Sounder Sleep System

You Must Know This Before Falling Asleep Tonight, Part 1

Falling asleep is not a one-way street! It’s normal to drift in and out of light sleep several times before you really, truly fall asleep. If you drift off and then notice yourself waking up again, do not be alarmed. It doesn’t mean you “can’t sleep.” It means the process of falling asleep has begun, and continues. You’ve already been asleep, and you will be asleep again. Just remain calm, allow some time to pass, and let the natural sleep process take its course. Sweet dreams!

Painting: Torreon Night by Janet Pfunder, janetpfunder.com. Used by permission.

A Sounder Sleep Sominar in Vienna, Austria

I'll be teaching a SOUNDER SLEEP SOMINAR in Vienna, Austria, on November 28-30 2014. Please join us for three days of restful, enjoyable learning that will permanently change your relationship with sleep. You'll sleep better, feel better, enjoy life more!

The program will be held in a delghtful quiet, comfortable room at the Feldenkrais Institut Wien. I've taught there before, and it was beautiful. For full details use this link:

A Sounder Sleep Sominar 
with Michael Krugman

Sleep Musings #2: You can't hurry sleep

How many hours of sleep do you need to feel alert, awake, and fully rested during the day? Some people say seven, some say eight, some say nine. You probably know how many hours you need, but how much time should you set aside for bedtime? What time should you go to bed? My thinking is that, if at all possible, you should try to allow an extra 45 minutes to cover the time it takes to fall asleep, any awakenings that may occur during the night, and a gentle, unhurried awakening. For example, if you need eight hours, allow yourself eight hours, plus 45 minutes. It's a more graceful, pleasurable way to sleep.

Sleeping on a tight schedule puts a lot of pressure on you to fall asleep and stay asleep. That feeling of being hurried, of trying to get the maximum amount of sleep in the minimum amount of time, increases arousal and makes your sleep shallower and more fragmented. If, on any given night, you can allow more time for sleep you'll be more relaxed, and as a result you'll sleep better! 

How did you sleep last night? What is your experience of sleep? Please let us know!

Sleep Musings #2: You can't hurry sleep

How many hours of sleep do you need to feel alert, awake, and fully rested during the day? Some people say seven, some say eight, some say nine. You probably know how many hours you need, but how much time should you set aside for bedtime? What time should you go to bed? My thinking is that, if at all possible, you should try to allow an extra 45 minutes to cover the time it takes to fall asleep, any awakenings that may occur during the night, and a gentle, unhurried awakening. For example, if you need eight hours, allow yourself eight hours, plus 45 minutes. It's a more graceful, pleasurable way to sleep.

Sleeping on a tight schedule puts a lot of pressure on you to fall asleep and stay asleep. That feeling of being hurried, of trying to get the maximum amount of sleep in the minimum amount of time, increases arousal and makes your sleep shallower and more fragmented. If, on any given night, you can allow more time for sleep you'll be more relaxed, and as a result you'll sleep better! 

How did you sleep last night? What is your experience of sleep? Please let us know!

Sleep Musings #1: Sleep is a human experience

We tend to view sleep as a medical or scientific phenomenon to be observed, tested, quantified, and of course, medicated. I think we need to focus more on the internal experience of sleep: what kinds of feelings and experiences come up during the course of the night, and how can we respond to them most effectively to enhance the depth and restfulness of our sleep?

Few of us enjoy awakening during the night. We want our sleep to be deep and continuous. As a result, when we do awaken during the night, we feel frustrated, angry, or afraid. And frustration, anger, and fear are highly stimulating emotions. They are so stimulating that they wake you up even more, and make it hard to get back to sleep!

But the fact is, nighttime awakenings are perfectly normal and natural parts of the sleep process. All of us wake up several times during the night, though we may not be aware of it. Next time you awaken during the night, instead of getting frustrated, angry, or afraid, say to yourself, "This brief awakening is perfectly normal. I will remain calm, reschedule any troubling thoughts or feelings until morning, and allow my mind and body to drift back into that sleepy, dreamy state that leads me to sleep." 

What is your experience of sleep? How did you sleep last night? Let us know!

How long does it take to get the sleep you need?

Sleep Musings #2: How long does it take to get the sleep you need?

How many hours of sleep do you need to feel alert, awake, and fully rested during the day? Some people say seven, some say eight, some say nine. You probably know how many hours you need, but how much time should you set aside for bedtime? What time should you go to bed? My thinking is that, if at all possible, you should try to allow an extra 45 minutes to cover the time it takes to fall asleep, any awakenings that may occur during the night, and a gentle, unhurried awakening. If you need eight hours, allow yourself eight hours, plus 45 minutes. It a more graceful, pleasurable way to sleep.

Sleeping on a tight schedule puts a lot of pressure on you to fall asleep and stay asleep. That feeling of being pressured/pressurized increases arousal and detracts from the quality of your sleep. On any given night, if you can allow more time for sleep you'll be more relaxed, and you'll sleep better! 

How did you sleep last night? What is your experience of sleep?