication you will find three articles at once:

• Sleep is the key to your health how to sleep effectively
• The less we sleep, the more we get fat - scientific fact
• Effective sleep system - for those who are interested, a rather voluminous publication by Elena Nabatova

Sleep is the key to your health

Do you get tired quickly and often feel unwell? This is because you do not go to bed at 8 pm and do not wake up at 4 am. This is what specialists who are passionate about the young science, valeology, say.

Useful sleep - until midnight.

According to valeologists, all people by nature are larks. Everyone, without exception, needs to wake up from 3 to 5 in the morning. At this time, all the organs in the body wake up, the blood is renewed. In the kidney, brought to a vertical position, sand and stones do not form, the spine straightens. But it is necessary to go to the side from 20 to 22 hours.

In order for the body to gain strength, in general, you need to sleep for at least 20-24 recovery hours. Only from 10 a.m. to 12 a.m. does the nervous system rest in sleep. Fans of staying up past midnight are waiting for chronic fatigue syndrome.

Valeologists say that from 19 to 20 pm one hour of sleep is equal to 7 recovery hours; from 20 to 21 - 6 hours,

• From 21 to 22 - 5 hours,
• From 22 to 23 - 4 hours,
• From 23 to 00.00 - 3 hours
• From 0.00 to 1.00 - 2 hours
• From 1 to 2 hours - 1 hour
• From 2.00 to 3 - 30 minutes and at other hours - only 15 minutes.

The less we sleep, the more fat we get

Jeanne Milano

Due to the fact that we steal hours from the night, sitting up in front of the TV or surfing the Internet, we sleep less. It's rare to hear someone complain that they've slept too long, it's usually about lack of sleep. We are a sleepy society, and the desire to sleep is becoming an emergency that experts say is assuming the proportions of a hidden epidemic. But sleep is an absolute necessity, and the consequences of insufficient sleep affect the state of health in a variety of ways, manifesting itself in the form of diseases up to cancer, cardiovascular pathologies, diabetes and hypertension. And also overweight, as follows from the results of recent studies.

Unfortunately, medical professionals, as well as the general public, despite the vast amount of accumulated knowledge about the effects of sleep on body systems, know very little about how important it is to maintain a sleep-wake ratio.

The most recent reports come from the United States, with data from 39,000 study participants aged 32-49.

What did the scientists find out? "The one who initial stage study slept less than seven hours a night after 20 years(research started in 1982) more likely to be overweight or, even worse, obesity,” says Giovanni Chizza, an endocrinologist at the National Institutes of Health in Bethesda, one of the authors of an article published in the journal Sleep, which talks about the study. “This confirms what has already been said. From 1992 to the present day, a series of studies point to a strong link between short sleep and a range of health problems," said Emmanuel Mignot, director of the Stanford University Sleep Center, in an interview with the Washington Post.

In this series, obesity is a worldwide problem, and many contributing factors have been identified: excess calorie intake, a diet too rich in fats and refined foods. "Unfortunately, the evolutionary changes in our genome are lagging behind the many changes in our lifestyle," Mignot comments in an editorial in Sleep magazine.

It turned out that the duration of sleep compared with the 19th century was reduced by 20% - by an hour and a half per night. “Over the decades, technical innovations have knocked our body out of its natural rhythm, disrupting the magical biological clock, adjusted to 24 hours. It is a kind of orchestra conductor, coordinating the complex symphony of chemical, hormonal and neural activity of our cells,” explains William S.

According to Dement, founder of the Stanford University Sleep Research Center, each of us needs an average of eight hours of sleep. This need varies from person to person. "Each individual has different needs. The brain tries to achieve this goal: the more we move away from the norm we need, the more actively the brain will try to put us to sleep," he explains. The balance must be restored.

Sleep deprivation may be the cause of excess weight was discussed these days at the annual meeting of the North American Obesity Association in Vancouver, Canada. Sleep is, from an evolutionary point of view, essential to the survival of a species, just like food or sex. The fact that sleep is good for health, positively affects the immune system and is an elixir of longevity, is evidenced by numerous studies.

Whoever sleeps little harms his health and shortens his life. “We now know that lack of sleep increases the release of the stress hormone cortisol. For those who sleep little, the balance between two hormones is also disturbed: leptin, produced by adipose tissue, and ghrelin, which stimulates appetite,” Mignot writes. Leptin, which gives the brain a signal to satisfy hunger, in those who sleep little, turned out to be 20% less than necessary, so the signal was weaker, and ghrelin was 20% more, so the feeling of hunger increased. Ultimately, the coincidence of these two signals leads to excessive food intake.

