The (Desperate) Art of Sleeping

[Screenshot from Lost in Translation (Sofia Coppola, 2003)]

I can bit a compulsive when it comes to posture and sleeping positions. I tend to stay up late: one little distraction continually leads to others, which are occasionally satisfying, but most of the time empty. Insomnia? I don’t think so. I try and get sleep in the most possibly efficient way – or am I just kidding myself? This is drawn primarily from what I can recall reading and from my experiences, so take it as lightly as you will.

There is no exact science when it comes to the art of sleeping. I’ve read (I don’t remember where) that 15 minutes of REM (Rapid Eye Movement) sleep is all you need to become the closest to fully functional throughout the day. We go into REM periods 4 or 5 times a night. It takes up 20-25% of our sleep and it usually lasts as short as 15-20 minutes in the beginning of the night to as long as a 90-120 minutes towards the end.

As an increase in blood pressure and brain activity, scientists closely associate REM sleep with dreaming. If a dream lasts as short as 15-20 minutes in our first REM period, then 15 minutes of REM sleep is all you need to be as close to normal in the day. One full dream!

A full dream means going from non-REM sleep to REM sleep back to non-REM sleep. It’s important that waking occurs after the REM period and during non-REM sleep. Otherwise, an interrupted dream will most likely make you feel tired and cranky throughout the day.

So what do dreams have to do with sleeping position? Well, the best position to facilitate that one precious, little dream is to be on your back, since gravity in this position makes your eyes move more fluidly during the REM cycle. It takes about an hour or two to get your REM sleep rolling. (Maybe this is why getting a little over an hour of sleep is sometimes better than three or four.)

Sleeping on your back is also great for your posture. I’m a stickler (psycho) when it comes to this so I’d advise you to place a pillow under your knees and plop your head on a thin pillow (a towel is a good substitute) to keep that natural curvature of your spine. Neurotic, I know (I sleep with a pillow on my face sometimes for no sensible reason other than it feels comfortable).

One of the problems with sleeping on your back is that it can be uncomfortable for those used to sleeping on their side or stomach. There’s nothing wrong with sleeping on your side or even the fetal position (besides probably shoulder discomfort), since it’s easier to breathe and the most natural position, but please put a pillow between your knees to keep that posture in check. Sleeping on your stomach is an absolute no-no! It’s disastrous for your back and when you are having that wonderful dream, you are going to drench that clean, white pillow of yours with drool.

Another problem with sleeping on your back is that it makes you more susceptible to snoring. It’s not a problem, of course, unless you are in close proximity of a light sleeper (we don’t want to bother other desperate night owls/early birds and their attempt to experience that elusive one full dream).

A third problem is that you tend to wake up in the middle of the night, only to shift to a different position. There are times when you don’t move an inch on your back, but most of the time your body gets restless from being in one position for an extended period of time. It should not matter, though, if your goal is achieving that one full dream in the least amount of sleep as possible.

For those who are easily distracted at night and need to get up early, try this out and let me know how it goes. One full dream is the key. If it doesn’t work, there’s always coffee – but accept no dilutions and get it black as hell, mmm.