Simpleology Blog

I just spent a few hours last weekend with the formulator of a revolutionary new sleep aid that "fixes" rather than treats the source of sleep disorders. It has to do with normalizing melatonin/hormone levels. I'm going to condense my notes into an easy-to-read article over the next few days. I'm not very web sophisticated yet or I could post a link for you to sign up for the article but feel free to email and whenever it's done I'll mail it out. This will be especially interesting for those with ADD/ADHD, Type A personalities, autism and menopausal women (no jokes please!) and those who live with them.

Have a good sleep!

Sharon

I am a 61 year old man and I only sleep between 5 to 6 hours a night. The reason being that I am an athlete and go cycling most mornings but even on rest days I tend to get up early and do other things around the house or work on my computer. The only thing I find is that sometimes I can't stop yawning but that is the excetion and not the rule. The other thing that seems to help is if I do not eat anything during the day, even though I have spent one hour and thirty minutes on the bike. And we ride pretty hard without stopping, other than for traffic lights and stop streets. However, there are times now and again where I just want to sleep and sleep. I just don't want to wake up and maybe once a week or so I suppose it may be a good idea to try and fit in the full 8 to 9 hours and see what happens.

Best wishes,

Vernon Lucas
South Africa

please provide me with more infos on how to overcome the obesity problem, thank you

Note from MJ: Hey Otto, check out Simpleology 103 for a distillation of what we really know about this so far ...

I know I need between 9-10 hours sleep a night to function at peak.

I dream ALL night long and wake up exhausted if it's any less.

I've tried all manner of routines, pills, alarm clocks, rostas - and simply cannot reduce that figure without affecting mental acuity, body temperature, or physical health in some way.

Which is another reason for me that it's important to control my time 100%. In any "normal" job, I'd have been fired long ago! 9am starts are not just not thing.

I like your new newsletter format!

I think what is important is not how much sleep you get...but the quality of your sleep.i.e. deep sleep characterized by REM rapid eye movements...vs light sleep. In deep sleep, we can dream and I have found that dreaming is often closer to waking time. I have acquired the habit of rousing myself and writing down what I dream, when I dream it...or upon waking, otherwise I can't remember what I have dreamt. In the morning I get up and read same. I used to actually see examination questions and papers in my sleep...and they'd be word for word identical to what appeared the next day in examinations. The sleep time gave me time to peruse and prepare for the question. The down side of the same phenomenon was that I'd be writing and answering questions in my sleep...and I'd feel my hand ache from writing...only to find that I'd have to sit the same paper again within 24 hours.I'd often sweat - twice under the pressure of same! I think sleep is more like a pattern that one has to get used to in your own body. I think it depends on your lifestyle, how relaxed you are in the waking state; how much exercise you do...I think all of these things are factors that vary the amount of sleep a person needs. Then there's daydreaming and cat-napping during the day...which is another form of sleep. The idea I think is to establish a clockwork pattern for oneself that suits you personally. The body and psyche then gets to know the pattern and is comfortable with it. Each of us is different. We have to get to know the requirements of our own body.
Dr. Elizabeth Wallace

I very much appreciate the new format. It helps me cut down my email time and I don't need to skip it on busy days. Thanks, Mark!

My thin daughter sleeps 9-12 hours given a chance, and her fat mom sleeps 6-7 hours. Go figure.

Even if I am in bed, I don't sleep much of the time, and then I am sleepy all day, especially after lunch.

I'd love to get that cycle reversed.

Love the new format! Regarding the link between sleep and obesity, I found that when I got my thyroid levels corrected, I needed less sleep. I also had more energy for my home candle business - and with Simpleology keeping me on track, things are looking up!
Thanks,
Jacqui
www.jacquelinegates.com
"It's a funny thing about life, if you refuse to accept anything but the very best, you very often get it."
Somerset Maugham

Dear Sir,
My age is 42 Years,and I am working in one organisation as a Market consultant. My working hour will start from 7.30Am.
I reached at office by Car.
From wake up time to till 9.00Am no breakfast.9.00 to 9.30 am during this time I am finishing my break fast.After breakfast no lunch direct dinner at 9.30 Pm , After 11.30pm I am going in bed ,11.30 to 4.30 or 4.45 this is my schedule of sleeping .

But from last 10 years I am trying for reduce my weight ,no use. Presently my weight is 95 Kg/Ht165Cm.

As today's message can this is due to sleeping hour's?

Please send me more details about all...

Thanks.

Note :- My breakfast is heavy but dinner is very light.