"From an evolutionary point of view, this mechanism makes sense. In a situation of danger, a human hunter must be awake, he needs energy reserves, such an organism's response was a stimulus to obtain food, but today? The modern equivalent of a state of anxiety pushes only to take a few steps that lead us from the bed to the refrigerator to open it and satisfy the feeling of hunger," Chizza comments.

Findings about the relationship between sleep deprivation and obesity need to be confirmed by additional studies. "IN National Institute health care, we embarked on a new experiment: obese patients who sleep less than six hours a night are recruited, and they are forced to sleep 90 minutes more, and so on for a year. In the end, we will check whether they will lose weight due to sleep and whether the balance between the two hormones, leptin and ghrelin, will be restored," Chizza concludes.

Effective sleep system

Elena Nabatova

• Why are we sleeping?
• System
• Yoga exercises
• Finally

Effective sleep system

• How can you reduce sleep time and increase the period of active wakefulness in an emergency?
• Where can I find a few extra hours for fruitful work?
• What to do when you don’t have time to do anything, you constantly don’t have enough time to complete some things?
• How to sleep less, but at the same time not feel tired and lose energy?
• Will reducing the dose of sleep affect your health?

These and similar questions have repeatedly arisen at seminars and consultations on the organization of time in the context of the discussion of the topic "Resources". The same topic was quite often and actively discussed on the forums of the site www.improvement.ru.

An experience

So, is it still possible to sleep, for example, 4 hours a day and feel at the same time no worse, and even better, than after 8 hours of sleep? Experience confirms that you can feel full of strength and energy, look cheerful, feel fresh and happy, “gush” with new ideas, even completely excluding sleep, in the usual sense of the word. Just by following some simple rules.

Now I sleep from 4.30 to 7 hours a day. Weekends 7 a.m., weekdays 4:30 a.m. I can notice that the need for a seven-hour sleep is gradually disappearing, because I sleep only because I supposedly need to sleep off - this is a stereotype. In fact, these days I feel not better, but worse than on weekdays. There were weeks when I did not sleep at all (it was a pity to waste time sleeping, I wanted to do everything). And then 30 minutes of complete relaxation (more on this below) replaced me with 6 hours of sleep. Efficiency did not decrease, but jumped up sharply. The feeling of satisfaction and confidence did not leave.

And here are the statements of my brave followers from among the active participants in the seminars on TM:

“I began to sleep less, and do more than I originally wanted.”

“The time for sleep has decreased, but at the same time there is no feeling of “lack of sleep”, rather, on the contrary, the activation of consciousness and physical tone.”

“The most curious thing is that in conditions of 3 hours of sleep, I am able to play sports for 2 hours a day and not feel tired.”

“I sleep little, I do a lot, and it is exactly what satisfies me and brings excellent results at all levels - I managed to achieve a lot that I had not even dreamed of before.”

“I decided to join the experiment out of hopelessness: at work there is a blockage, sheer stress, global fatigue, health and appearance are tormented to the limit. Practicing TM methods and the system of effective sleep, I coped not only with my problems, but also solved many problems of my own company, plus there was no depression, fatigue, sickness and pallor in appearance left. In addition, quite unexpectedly, in two or three months I acquired a figure that I never dreamed of.

Perhaps there are other ways, unfortunately, they are not yet known to me, and if someone offers their own or another method, you can only welcome. I myself am ready to be the first to start testing it.

Why are we sleeping?

To begin with, it would be nice to find out why we sleep? It is right to rest our body and our brain. And so that in the morning of the next day we could again proceed to their maximum exploitation.

And what does the body need for proper rest? Exactly! He needs to relax. The same with the brain.

This means that effective rest is the maximum relaxation of the soul and body.

As we fall asleep, we presumably shut down our body and brain, hoping to rest.

But is it really so? Have we ever wake up after a long sleep completely broken with aching joints and bones, with a headache that makes it difficult to concentrate on some business or thought.

Why it happens? It is true, because neither our body, nor even the brain rested, it was only an illusion of rest. During sleep, our brain switches from one form of its activity to another: we see dreams that are most often associated with our reality. Those. all daily problems smoothly flow into another form and continue to pester our brain, like an enemy penetrating our rear or bypassing us from the flanks.

