Sleep?
hmmm....

I am very much like you except when nature calls usually once a night and I go right back to sleep. Those individuals who awaken frequently at night can consult with sleep disturbance specialists such as at Winthrop's highly acclaimed group. Another possibility for the cause of this problem lies in the fact that unresolved stress is at play. In that case the individual may be better served by pursuing a short term course in counseling to resolve the core underlying issues. Of course, finally, just make sure your alarm system is in good working order!

I too respond to Nature's calls. TMI?

Interesting question about sleep patterns. I’m actually looking at ways to decrease the number of nightly interruptions to my zzz’s. I usually get 7 to 9 hours with 2 or 3 nature trips and wake up without an alarm. But it would be interesting to see what kind of difference there would be if I only had to wake up once.

My first experiment is to drink lots of water early in the day and then refrain from drinking water for 2 or 3 hours before bedtime. Why? I've learned that deep REM sleep, which should account for at least 20% of our sleep time, is the time when our brain's housekeeping/detox activities occur, and those activities are vital to cognitive clarity. Heavy snoring/sleep apnea, and even mouth breathing at any age can pull the brain up out of REM sleep and disrupt our "sleep architecture", deprive us of housekeeping activity time, and reduce the amount of oxygen our brain gets. Who knew?

I've recently met Michael Gelb DDS (offices in NYC & White Plains) who gave me a fascinating interview explaining new technologies for helping people clear obstructions to their airway. The conditions reversed using these methods include ADD, dementia, and cardiovascular health just for starters. Some treatments can even adjust the shape of the oral cavity to make sleep fully restorative. (And silent as well—a big deal for those of us who have trouble sleeping through others' snoring.) Dr. Gelb has a book coming out in the fall entitled "Gasp" coauthored with mercury safe pioneer Howard Hindin DDS.

Sharp Again Naturally has recently added interrupted breathing/hypoxia to our list of reversible causes of dementia. The statistics are startling.

I'm not a good sleeper at all. And ever since I was in the Marines, even when I do sleep well, it's only for about 6 hours...for those having trouble try chamomile tea with lavender root or valerian root

A very light sleeper these days. Sometimes I think we should have a 2 am on line Gotham meeting. Anyone else interested in joining me?

Sleep is one of my top 3 priorities in my life. Getting good sleep is crucial to having a healthy life. Bill and Jacqui bring up great points. If you are not sleeping well find out why and resolve the issue.

Email me in the middle of the night and I will probably answer you!