

Trying to hack a good night's sleep - ktharavaad
http://arstechnica.com/gadgets/news/2009/06/how-to-hack-a-good-nights-sleep.ars

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tdedecko
Surprised that Zeo wasn't mentioned in the article. The startup just launched
their product 2 weeks ago. It helps track your sleep patterns using a head
band that reads brain activity. The software analyzes this information to help
improve your sleep. It also has an alarm clock that waits until you are no
longer in deep sleep to wake you up.

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ktharavaad
Looks very interesting since their technology actually measures brain waves
instead of just physical activity. However, the cost of it $400 is a bit
expensive.

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ShabbyDoo
Expensive relative to what? Let's say you do fixed-cost software development
and you know that you can get 5% more done when you sleep well. If your goal
is to earn $50/hour, then you'd pay for the device in about seven months. I
use a CPAP, and I bet the co-pays alone for the sleep studies to determine
that I needed it exceeded $400.

*Presuming you could train yourself to sleep sufficiently better to work 5% better (in whatever units better is)

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IsaacL
"Presuming you could train yourself to sleep sufficiently better to work 5%
better (in whatever units better is)"

That's the thing, I know I wouldn't be able to presume that - trying something
like this out would be an experiment for me, and I couldn't justify spending
that amount of money on an experiment. Still, it's a very cool concept, and if
a had a testimonial from a friend I would be more tempted.

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ShabbyDoo
I agree with you -- the risk-adjusted rate of return may not be so good.

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sutro
I'm trying to hack breathing. And walking. Because I'm a hacker. Who hacks
things. I can hack anything. I can hack running. I can hack singing. Hack hack
hack hack. See, I just hacked typing.

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chettapatti
tat was funny, you even hacked humour!

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locopati
no television (read somewhere that tv gets the brain revved up in a way that's
counter-productive to sleep)

meditation (15-30min) - settles the whirring mind before sleep

following through with the meditation once i'm lying down (as in not getting
hooked by thoughts of the day - keeping focused on inhaling and exhaling)

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radu_floricica
The mileage with meditation will vary. I feel very rested afterwards, and
can't sleep for many hours even if I try.

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locopati
true - i try not to do it right before bed as i have discovered the same thing
- usually i'll do it shortly after dinner, leaving myself time to get some
things done around the house in more relaxed fashion before i do go to bed

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metaguri
i have the opposite problem -- i can't wake up. i'm not horribly sleep
deprived, although my schedule isn't very regular (and i don't think it ever
will be).

has anyone else had and overcome this problem? i'm talking about a sleep-
through-your-alarm-and-never-remember-it-going-off inability to wake up.

i once read that you could try "rehearsing" waking up (getting ready for bed,
turning out the light, having your alarm clock 5 minutes later and springing
out of bed, repeat ad infinitum). but i don't know if that'll help.

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swombat
I'm trying something new at the moment, to deal with that. It's actually
working pretty well so far.

The key realisation is that there are several aspects of me that can be
brought up. Daniel-the-heavy-sleeper doesn't give a damn about alarm clocks,
work, commitments, etc, and will stay in bed at every opportunity. Daniel-the-
hacker, on the other hand, has no problems doing difficult stuff that requires
a log of willpower. So the question is, how do I get Daniel-the-hacker to wake
up, rather than the other guy.

My latest solution: set up a TED talk as an alarm clock. Since those talks are
almost all very interesting, it immediately brings out the higher Daniel in
me, who likes to pay attention to the interesting points being made. This
Daniel has no problem making a decision to stay awake long enough to have a
caffeinated drink (a Red Bull at the moment, but I might switch back to
coffee, depending), which pretty much guarantees I'll wake up fully.

And of course there is the secondary but important advantage of watching one
new mind-expanding TED talk every day...

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nikz
How did you set this up? I'm interested to give it a go ;)

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swombat
Using a Mac app called "Awaken", though I've heard good things about "Aurora"
too.

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asciilifeform
I find it quite galling that most "official" advice on the subject of sleep
quality boils down to "simply get more sleep." This is a distinctly "let them
eat cake" attitude - not at all unusual, however, coming from our medical
establishment. I would like to thank the submitter, the author of the article,
and the builders of the featured gadgets for creating something which might
actually be of use to those who haven't the wealth to buy back their time, and
must fight the effects of sleep deprivation without having the option of lying
in bed to their heart's content.

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ktharavaad
I thought this is an interesting article since so many of us try to cheat
sleep in order to gain more productivity. Perhaps you guys can share some tips
on what works for you to get a good night's sleep.

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anigbrowl
A glass of whiskey and a few pages of HP Lovecraft always does it for me. But
the dream, _the dreams..._

Seriously, a drink and a bit of light reading followed by 5-10 minutes of
pillow talk works fine for me. I avoid the computer for at least a half hour
before going to sleep: it's the routine of settling down for the evening that
helps me sleep, rather than any individual components. The reading material is
usually something I've read before rather than something new which I Must
Complete.

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msluyter
I've read that alcohol is generally not recommended because it disrupts your
sleeping patterns. Certainly, large amounts of it do so for me.

A while ago I tried eliminating all caffeine (I typically drink a lot of diet
Coke and coffee). The first few days were hell, and I pretty much sat staring
blankly at my computer. Then I had a couple of really magical days where I
felt quite alert even in the typically drowsy afternoons. And what was weird
was that I seemed to dream more vividly (and remember my dreams). Then I fell
off the wagon... at some point I need to try that experiment again, because I
think I was onto something.

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anigbrowl
Yeah a big drink will do that. If I'm having a nightcap then it's just a
thimbleful rather than a tumbler; I like fine whiskey, and it's sufficiently
expensive that I restrict myself to little sips rather than full measures.

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weaksauce
It's probably the routine more than the liqueur that gets you primed for bed
at those levels.

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ryanspahn
I've never had trouble sleeping but in my start-up journey the alarm clock and
working to improve it has become part of my life. Most people just want to
hear a noise, like an mp3; maybe because that's what they are use to. FOr us
we want you to hear a 5 seconds of information that tells you to go back to
sleep(i.e. heavy snow) or helps u with day ahead (flight's canceled).

Do people want such a fancy alarm wake up sound; we hope so!

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anigbrowl
Interesting idea. Actually, I don't want to know that on waking up unless it's
really urgent. I'd rather read it, because I don't like noise in the morning.

What I would like is an alarm clock with a graduated volume control, as
opposed to the silence followed by loud noise that usually prevails, and which
is guaranteed to put me in a pissy mood. Mrs Browl has a blackberry, which
sounds so obnoxious out of the box I had to insist on changing the alarm
sound.

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ryanspahn
So you don't use an alarm clock that uses noise to wake you?

We have made the noise extremely short and it repeats til you stop it. This
weekend I was gonna go on a hike that was 2 hours away with some friends.
Forecast woke me saying hot with thunderstorms. In my slumber and fumble to
stop noise I only grasped one point - thunderstorms and went back to sleep! 2
hours to hike in thunderstorms no thanks.

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anigbrowl
Ah, what I meant was one that starts quiet and gets gradually louder, as
opposed to one that SUDDENLY GOES OFF AT FULL VOLUME. I do like the sleep.fm
idea though.