With the brain sorted out a little, but what about the body? Consider this aspect too: when we curl up in balls or sleep with clenched fists, gnashing our teeth, finally having dynamic dreams and sometimes reproducing some movements, our body is in tension, perhaps less than in a normal waking state, but Yet it is difficult to call him as relaxed as possible.

And now we bring these conclusions together and what do we get?

And here's what. In order to achieve complete relaxation of the body and brain, soul, or something else (if desired), it is not at all necessary to sleep. We sleep by inertia. I can already hear the whistle of stones flying over my head and loud cries: “Delirium, this is impossible, nonsense.” This opinion is quite widespread, which speaks of the mass inertia of thinking, and this narrative is not intended to lead a long debate, so let's dwell on another thesis.

Is it still possible to sleep, but in such a way that this process, with a small amount of time spent on it, really turns into a good rest? It is possible and even to prepare as much as possible for the further continuation of an active and fruitful life, staying in a dream not as long as is customary (here I mean the generally accepted 8-hour or longer sleep), but as much as we need, arbitrarily reducing it from 6 to 2 hours.

And now, a few words about how you can reach such a life?

Relax and enjoy the process of very specific actions, including physical ones.

It is difficult to achieve this, but it is possible.

System

Firstly, after 5 o'clock in the morning, sleep is restless and incomplete, absolutely useless and even harmful. The most effective time for sleep is from 22 to 24 hours. It is these hours that a person who is concerned about his health and longevity should use for relaxation. Going to bed no later than 10 o'clock in the evening, people noted that they wake up at 2 or 3 o'clock and cannot fall asleep. I advised them not to force themselves and not to force their body to sleep if it does not want to. This state is called: “have had enough sleep already”. We get up and do some useful things, reading, creativity, information search, work tasks are going very well, not to mention meditation. Such a dream gives a wonderful rest and the opportunity to live and work energetically and fully all day long until ... 22 hours. Then again "bainki". If for some reason it is not possible to lie down at the indicated time, see the following rules.

Secondly, be sure to spend at least 15 minutes in the “Corpse Pose” (Sawa sana). This complete relaxation makes it possible to restore strength and increase efficiency. Reduced need for sleep as this pose replaces 3 hours of sleep at night!

Thirdly, consider the following rather banal, but in our case important factors:

• do not sleep with the lights on;
• the room where you are going to indulge in sleep should not resemble a crypt, it is better to fill it with fresh air;
• plants emit carbon dioxide, so it would be good to move them to other rooms that do not function as a bedroom;
• if there is a need for night clothes, then let them be comfortable, light, made of natural fabrics;
• the back should be straight, so soft mattresses and high pillows, alas, down.

Fourthly, to observe a certain and very pleasant order of awakening. It consists in "sipping with passion." First, place the legs side by side. Then we stretch one leg as far as possible, then the other. Can be repeated 2-3 times. Takes 3 minutes, and benefits for the whole day. Strengthens nervous system, stretches the spine, has a rejuvenating effect on the entire body.

Fifth, you should adhere to some already beaten "carrot" principles in nutrition.

• The most important thing is not to pass, eat only when really hungry. Especially in the evening before going to bed, do not “thump” your stomach to the eyeballs with bakery and sandwich differences.
• Drink 1-2 glasses of water in the morning on an empty stomach.
• Include 2 walnuts and 5 fresh apples in your daily diet.
• Eat with concentration, with pleasure, without being distracted by extraneous thoughts and actions.
• Try to avoid fatty foods.

Do not consume one type of starch during one meal: rice with bread or potatoes. Starch with protein (eggs, meat) is also not advisable to mix.

Eat more vegetables and fruits. It is advisable to eat fruits before meals and preferably an hour before (contribute to digestion and active absorption of nutrients), and not after (encourage the processes of food decay, which leads to negative consequences).

It is better to drink not immediately after eating, but after the same hour or an hour and a half. Drinks should not be too hot or too cold.

Sixth, small yoga practice exercises

1. ASANA (for sleep).

Performed on the floor for 15 minutes.

1. We sit on the floor, legs stretched out in front of us, hands behind the back, palms rest on the floor, fingers pointing towards the body, but not away from it. The back is straight.