I agree. I was diagnosed with a severe case of gout--and the doctor said that some of the factors contributing to this extremely painful ailment is lack of enough exercise, stressful job, poor eating habits, and lack of enough sleep, and being overweight (which could be contributed to from all the other factors). I've since gotten a better/more comfortable bed (which helps in getting to sleep more easily), started eating more raw veggies, eating less red meat, drinking more water, and exercising a bit more. (I've also changed jobs so I don't have to commute so far and so I can get more sleep!) I've written a Squidoo lens (website) on Gout (aka Hyperuricemia) to help others who may be borderline or already have it. (http://www.squidoo.com/hyperuricemia) Sleep is the BIG factor--because it can heal inflamation, it can relieve stress, and, like you said, it can help you to lose weight! Not only have my habit-changes helped me to lose about 10 pounds (30 more to go!), but they have also eliminated my once nightly acid-reflux problem (which also hindered my sleep). There's so much to be said about getting enough "shut-eye"!
Thanks for a great post!

Love the new format!

I am a "Blueprint" student and was on a 4 1/2 hour call with Mark last night. As I read the posts that are in this newsletter it continues to bring to light the depth of all around personal success Mark Joyner has intention to bring to people around the world.

The fact that he is incredibly well read, and has opinions that run far deeper than I had imagined. There are a lot of of people on the internet right now selling programs... One becomes tarnished in their thinking of these people because there are so many rip offs and many who are putting tons of programs out that don't really help people or give them the information to help themselves.

I thank you Mark for your legitimate programs, and your knowledge and intent behind all of them.

Sleep I have found is quite important and my life changed when I went from the 5-6 hours a night to 8 hours a night. Big difference. Great information.

I am 100lbs overweight.
i had a minor heart attack in December. I have lost over 50 lbs over the last
18 months due to a change in diet and regular exercize. The problem is I'ce plateaued and have not lost much for 3 or 4 months. Also I have a daughter with sleep problems due to ADD and asbergers syndrome (high functioning autism) Can you advise?

I totally agree with the article. When we dont have enough sleep, our bodies produce less of the feel good hormones: serotonin & dopamine. Naturally our bodies crave for sugary food to increase these hormones. That is why people who lack sleep have more cravings for coffee, soda, donuts & candies.

Asians and some other cultures who value power nap are slim. There are other factors but I believe one of them is the habit of taking naps. In China and Japan workers use their lunch break to take naps. In America, the workers surf the internet, thus, forcing the brain to ask for more carbs.

This is my advice for those who are trying to lose weight. Try to nap in your car or your office chair (if you are not at home). Even a 15 minute nap can increase the feel good hormones which in turn will decrease cravings for sugary foods.

Stay healthy and get enough zzzz :-)

PS. Mark, love the new format!

Hi Mark, I've started listening to some brainwave entrainment CD's for weight loss / sleep etc. I have a background in hypnosis and think i can combine the two areas effectivly. I think i remember reading somewhere that you were into this or similar area?
If you have any links or could share your experience that would be great.
Cheers,
Craig

One of the connections between lack of sleep and obesity is cortisol - a stress hormone; and length of sleep is not so much an issue as is quality of sleep. There's a fair bit of information on this, on the web, and in books dealing with hormonal imbalances. Cortisol encourages the body to store glucose as fat, rather than to use it for energy.

I am now 67 years and my body has created a 6- 8 hour sleep pattern. I wake up every day at 6:15 am no matter what time I go to bed. I recently came to the Philippines and my 6-8 hour pattern continued even though I was in a different time zone from the California, USA. When I take melatonin, I experience deeper sleep and less waking up at night.

I'm 37 and 10-12 hours of sleep is what I need. anything less than 10 leaves me feeling lackluster

Hi Mark, Every ones body is different, so some need more sleep than others. Me I need at least 5 1/2 to 6 and a cat nap now and then.LOL
Millie

Interesting comments; some I agree with, many I don't. My question back to readers is, "so what is the cause of your weight problem or sleep problem?" Take a look at the website know-the-cause.com , you may be surprised to find out it isn't what you've been taught.

John Taylor, No idea how to contact you to answer the question you asked above but if you like, email me your phone number and I'll give you some solutions for yourself and your daughter. My weight was stuck also for 4 years and my daughter had many of the same symptoms although was never labeled with an illness since I never took her to conventional doctors. It took me ten years of serious searching and experimenting but I found a lot of answers on the way and I'd be happy to share with you. Too much to write here!

Sharon... who's getting slimmer and almost down to my teenage body weight again,

detoxexpert@gmail.com

Hi Mark, interesting post, thank you!
As a matter of fact I sleep too few and in the morning I have many difficulties to pay attention and my memory is really deteriorating.

I am 57 years old and I sleep3-4 hours everyday.I think the number of hrs depends on individuals.I think that obesity is not really the number of Hrs one sleeps but the habit of junk food consumption.
So what do you think about my last ststement?.
Alex

Note from MJ: Alex, what I think is that there is not one single "cause" as such. Science only really deals with correlations. The study noticed a correlation between sleep and obesity - that's all. It doesn't contradict your statement. Now, google "double bind" :-)