Interesting. Do you actually find it relaxing? Would it assist with dropping off to sleep and/or deeper sleep do you suppose? I've never tried it.
I have not personally used binaural beats to induce sleep, but I have used it to induce relaxation or concentration. I tend to use breathing techniques to induce sleep, but it is definately worth trying them out.There are free binaural beats downloads available on the web, you may have to go through a few before you find what you like. You can download some through the apple I-tunes store, which are quite good. Binaural beats do not have to be used for relaxation or sleep. I use them to help headaches. Not sure if these links will work, but the two below are the ones I use and are free. http://itunes.apple.com/gb/app/binaural-beats/id295143646?mt=8 http://itunes.apple.com/gb/app/ibrainwave-se-binaural-beats/id304583915?mt=8
I am out training soon so will try to post more information on entrainment tomorrow, but briefly you may have heard of examples of entrainment before. There are cases where girls who work in the same office over a period of time start to share the same menstrual cycle.
I have written an new thread on Entrainment, which can be read here http://www.martialartsplanet.com/forums/showthread.php?t=93777
Fascinating audio clip on how our body clocks are controlled by metabolic changes rather than our genes. Dr John O'Neill, from the University of Cambridge, outlines the significance of the findings. http://news.bbc.co.uk/today/hi/today/newsid_9377000/9377718.stm
Great info and definitely the weakest point in my training. FWIW I've often wondered about splitting sleep into 2 4 hour chunks based purely on REM cycles.
Forgive the wall of text, but to help me sort through this I'm quoting you both. Some studies suggest high cortisol is a symptom of insomnia, not the cause: http://health.nytimes.com/health/guides/symptoms/sleeping-difficulty/causes-of-chronic-insomnia.html I believe this is an over-simplification of the process, and that high cortisol absolutely can cause insomnia too: http://emediahealth.com/2011/03/13/...-weight-gain-depression-anxiety-and-insomnia/ http://www.tipstotreatinsomnia.com/cortisol-insomnia/ Essentially, Simon is right. It's really just science common sense. When you're stressed out, you release cortisol. When you have an elevated level of stress hormones circulating in your bloodstream, you'll be hyperstimulated and have trouble sleeping. If you remain stressed out for a prolonged period of time, eventually your adrenal glands will become damaged and you'll suffer from low production of cortisol, causing further insomnia. Unless of course you were just disputing the inverse relationship between cortisol and melatonin, Talyn. In Fish: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19836460 In humans: http://www.virginiahopkinstestkits.com/cortisolzava.html Given more time I'd have found better sources to make my point, but it's the middle of the night here and this higher thinking isn't helping my insomnia any. Heh.
I find sleep a fascinating subject and it seems to me more and more people are suffering from lack of it. Either that or they suffer from poor sleep. I am convinced that a lot of it is because they don't prepare for sleep. Melatonin does not stand a chance becuase we all tend to be on the go right up until the clock says it's time for bed.
Thanks Simon, Interesting thread, I am a young dad to a year and a half boy plus I work two nights a week as part of a four day shift so I know what lack of sleep does to the body. From my personal experience I have noticed that I have adapted to the pattern and do not need as much sleep generally sleeping only a couple of hours before a night shift, I was training the morning after my last night shift and felt fine after but wonder about hidden side effects, Do you feel this is harmful or does the body/mind really adapt? Really interested in this subject so thanks for sharing this information. Osu! Dan93 Cognito Ergo Sum!
My own view is that your body will soon tell you when it needs sleep. If your appetite, libido, skin, hair , energy levels and so on feel fine then you have no worries. I have found as I've got older that I need to be in bed by a certain time. Just remember that it can take 7-21 days to become entrained to a new pattern. So if for example if you want your son to get to bed early it is no good expecting him to do it straight away.He will need the same pattern for 7-21 days before it becomes more natural.
Thanks Simon for the sage advice. noted skin sometimes suffers i.e. blotchy during nights but that is generally the only side effect. Interesting about the 7-21 entraining period - sure that will prove invaluable in regards to my little one. Osu! Dan93 Cognito Ergo Sum!
There is a thread on entrainment which will explain things a little better. http://www.martialartsplanet.com/forums/showthread.php?t=93777
In response to the original question... bwa ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha 9 month old triplets, to add to which I am part of a band that tours fairly regularly. My life would be best described as an ongoing experiment into the outer reaches of sleep deprivation. I can report that so far I seem to be able to sustain a period of roughly 7-10 days on very little sleep, which will be inevitably followed by a major crash, usually preceeded by total loss of concentration, motor skills diminishing, that sort of stuff. It quite seriously is more debilitating than any substance legal or otherwise that I may have experimented with over my life. It almost gets to the point of actually being fun, which is another one of the warning signs for the crash.. paul yawn. paul