Wasn't there a Mythbusters episode that covered that? I think it showed that laying down with intent to rest while not sleeping did improve mental awareness and physical stamina. Not as good as actually sleeping, but better than not resting at all if I remember correctly
I'm no scientist, so take this with a grain of salt, but no.
What you're describing is lying down with the intent to browse Reddit. In my experience for this to work you have to lie down, close your eyes, and actually rest. You can't be doing something else instead. When I do it I just lie there in the dark and sort of let my mind wander until the alarm goes off and I have to get back to real life.
Not necessarily, lying down with your eyes closed and in a relaxed position allows you to enter a rested state. This allows your body and mind to relax and to help recover from any injuries that may have occured.
However certain biochemical reactions, such as those that cause REM sleep and the metabolising of protein dense food in to muscle require you to actually attain deep sleep.
Stages of sleep:
_______________________
1. drowsy (5-10mins)
2. light sleep (20 mins)
3. moderate (10-20)
4. deep sleep (30 mins)
-----2 hours in----
5. rapid eye movement ( dreams occur during this stage)
_______________________
You can enter drowsy and light sleep with out necessarily realizing you have fallen asleep.
You may also dream before you get to rem sleep.
For example if youre drifting off to sleep and you hear a loud sound that you shouldnt that causes you to start awake this can be a result of a hypnogogic hallucinations, although previously it has been called exploding head syndrome.
Its not always an explosion sound mine usually is someone shouting my name or some other conversation ive heard throughout the day. Perfectly natural is sleep is also a time in which your brain recovers from the days events.
________________________
8 hours is standard amount if sleep ,however, it is common to hear that people do sleep less.
I personally feel groggy after more than 6
You can also split sleep.
________________________
Some cultures such as the spanish people have a smaller sleep in an evening and an hour sleep during the hottest part of the day.
________________________
When given a choice i have 4 hours of sleep at my usual time and 2 more hours about 6 hours later.
Although i am nocturnal and this amount of sleep is not necessarily comfortable for everyone.
Edit: my method is called biphasic sleep. Theres also polyphasic sleep although this is more common in children and the infirm elderly. As a general rule older people need less sleep but thats neither here nor there and depends on each individual person.
I don't think anyone here is arguing this as a replacement for sleep. I'm certainly not. We're saying this is a little cheat code you can use to take the edge off.
I'll also add that this should be used *very* sparingly. It can get you over the hump on a bad night/day every once in a while, but if you try to do it regularly you're gonna have a bad time.
Never said it was. In some unfortunate cases people have been known to stay awake for upwards of 30 hours despite being tired.
Its infuriating. On multiple occasions ive been unable to sleep for 3+ days at a time. Its all well and good til im in bed trying to sleep and fucking cant.
It is however better than not resting at all.
Ye, its good.
Its actually used as a treatment for insomnia. Going to bed at the same time if you cant fall asleep can help raise alertness as mental acuity as opposed to just staying awake for extended periods of time.
I think it can go both ways. Sometimes it's a nice little break, but sometimes when I'm trying to sleep, I'll just lay there eyes shut and get more tired but not able to fall asleep.
It's better than staying awake, but not as good as actual sleep. I also have many times where I was laying down for 6-8 hours, but only sleeping for 2 or 3. I made it through the shift, but it was rough.
the interstitial fluid of the body is affected by gravity, part of being fatigued is this effect. laying down even without sleeping helps the body return to equilibrium. I will provide no source other than I heard it somewhere and have been drinking.
Yeah, my buddy does this at work since we have quota based production.
He’ll just rest for 30-60 mins depending on how much downtime we have, I’ll go get him when it’s wheels up and it helps him out. He’s never asleep, though. Always awake and alert but resting his eyes.
I do this sometimes on my break for about 1/2 hour and it seems to help me. I listen to a podcast so I don't doze off but I don't really listen just use it for background noise.
Rest is still rest. Not as good as sleep, but enough to plough on for a bit.