2. Raise the left leg slightly, bend the right leg and lower the left leg hovering in the air onto it.

It turns out half of the pose in Turkish (right leg), and half is extended at right angles to the body (left leg). Now we tilt the body forward, we take out our toes with our hands.

In this case, one hand overlaps with the other, and the head is raised so that the gaze rests on the toes. We are in this position until we count to 12 with a measured score. You can start counting from eight, gradually increasing the period of stay in the pose.

Then we slowly lower our head and strive to bring it as close to our knees as possible. Again, count up to 12. Well, okay, up to 8.

Repeat a similar exercise with the right leg, bending the left.

2. Now sit up straight again, legs extended at right angles to the body. And again went to the slope. The back is straight, the spine is extended, we contemplate the toes, after the account has already been entered, we lower our head and again to our knees. We sat like this for several minutes, counting to 12 or 8 (we try not to sob from overexertion and do not strain until we lose consciousness), slowly return to the starting position.

3. Hands behind the body, palms away from the body this time. Gradually we lean back, stretching the whole body, arms extended, straight. We throw our head back so that we could see the wall behind us and in this position we freeze until we count to 12 (8) or read, we sing our favorite line.

“Some kind of savagery,” those who tried their luck after the first time will say, and it is very difficult to refute such a statement, which I am not going to do, but in a few days this opinion will change radically, thanks to the amazing results. It is important to do them regularly, not paying attention to all the difficulties of the First Stage.

And, most importantly, to catch the fun during the process! Feel your body and it will respond positively. Listen to yourself during the exercises, focus on them and on the reaction of your body.

4. Returning to the starting position, we raise both legs (difficult, but necessary), holding them with our hands in the air, slightly leaning back with the body. We keep on the same account 12 (or using another unit of time).

5. Remaining in the starting position, we slowly twist, i.e. placing an elongated left hand behind the right knee (hand at the level of the ankle), which is bent, we try, despite all the existing stereotypes regarding our body, to turn so as to see the left corner of the room. We repeat everything to the right.

6. And finally, we raise our legs up, first straight, then tilt them slightly to the side behind the head, then lower them so that the socks touch the floor (for starters, you can substitute a low stool, cabinet, other object). And now we perform a deadly number: we stretch our arms behind our heads, lower them (behind our heads) and legs so that they are knees near our ears, no more, no less.

And do not forget about the account. It is the same everywhere - at first 12 (can be 8).

In the future, the duration can be increased to 16, 20, 24, etc.

7. From the previous position, slowly flow into the prone position. We spread our arms to the sides. The beauty! The buzz is rare. LET'S RELAX.

2. POSTURE OF THE CORSE (SAVA SANA)

We remain (preferably on the floor and without any pillows) in the same pleasant position with outstretched legs and arms. Let's make sure that there are no drafts and objects in the room that can interfere with us in the next 15 minutes.

We focus all our attention on our body. We dismiss with indignation thoughts that stubbornly strive to seep into our consciousness. And yet we relax. You can start with any part of the body or organ. This will work out over time. The best option will be determined after daily practice. But, conditionally, let's start with the head. Let's focus on it. First, at the highest point of the head. We say to ourselves: "My head relaxes, freed from tension and thoughts." At the same time, we feel how the process has begun. We do the same with the forehead, eyebrows, eyes, and other parts of the face. After the neck, we finish with an internal speech module: “My head is absolutely relaxed, free from tension and thoughts.” Okay. It is already felt as the body is poured with a pleasant heaviness. But we continue, aggravating the relaxation. Shoulders, chest, arms (up to the fingers and in turn: left, right), heart, liver ... (internal organs), back, hips, calves, ankles, feet (also in turn: left, right). We do not forget a single organ and part of the body, always ending with the phrase “My, mine, mine ... absolutely (completely relaxed (a, s), there is no tension.” Having reached the toes, listen again to your body, feel that you are nothing do not feel.Repeat everything in reverse order: towards the head.When finished, enjoy an unusual state of lightness and pleasant bliss.

We come out of the pose gradually. Let's move our toes, fingers, close our lips, take a few breaths. Now you can slowly rise. No sudden movements!

We do not get up immediately, we will sit for several minutes on our haunches, with our heads buried in our knees, feet pressed to the floor. Also very useful exercise. In addition, it helps to get out of a state of complete relaxation.

