The Wisdom of Sleep: Ben Stein

The Wisdom of Sleep: Writer and dramatist Thomas Dekker

THE WISDOM OF SLEEP: Dr. Andrew Weil

Curator's note: Alternative medicine guru Dr. Andrew Weil offers millions of Americans alternative options for achieving maximum health that are less invasive and do not rely on pharmaceuticals. One of the practices he often suggests for people struggling to fall asleep is a simple yogic breathing exercise known as the 4-7-8 breath.

I personally have used a variation of this technique as a "sleep aide" for over 30 years, especially on nights when anxiety runs high and the mind struggles to shut off. It absolutely works for me. 

For those of you who have occasional trouble falling asleep, I cannot recommend this treatment enough. 

Please click here to find a video where Dr. Weil illustrates this simple breathing technique.

If you aren't clear on the value of using breathing exercises for relaxation and sleep, please consider that deep breathing is part of a variety of techniques practiced in cognitive behavior therapy (CBT). The latest research shows that CBTi (cognitive behavior therapy for insomnia) is generally more successful for treating insomnia than using pharmaceutical aids like Ambien (which are not meant for long-term use, anyway).

The Wisdom of Sleep || Henry Rollins

"Sleep Deprivation" image courtesy Uratex Foam

"I spend several days at a time without enough sleep. At first, normal activities become annoying. When you are too tired to eat, you really need some sleep. A few days later, things become strange. Loud noises become louder and more startling, familiar sounds become unfamiliar, and life reinvents itself as a surrealist dream." --Henry Rollins

The Wisdom of Sleep || Anthony Burgess

"Snore" (2007) by blogger Sue Ling.

LAUGH and the world laughs with you; 

SNORE and you sleep ALONE. 

—Anthony Burgess, author (1917-1993)

The Wisdom of Sleep: The Insomniac Brain

“Insomnia is a variant of Tourette's--the waking brain races, sampling the world after the world has turned away, touching it everywhere, refusing to settle, to join the collective nod. The insomniac brain is a sort of conspiracy theorist as well, believing too much in its own paranoiac importance--as though if it were to blink, then doze, the world might be overrun by some encroaching calamity, which its obsessive musings are somehow fending off.” ― Jonathan Lethem, Motherless Brooklyn

The Wisdom of Sleep || Dr. Andrew Weil

"Better Night's Sleep" by Adam Sicinski for MindMapArt

"If you have difficulty sleeping or are not getting enough sleep or sleep of good quality, you need to learn the basics of sleep hygiene, make appropriate changes, and possibly consult a sleep expert."--Dr. Andrew Weil

The Wisdom of Sleep || The Dalai Lama

Image courtesy Soulwritings.ca

The Wisdom of Sleep || Miguel de Cervantes Saavedra

Public domain image:
" Dibujo y grabado de Miguel de Cervantes"
(1877) by G. Gómez Terraza y Aliena

"Blessings on him who first invented sleep. It’s meat for the hungry, drink for the thirsty, heat for the cold, and cold for the hot. It makes the shepherd equal to the monarch, and the fool to the wise." 

— Miguel de Cervantes (1547-1616) in “Man of La Mancha”