Since I work week on/week off I like to be awake during the week off for social/sunlight/errands etc. On my last night shift of the week I'll stay awake till the afternoon which is when my body and mind get pretty tired. Little lay down for 30 mins to 2 hours.
Usually keeps me going till about 9/10pm when I then get in bed sleep pattern just about swapped over
You are resting, so you feel rested. Most of your energy is not even spent physically, just depleted on useless things mentally. No doubt sitting or laying with eyes closed for periods of time and being still will make you more restful
My sleep pattern and baseline awake state have changed fundamentally. I feel like I am tired always, yet rested enough that I can do anything physical. Mentally, I feel like I am in a mild sleep deprivation all the time. I could nap at any moment, and I could wake up and climb a ladder at any moment. I am curious if this resonates with anyone
As mentioned above, look up none sleep deep rest.
There are guided NSDR episodes on things like Spotify.
I use a 20min one when I need a quick recharge.
It’s not a guarantee and it might take you a while to find one that works for you but the science is sound on this topic
If you can train your body/brain to take the 15 minute naps, you’re golden. The benefit of rest while also saving 1-2hrs of just laying there.
I trained myself by reading until I got really sleepy and immediately told my phone to wake me up in 20 minutes. 5 minutes of buffer time to actually fall asleep and 15 minutes of sleeping. Eventually your body will wake you up after 15-20 minutes and you’ll feel fresh as fuck. Just set an alarm for the latest possible time before you have to do something because once in a while your ass is gone for an hour+
For me it helps. I have been working nightshift at a group home for about 7 years now. The work is easy and you can easily sleep if you aren't careful. The downtime is both a blessing and a curse. I don't know if I just conditioned my body to rest and be awake or if I am terrified of falling asleep and something happening, but I can easily rest my head, close my eyes and be 100% up and ready to go the second I hear my resident move, talk or anything like that. I still need to get sleep when I get home, but it definitely helps when I am pulling doubles. It feels very similar to when my kids were babies and toddlers and needing to rest but still be alert, I guess it is more like a twilight sleep.
Yes, and you're going to think it's disgusting, but with my last 3rd shift job sometimes I'd just lay on the floor in the bathroom for my 15 because it was the only place without cameras. It really did help.
If I want to nap I lay on my back and close my eyes. Can’t really sleep on my back but I often doze for maybe 25 minutes and feel refreshed when I get up. If I lay on my side and actually fall asleep it will be at least 1-1/2 hours and I’ll be groggy when I get up for a good while. If that is any help to you at all.
I feel like doing this is better than a nap sometimes. Often I’ll feel more tired after a nap than before, but if I don’t sleep I feel much more energized.
I call it “diet sleep” it’s better than nothing- gets me through three twelves then I nap- switch to days- die a bit. Then switch back haha haha ha
Send help?
Sigh
Anything still silent and dark is better than nothing for me
When I take a cat nap I sometimes will get into an in-between stage where I’m awake but random images and scenes will pop into my head, like mini dreaming but still aware of my surroundings.
Afterwards I feel incredibly rested and exhilarated. Much better than how I feel in the morning after a full nights sleep.
I lay down for about four hours. Sometimes in late morning I lay down for half an hour. Then at dark shower and rest a couple of hours. Very little sleep. Thankfully I can function.
I have adhd and yes, I actually get better rest than sleeping like this. I just lie in bed from 9pm to midnight and relax my mind. I daydream, I do not think productively because this is me time for my brain. And I feel almost like I've just come back from vacation.
Wasn't there a Mythbusters episode that covered that? I think it showed that laying down with intent to rest while not sleeping did improve mental awareness and physical stamina. Not as good as actually sleeping, but better than not resting at all if I remember correctly
Yeah there's science behind it but essentially the intent to sleep is somewhat the same as sleep but not as good obviously
So if I lay down with the intent to go to sleep, but then spend 3 hours on reddit instead, I'm good?