3. Pranayama (conscious breath control)

Breathing exercises - 5.10 minutes. We sit on our knees (the pelvis is pressed to the feet) or in Turkish (you can also sit on a chair, knees at a right angle) and your back must be even. We breathe with our belly. Inhale on the count of 1, stick out the stomach. Exhale at the expense of 2, glue the intestines to the spine - we retract the stomach as much as possible. So we repeat 3, 6 or 9 times.

4. Pratyahara

Set for sleep or meditation - 5 minutes. We just breathe (preferably with the stomach), focusing on breathing. We inhale positive energy, exhale all the negativity, stress, illness, fatigue. It is important to feel it, you can pronounce it “to yourself”.

5. POSITION

Sleep posture control (adoption of the optimal posture for healthy sleep). We lay down on our backs. It is desirable that the head is not too high. We disperse positive energy throughout the body. There was a pleasant warmth. We do not strain and do not think about anything, we try in any case. We fall asleep.

It is not immediately possible to fall asleep without thinking about daytime problems, you do not have to strain yourself and resist their powerful onslaught with terrible force. Blocking them regularly will eventually do the trick.

6. ASANA (towards the day)

The upper set of exercises - 15 minutes.

It is necessary to stand up straight, it is better to face east, it is difficult, shakes after sleep, but still.

Raise your hands up, lean back a little, count to the account accepted by us in the evening. Then lean back a little. First left, then right.

Raise the left leg, pull it with your hand so that it rests on the inside of the thigh of the right leg, as high as possible. Hands at chest level, palms pressed to each other, elbows to the sides. We stood as long as we could. Dropped a leg. We repeat everything on the right.

Raise your hands up and head behind them. Stay like this until the end of the count 12 (8).

Then we slowly bend down lower and lower until we rest our palms on the floor and at the same time, we don’t squat down on our haunches, but quite the opposite, we try to keep our legs straight, even if they tremble. We'll have to be patient. If this is still not available, then at first you can slightly bend your knees, and place your hands at a possible distance from your legs. We enjoy feeling how the body comes to tone.

The next step is to crawl into a ready-to-push-up position, the body is straight, elongated, as well as the hands that hold it. Now we need to bend them at the elbows and hold out like this on the account accepted by our "firm".

Then we drop to the floor. No, we do not fall flat, but smoothly move into a prone state.

Hands to the elbows lie on the floor, palms down. Raise the head and upper body to the waist. Moreover, we transfer the load to the body, and not to the hands. They stayed in this position for the prescribed period of time.

Yeah, lie down and that's enough, up again, "in the pose of a stretching dog": Legs are straight, arms too, we pull the butt back. How? Up... yes, yes, yes.

We stand straight, the feet are pressed to the floor, the straight body is tilted slightly forward. Head down. We freeze in this position. Breathe, recover

Now let's straighten up.

7. ATTENTION!

Don’t even start “dirty”, especially for pranayama, asanas and meditation

Bath / shower: at least half an hour before or after class

Meal: plentiful at least 2 hours before, and modest 1 hour before the start.

Finally

Physical exercise is only the first step on the path of self-harmonization. But even this is already enough to feel certain changes. And the results won't be long in coming. Elimination of stress and situations leading to it, self-organization, harmony with the world and oneself, self-elimination of most problems, the emergence of joy and meaningfulness of life, the achievement of desired goals (no matter how unthinkable they may be), physical and psychological recovery - and this is not an exhaustive list of useful that the practitioner of this system will receive.

I'll be happy to answer any of your questions or feedback. I sincerely wish you all success and satisfaction from the processes and achievements!

Nabatova Elena,
director of the ByteInform Consulting and Analytical Center.

On February 13, 1972, Michel Siffre climbed into a cave in southwest Texas. It took 6 months before he saw the light of day again. Siffre is a French scientist and pioneer in the field of chronobiology (the science that studies biorhythms). The most well-known of the biological rhythms is the circadian, which controls the periods of sleep and wakefulness. It was to study the principles of this rhythm that Siffre went to voluntary imprisonment in a cave.

Conditions for the next six months were at least Spartan. Michel lived in a tent set up on a small wooden platform - however, he had a bed, a table, a chair, and even a telephone to connect with the world. The underground dwelling was equipped with a single light bulb, dimly illuminating mountains of frozen food and 800 gallons of water. Siffre did not have clocks, calendars, or other devices to tell what time it was or what time of day it was on the surface. In such conditions - and also in complete solitude - Michel lived for six months.

