Does Meditation Reduce Sleep?

Discussion in 'Eastern Philosophy' started by nicholas1M7, Aug 6, 2006.

  1. nicholas1M7 Banned Banned

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    I heard someone say that Shaolin Monks and other mutha fuckaz that meditate can go on only 3 or 4 hours sleep regularly, since the brain rests during that time. That the brain needs only 17 minutes of deep sleep to regenerate, but the reason the average person needs many hours is due to the fact that their minds require longer time to reach that state of deep sleep.
     
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  3. BLASTOFF Registered Senior Member

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    I meditate three to four times a day,and i myself can go on with only four to five hours of sleep, it depends also on the day job. how tired you get.
     
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  5. Carcano Valued Senior Member

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    Depends on how deep the meditation is and its also its duration.

    Meditation is a condition, not a practise, and those who enter into it deeply enough have very similiar brain wave patterns to people in deep sleep, so I suppose the result is the same.

    Buddhist history is repleat with stories of advanced meditators who needed far less sleep than regular folks.
     
    Last edited: Aug 7, 2006
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  7. spidergoat pubic diorama Valued Senior Member

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    Meditation is no substitute for sleeping, but I would imagine that if you are not stressing about things, if you are truly paying attention to direct experience and not the restless mind, then you would fall asleep more easily. Also, monks are often forced to wake early as part of the whole method of working hard and concentrating on the problem at hand, ie. the object of meditation or the koan they have been given. Anyone can go on little sleep, but it's not good for you.
     
  8. Fraggle Rocker Staff Member

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    A friend of mine is a TM instructor. He says that when he meditates he often falls asleep and wakes up hours later. It seems like a natural protective measure to me. If he needs sleep then meditation takes him there.

    I've tried doing Buddhist meditation when I'm tired but can't fall asleep, and it always helps me.
     
  9. NooFas Registered Member

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    According to EEG measurements, meditators often fall into short episodes of sleep while meditating. Depending on the method of meditation, a person could spend close to 50% of their meditation session in little bits of sleep that will be of very short duration, but occur frequently.
     
    Last edited: Aug 9, 2006
  10. Carcano Valued Senior Member

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    Meditation is not sleeping while sitting upright...although advanced states of meditation do register the same kinds of brain waves as in deep sleep.

    If you read the historical accounts of the great Buddhists you'll find that they did everything in their power to avoid falling asleep while in sitting meditation.

    In Zen monasteries there is a monk who walks around with a big stick for the purpose of whacking monks on the shoulder...to keep them alert and motionless.
     
  11. river-wind Valued Senior Member

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    My Teacher is a Shaolin monk, and he does indeed only sleep 2 hours a night. The claim is that he was trained in getting directly to the important part of sleep; basically making more efficient use of his time.

    He works three jobs (two full-time), and runs the Monastery and laymen classes. The jobs are to earn enough money to support three families he has adopted over the years, after their fathers (friends of his) passed away.

    He would not appreciate being called a "mutha fucka".
     
  12. Rajagopals Registered Senior Member

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    I practiced meditation quite sometime back and feel it can reduce sleep. I need to go to sleep for few hours (3 to 4 hrs is even fine) that’s all. My mind if fresh when I get up but body is not, may be due to heavy dinner

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