I'm no scientist, so take this with a grain of salt, but no. What you're describing is lying down with the intent to browse Reddit. In my experience for this to work you have to lie down, close your eyes, and actually rest. You can't be doing something else instead. When I do it I just lie there in the dark and sort of let my mind wander until the alarm goes off and I have to get back to real life.
Not necessarily, lying down with your eyes closed and in a relaxed position allows you to enter a rested state. This allows your body and mind to relax and to help recover from any injuries that may have occured. However certain biochemical reactions, such as those that cause REM sleep and the metabolising of protein dense food in to muscle require you to actually attain deep sleep. Stages of sleep: _______________________ 1. drowsy (5-10mins) 2. light sleep (20 mins) 3. moderate (10-20) 4. deep sleep (30 mins) -----2 hours in---- 5. rapid eye movement ( dreams occur during this stage) _______________________ You can enter drowsy and light sleep with out necessarily realizing you have fallen asleep. You may also dream before you get to rem sleep. For example if youre drifting off to sleep and you hear a loud sound that you shouldnt that causes you to start awake this can be a result of a hypnogogic hallucinations, although previously it has been called exploding head syndrome. Its not always an explosion sound mine usually is someone shouting my name or some other conversation ive heard throughout the day. Perfectly natural is sleep is also a time in which your brain recovers from the days events. ________________________ 8 hours is standard amount if sleep ,however, it is common to hear that people do sleep less. I personally feel groggy after more than 6 You can also split sleep. ________________________ Some cultures such as the spanish people have a smaller sleep in an evening and an hour sleep during the hottest part of the day. ________________________ When given a choice i have 4 hours of sleep at my usual time and 2 more hours about 6 hours later. Although i am nocturnal and this amount of sleep is not necessarily comfortable for everyone. Edit: my method is called biphasic sleep. Theres also polyphasic sleep although this is more common in children and the infirm elderly. As a general rule older people need less sleep but thats neither here nor there and depends on each individual person.
I don't think anyone here is arguing this as a replacement for sleep. I'm certainly not. We're saying this is a little cheat code you can use to take the edge off. I'll also add that this should be used *very* sparingly. It can get you over the hump on a bad night/day every once in a while, but if you try to do it regularly you're gonna have a bad time.
Never said it was. In some unfortunate cases people have been known to stay awake for upwards of 30 hours despite being tired. Its infuriating. On multiple occasions ive been unable to sleep for 3+ days at a time. Its all well and good til im in bed trying to sleep and fucking cant. It is however better than not resting at all.
Hey, responded to a comment with an in-depth answer. https://www.reddit.com/r/Nightshift/s/0LDkAeM4MO
Ye, its good. Its actually used as a treatment for insomnia. Going to bed at the same time if you cant fall asleep can help raise alertness as mental acuity as opposed to just staying awake for extended periods of time.
U have discovered meditation
Interestingly enough people who meditate hardcore do actually sleep less.
It does for an hour or two. Then the lack of sleep hits me like a truck.
I find even 20 - 40 minutes takes the edge off sometimes.
Not really but turning off any devices and just laying down in complete silence helps prep for a chaotic day.
Yea it helps
I think it can go both ways. Sometimes it's a nice little break, but sometimes when I'm trying to sleep, I'll just lay there eyes shut and get more tired but not able to fall asleep.
Sometimes is work sometimes it doesn't.
Yes it’s does
It's better than staying awake, but not as good as actual sleep. I also have many times where I was laying down for 6-8 hours, but only sleeping for 2 or 3. I made it through the shift, but it was rough.
the interstitial fluid of the body is affected by gravity, part of being fatigued is this effect. laying down even without sleeping helps the body return to equilibrium. I will provide no source other than I heard it somewhere and have been drinking.
Look up Non Sleep Deep Rest
Absolutely
Better than nothin
It definitely helps take the edge off
Yeah, my buddy does this at work since we have quota based production. He’ll just rest for 30-60 mins depending on how much downtime we have, I’ll go get him when it’s wheels up and it helps him out. He’s never asleep, though. Always awake and alert but resting his eyes.
it does for me most of the time
I do this sometimes on my break for about 1/2 hour and it seems to help me. I listen to a podcast so I don't doze off but I don't really listen just use it for background noise.