During the first days, the tester's biological clock did not change much. He later recalled: “The quality of the sleep was great! The body itself determined when to sleep or eat, which is very important. According to the results, my sleep-wake cycle was not 24 hours, like people on the surface, but a little more - about 24 hours and 30 minutes. But sometimes Siffre's body went into a 48-hour cycle, in which he was awake for 36 hours, after which he slept for 12 hours.

The work of Siffre and others has helped spark scientific interest in sleep issues, for example, by establishing sleep research centers at major universities such as Harvard and the University of Pennsylvania. Considering that we spend almost a third of our lives sleeping, it's hard to believe that this topic has not yet been thoroughly studied.

In this article, we will talk about the "science of sleep" - we will look at how this process works, and we will formulate a number of recommendations for improving the quality of sleep and, accordingly, the energy level during periods of activity. So let's go.

Sleep Problems: How Many Hours Do You Really Need?

To answer this question, consider experiments conducted at the University of Pennsylvania and the University of Washington. The researchers collected 48 healthy men and women who slept approximately 7-8 hours a night. Then they divided the subjects into 4 groups, the first of which "pulled out a short straw" - the group members had to stay awake for three days in a row. Members of the second group fell to sleep for 4 hours a day. The third group was a little more fortunate - they were allowed to sleep for 6 hours. And the fourth group, as you might guess, did not change their habits, giving the standard 8 hours of sleep.

The final three groups—4, 6, and 8 hours—were measured for two consecutive weeks of sleep. Throughout the experiment, the subjects were tested for mental and physical performance. And that's what happened.

Subjects who slept for 8 hours showed no decline in cognitive or motor skills, or difficulty concentrating during the 14-day study. At the same time, in groups with 4- and 6-hour periods of sleep, the indicators steadily decreased. The "four-hour" group performed the worst, but the people who slept 6 hours did not fare much better. In particular, there are two most notable aspects.

1. Sleep deprivation is a cumulative problem. According to the researchers, the effect of lack of sleep is largely cumulative, the negative aspects are more pronounced over time. After a week, 25% of the participants in the six-hour group fell asleep occasionally during the day. After two weeks, the same group showed a performance deficit equal to two days without sleep. That is, if you sleep six hours a day for two weeks in a row, then your physical and mental performance will decrease to the same level as after 48 hours without sleep.

2. Participants did not notice their own decline in performance. When participants self-evaluated their performance, they found that performance declined in the early days and then returned to baseline. In reality, the results were getting worse day by day.

In other words, we are extremely subjective judges of our own effectiveness. In the real world, full of well-lit office spaces, conversations with colleagues, caffeine and more, you may feel completely awake even if your actual productivity is far from normal. You may think that your work efficiency is almost unchanged with a lack of sleep, but this is not the case. And even if everything suits you with your energy level, you are unlikely to put in enough effort, which others will probably notice.

How much does sleep deprivation cost?

The irony is that many of us suffer from sleep disorders - and therefore, work much less efficiently than we could. At the same time, by giving less sleep, we can theoretically work more, but the decline in productivity ruins the benefits of additional hours.

In the United States alone, research has shown that sleep disorders cost businesses more than $100 billion annually (based on efficiency and productivity cost estimates). Gregory Belenky, director of the sleep center at the University of Washington, writes, "If you're doing a mentally demanding job, you trade your wake time for productivity."

All this brings us to an important question - at what point do the negative effects of sleep deprivation begin to accumulate and make themselves felt? When exactly does performance start to drop? Studies show that the tipping point occurs at about 7 to 7.5 hours of sleep per night. Generally speaking, experts agree that adults need between 7 and 9 hours of sleep per night to function optimally. In other words, the 95% of adults who regularly sleep less than 7 hours suffer significant declines in mental and physical performance.

Therefore, most adults should sleep for about eight hours, and teenagers and the elderly - even more.

How does sleep work?

The quality of sleep is determined by a process called the sleep-wake cycle. There are two important parts of this cycle.

1. Deep sleep phase;
2. Phase of REM sleep (or rapid eye movement).

During slow, deep sleep, the body relaxes, breathing becomes more even, falls arterial pressure and the brain becomes less sensitive to external stimuli. This stage is critical for resting your body. In the process of deep sleep, growth hormone is much more actively produced, which is responsible for tissue growth and muscle repair. Researchers also believe that at this stage, recovering the immune system organism. The deep sleep phase is especially important if you are a professional athlete. You may have heard that many famous athletes sleep for a long time - 11, 12 hours a day.

