have you ever had those nights where it feels like it is almost impossible to sleep and no matter how many damn sheep you count or how long you close your eyes nothing seems to work... i've fallen victim once again.
countless research and scientific studies finds sleep is best optimized at around eight hours of sleep, at which time adequate amounts of non rapid eye movement is achieved, allowing the body to rest and recover body tissue, bones, muscle, and also replenishing the immune system.
hell i feel sleeping too much isn't really practical and if anything i believe it is a waste of time that can be spent doing somethings more productive. i believe in certain developmental stages it is vital for humans to sleep, starting at infancy and gradually declining in hours through age.
furthermore, i see humans as creatures of habit. through societal norms we have adapted to sleeping a specified amount of time. i feel that as humans we can train our sleeping habits to accommodate our life styles. the prime example i have was given by a medical doctor, dr. el-bialy, who during his internship was given the formidable task of delivering thirty-six hour shift routinely with eight hours in between the shifts to rest. he admits it was tough at first but overall it has alloted him the ability to provide more time for his patients since he was trained not the average eight hours. another good example is my grandma who since i've known her has relatively terrible sleeping habits, sleeping really late waking up really early. i honestly don't remember a single day where she has slept more than eight hours. she continues to function normally, doesn't get sick (if ever), and is able to accomplish so many things in one day.
the only hard part of changing tendencies is finding adequate time to train oneself (must be done consistently for numerous weeks if not months). moreover with no immediate positive incentives decreases the likelihood of commitment.
enough of my rambling....
~nural