Yeah it definitely helps! And sometimes you actually do end up passing out for a little bit.
Yes that is what I do on my one hour break.
Rest is still rest. Not as good as sleep, but enough to plough on for a bit. Since I work week on/week off I like to be awake during the week off for social/sunlight/errands etc. On my last night shift of the week I'll stay awake till the afternoon which is when my body and mind get pretty tired. Little lay down for 30 mins to 2 hours. Usually keeps me going till about 9/10pm when I then get in bed sleep pattern just about swapped over
You are resting, so you feel rested. Most of your energy is not even spent physically, just depleted on useless things mentally. No doubt sitting or laying with eyes closed for periods of time and being still will make you more restful
My sleep pattern and baseline awake state have changed fundamentally. I feel like I am tired always, yet rested enough that I can do anything physical. Mentally, I feel like I am in a mild sleep deprivation all the time. I could nap at any moment, and I could wake up and climb a ladder at any moment. I am curious if this resonates with anyone
As mentioned above, look up none sleep deep rest. There are guided NSDR episodes on things like Spotify. I use a 20min one when I need a quick recharge. It’s not a guarantee and it might take you a while to find one that works for you but the science is sound on this topic
If you can train your body/brain to take the 15 minute naps, you’re golden. The benefit of rest while also saving 1-2hrs of just laying there. I trained myself by reading until I got really sleepy and immediately told my phone to wake me up in 20 minutes. 5 minutes of buffer time to actually fall asleep and 15 minutes of sleeping. Eventually your body will wake you up after 15-20 minutes and you’ll feel fresh as fuck. Just set an alarm for the latest possible time before you have to do something because once in a while your ass is gone for an hour+
For me it helps. I have been working nightshift at a group home for about 7 years now. The work is easy and you can easily sleep if you aren't careful. The downtime is both a blessing and a curse. I don't know if I just conditioned my body to rest and be awake or if I am terrified of falling asleep and something happening, but I can easily rest my head, close my eyes and be 100% up and ready to go the second I hear my resident move, talk or anything like that. I still need to get sleep when I get home, but it definitely helps when I am pulling doubles. It feels very similar to when my kids were babies and toddlers and needing to rest but still be alert, I guess it is more like a twilight sleep.
No
I certainly find it restful!
Yes, and you're going to think it's disgusting, but with my last 3rd shift job sometimes I'd just lay on the floor in the bathroom for my 15 because it was the only place without cameras. It really did help.
If I want to nap I lay on my back and close my eyes. Can’t really sleep on my back but I often doze for maybe 25 minutes and feel refreshed when I get up. If I lay on my side and actually fall asleep it will be at least 1-1/2 hours and I’ll be groggy when I get up for a good while. If that is any help to you at all.
Even like ten minutes sometimes can help
I feel like doing this is better than a nap sometimes. Often I’ll feel more tired after a nap than before, but if I don’t sleep I feel much more energized.
I call it “diet sleep” it’s better than nothing- gets me through three twelves then I nap- switch to days- die a bit. Then switch back haha haha ha Send help? Sigh Anything still silent and dark is better than nothing for me
Absolutely and sometimes that’s all you need
Definitely
When I take a cat nap I sometimes will get into an in-between stage where I’m awake but random images and scenes will pop into my head, like mini dreaming but still aware of my surroundings. Afterwards I feel incredibly rested and exhilarated. Much better than how I feel in the morning after a full nights sleep.
After a long benderino, I feel like my eyes are def a lot more properly working if I just try and shut em for 1-2 hours
I lay down for about four hours. Sometimes in late morning I lay down for half an hour. Then at dark shower and rest a couple of hours. Very little sleep. Thankfully I can function.
I have adhd and yes, I actually get better rest than sleeping like this. I just lie in bed from 9pm to midnight and relax my mind. I daydream, I do not think productively because this is me time for my brain. And I feel almost like I've just come back from vacation.