One example of the impact of sleep on physical performance is a study of Stanford basketball players. During the study, subjects fell for at least ten hours a day (compared to their usual eight hours). During five weeks of extended sleep, the scientists measured basketball players' accuracy and speed compared to previous performance levels. As a result, regular shots improved by 9%, the number of "three-point" hits increased by 9.2%, and players when sprinting 80 meters were faster by an average of 0.6 seconds. So, if you play sports or often experience physical exercise, then increasing the phase of deep sleep is a real way to increase productivity.

REM sleep is a slightly different matter. With it, your brain kind of “comes back to life” and reorganizes the information. During this phase, the brain filters unnecessary data, improves memory, and connects what happened in the last 24 hours with previous experiences. This process also promotes neuronal learning and growth. The body temperature rises, at the same time the pressure and heart rate rise. As a rule, this phase takes place in short stages 3-5 times a day.

Without a competent alternation of both phases of sleep, the body begins to literally die. A person subjected to sleep deprivation cannot restore physical resources, his immune system weakens, his consciousness becomes clouded. Moreover, it increases the risk viral infections, weight gain, diabetes, high blood pressure, heart disease and mental illness.

To summarize: if in the deep sleep stage you recover physically, then in the fast stage - mentally, mentally. The amount of time spent in these phases decreases with age, which means that the body's ability to regenerate also decreases.

How does sleep change with age?

According to researchers at Harvard Medical School, “as people age, it becomes harder to fall asleep, the so-called sleep delay increases, and its effectiveness, or the percentage of time spent sleeping from the time spent in bed, decreases.”

Based on the analysis of the data in the table above, it turns out that an 80-year-old person spends 62% less in deep sleep than an average 20-year-old. There are many factors that affect the aging of body cells, but it is obvious that if you do not get enough sleep in the deep phase necessary for recovery, then destructive processes are accelerated.

In other words, we can say that quality sleep is one of the most important "cure" for old age.

How to recover if you do not get enough sleep?

But no matter how old you are, at any age a person needs 7.5-8 hours of sleep to function as efficiently as possible. Since older people often suffer from insomnia at night, they make up for the deficit with daytime sleep.

This can be a good strategy for getting the hours of sleep you need in a 24-hour cycle. However, it is better not to break these hours into short periods throughout the day: instead of sleeping 4 times for 2 hours, it is better to give sleep 2 periods of 4-4.5 hours, according to experts at Harvard Medical School.

Research has shown that our bodies have an amazing ability to regain efficiency from sleep deprivation. For example, even if you only slept 2-3 hours last night, the negative effects are offset if you get 9-10 hours of sleep the next night. That is, by increasing the duration of sleep by only 1-2 hours, you will completely compensate for the lack of sleep last night - you will just spend more time in the deep and fast phases, which will smooth out the negative effects.

That is, you should not worry and calculate the phases of deep and REM sleep - this is pointless, because your body is smarter than you in this area. You won't be able to consciously put yourself into the deep phase for much longer - but your body can do it if needed. Therefore, all that depends on you is to give enough hours of sleep, and the rest of the body will figure it out on its own :)

But of course, the body will not be able to turn a deficit into a surplus - if you have not slept for a long time, then spend more time sleeping than usual for several days. Plus, it pays to get more sleep as you get older, as it takes the average 60 year old about 10 hours to get as much deep sleep as a 20 year old in just 7 hours.

But what dictates our sleep-wake cycle? Answer: circadian rhythm. This is the name of the biological cycle, which consists of various processes that occur with our body over a period of approximately 24 hours.

Here are some key points of a typical 24-hour cycle:

6am: Cortisol levels rise, which wakes up your brain and body;
7 am: Melatonin production stops;
9 am: sex hormone peak;
10 am: mental peak;
2:30 pm: Optimal motor coordination;
3:30 pm: Best reaction time;
5 p.m.: Highest cardiovascular and muscle performance;
7 pm: highest blood pressure and body temperature;
9 pm: melatonin begins to be produced, the body prepares for sleep;
2 am: Deepest sleep;
4 am: Lowest body temperature.

Of course, these time frames are not rigidly set - it is rather a schematic representation of the circadian rhythm. The exact numbers in each case are highly dependent on the time of year, daylight, your habits, etc.

Three main factors influence the circadian rhythm: light, time, and melatonin levels.

Light. Probably the most significant factor in the circadian rhythm. Staring into a bright light source for about 30 minutes will reset your circadian rhythm, no matter what time of day it is. Most often, it is the sunrise and the light penetrating through the closed eyelids that provokes the transition to a new cycle.

Time. The time of day, your usual schedule, and the order in which you complete tasks greatly affect your individual sleep-wake cycle.

Melatonin. A hormone that causes drowsiness and controls body temperature. Melatonin is produced in a predictable circadian rhythm, rising after dark and decreasing before dawn. Researchers believe that it is the production of melatonin that maintains a roughly consistent sleep-wake cycle over time, and makes it difficult to change.

How to sleep better?

Now that we understand the mechanics of sleep, let's talk about how to improve its quality.

Avoid caffeine. If you are having trouble falling asleep, eliminating this ingredient from your diet is the best strategy. If you find it difficult to do without a morning cup of coffee, then make it a rule not to drink this drink at least after dinner. This will give your body enough time to neutralize the effects of caffeine before bed.

Give up tobacco. Whether you prefer smoking, chewing or snuff, it doesn't matter. Tobacco use is associated with many body problems, including the quality of sleep.

Make use of the bedroom. Does your bedroom promote good sleep? Ideal conditions it will be dark, cool and quiet Environment. Don't turn your bedroom into a multipurpose coworking space. Eliminate electronics and clutter to eliminate distractions and make falling asleep easier.

natural sleeping pills

Exercises. At exercise there are too many benefits to list them all in the format of this article. When it comes to sleep, exercise will help your body and brain “switch” at night. The role of exercise only increases with age, because athletic and fit middle-aged people sleep much better than their overweight peers.

Just one word of caution: avoid exercising two to three hours before bedtime, as physical and mental arousal can activate your nervous system - it will just make it harder for you to calm down and fall asleep quickly.

Temperature. Many people sleep better in cool rooms. The ideal range in most cases is between 18 and 21 degrees Celsius.

Noise. Silence is a key factor in quality sleep. If you find it difficult to find a quiet and peaceful place, try to control the surrounding sounds by creating a pleasant "background noise" - for example, by turning on the fan. In the end, birushi, too, has not yet been canceled.

Alcohol. The most slippery path. Indeed, a small dose of alcohol helps you fall asleep, but you will spend less time in the deep phase. This will reduce the quality of your sleep and you won't feel really rested. It's probably better to try other methods.

How to fall asleep correctly?

Stick to a regular schedule. The body loves rituals. The entire circadian rhythm described above is essentially one big daily routine. Therefore, you should go to bed and get up at about the same time.

Low power rule. Light from computer screens, TVs, or smartphones can interfere with melatonin production, which means you'll have a harder time getting into deep sleep. Therefore, a great help can be the habit of turning off all the equipment an hour or two before bedtime. Also, don't work late - you'll also have a hard time falling asleep. Instead, read a book. This is a great way to learn something useful at the same time, and smoothly calm the nervous system before going to bed. Or at least turn down the screen brightness on your phone :)

Use relaxation techniques. Research shows that at least 50% of insomnia is a product of emotion or stress. Find ways to reduce negative emotions in your life and you will quickly notice an improvement in the quality of your sleep. The proven methods are: breathing techniques, meditation, physical exercises.

How to be more energetic in the morning

The best way to get more energy is to sleep more :) But you can also refer to the following tips.

A glass of water at the beginning of the day. A large glass of water will help restore fluid imbalances after 6-8 hours of sleep. Feeling sluggish in the morning is often due to dehydration.

Start your day in sunshine. The light of the sun is a great coffee substitute :) Natural light in the morning is an essential component of starting the circadian rhythm, waking up the brain and body for the whole day. Therefore, you may be surprised to find that in the summer (or on a sunny winter morning) you don’t really need a cup of coffee to wake up. However, long and cloudy winters can be difficult to do without caffeine.

Instead of a conclusion

It turns out that lack of sleep deprives companies of billions of dollars of additional income. Also, lack of sleep deprives people of a significant part of mental activity and physical efficiency. This is a serious but surmountable barrier between you today and your optimal performance in the future.

A simple, but surprisingly underestimated in our culture, solution to these problems is to sleep a little more. Follow the tips in this article to develop more productive sleep-wake habits. Trust me, your body and mind will thank you for it.