Rip Van Winkle And Other Sleepy Stories..

 

Rip Van Winkle and Other Sleepy Stories..

By

Vivek Hande

“The woods are lovely, dark and deep. But I have miles to go before I sleep”. Beautiful and immortal words from Robert Frost. Inspiring but hugely depressing to someone trying to go to sleep and not the ideal bedtime poetry. And then you have Benjamin Franklin who famously commented, “Early to bed and early to rise makes a man healthy, wealthy and wise”. And the same man on another day wrote, “A life of leisure and a lifetime of laziness are two things. There will be sleeping enough in the grave”. Thomas Edison wrote, “For myself, I never found need of more than four hours sleep in the twenty-four. I never dream. It is real sleep.”

Sleep or the lack of it has forever driven people to divine poetry or deep despair. A good laugh and a long sleep are the best cures in the Doctor’s book goes a famous Irish quote. I cannot agree more and yet it seems easier to laugh if you have had a good night’s sleep. Those were the days... one could stand sleeping; be knocked out before the head hit the pillow; it didn’t matter whether there was a pillow or not; it didn’t matter what time of the day it was and one knew one could have a large cup of coffee with your hostel roommate at midnight and be dead to the world fifteen minutes thereafter and no earthquake could wake you. Sleep patterns and habits change. Nobody really teaches you to sleep – it is one of those ingrained biorhythms. It should be the easiest and most natural thing to do and yet …

Sleep disorders have emerged as the silent epidemic. In a large study, it was reported that 61% Indians report less than six hours of uninterrupted sleep. the figures rose by 6% over just one year.  A third of young Indians report at least one sleep disorder. The incidence of insomnia has doubled over 15 years in the Indian population. An AIIMS study of 2022, showed 52% respondents having poor sleep quality.  

Always 5 Minutes more..

What constitutes normal sleep? Most adults require seven hours of sleep. Babies, children and teenagers require more sleep. Normal sleep cycle has two phases Non rapid Eye Movement (NREM) and Rapid Eye Movement (REM). The NREM phase has three segments N1, N2 and N3. If you have slept through telephone calls, doorbells, earthquakes and loud music, you are probably in the N3 segment. About an hour and a half after going to sleep you enter the REM phase where there is increased brain activity. If you remember having vivid dreams where you vanquished the world or were fighting off goons on the top of a train, you were in REM sleep. Each sleep cycle (NREM & REM) is of about 90-110 minutes and ideally one ought to go through 4-6 cycles to be able to say you slept well.

NREM & REM Sleep

The Normal Sleep Cycle

The benefits of good sleep are myriad and it affects ones’ mental, psychological and physical wellbeing. Good sleep contributes to improved memory, emotional regulation, better mood, cardiac health, stronger immune response and faster muscle recovery and tissue healing. The sleep of Lord Vishnu is regarded as the Cosmic Pause and is rich in symbolism and denotes rest, renewal and the cyclical nature of life. It is the balance between creation and dissolution. Dreams in Upanishadic texts have spiritual significance and the state refers to the bridge between the conscious and the subconscious mind. The Goddess Nidra has an important place in mythology and is associated with spiritual rejuvenation and slumber. She put Lakshman’s wife Urmila to sleep for fourteen years to make it easier for her and enable Lakshman to devote himself to his elder brother Ram. That was considerate.

The Cosmic Pause

Sleep Heals

Sleep Disorders constitute a huge spectrum and include multiple conditions such as Insomnia (inability to go to sleep or stay asleep); Hypersomnia (excessive sleepiness even after adequate sleep); Narcolepsy (waves of Inappropriate sleepiness through the day even after getting up normally); Parasomnia (abnormal movements, behaviours, emotions or dreams during sleep – sleepwalking, nightmares, Night terrors, Sleep related eating disorders). Crimes have been committed by individuals suffering from Parasomnia which have included sexual assaults(sexosmia), murders- a famous case in point is the Kenneth Parker case (Canada 1987) where he sleepwalked; sleep drove and sleep entered his in-laws’ residence and fatally stabbed his mother-in-law and critically injured his father-in-law and was subsequently acquitted on account of the fact that he was asleep!

A Good Night's Sleep

The Best Meditation

Sleep has always been central to many fairy tales and fables. Each of them might have a lesson in sleep management. Princess Aura, better known as Sleeping Beauty and associated with Sleeping Beauty Syndrome went into deep sleep on her sixteenth birthday was obviously suffering from hyspersomnia and would have benefitted by a consistent sleep routine. Goldilocks had three beds to choose from and chose the one which was most comfortable and suited to her back. Snow White also tested out all the seven beds before choosing the most appropriate. It is important to focus on the right mattress and bed linen.  Princess and the Pea – similar issues; difficulty sleeping in new surroundings and needing comfortable bedding to sleep well. In the original Grimm version of Cinderella, her room was cold and bare and had no bed- a sure recipe for insomnia. Rip Van Winkle accepted some liquor from a group of dwarves and went into slumber for twenty years and got up an old man – best to avoid alcohol; caffeinated drinks before sleeping. Closer home, Kumbhakarna was doomed to sleep six months of the year and it well nigh impossible to wake him during this period and when aroused, he was cranky and in a foul temper- obesity; heavy foods and possible obstructive sleep apnea had a role to play.

The Sleeping Giant

Sleep is no sleeping matter and has spawned a global multibillion dollar industry. Conservative figures for 2025 pegged it at 72 billion USD and is projected to increase to 114 billion USD by 2030. These include Stay-Cations and Nap- Cations , vacations tailored to get you rejuvenating sleep and navigate you through sleep hygiene lessons. The industry also focuses on Sleep gadgets and wearables such as AI driven Sleep Trackers; Eye Massagers; White Noise Devices and CPAP machines. Another huge segment is the Over-the-Counter drugs such as Magnesium and Melatonin and prescription drugs. Sleep material which includes weighted blankets, breathable pajamas and smart pillows are the way to go. Sleep deprived folks are guzzling chamomile tea and inhaling lavender oils by the gallon

A good night’s sleep is really a fundamental right and one owes it to oneself to do whatever it takes to allow your mind and body to heal with the curative powers of sleep. ‘Throw Off your worries before you throw off your clothes at night’ said Napoleon and Dalai Lama was spot on when he wrote, “Sleep is the best meditation”. Wise words from Homer, “There is a time for many words and there is also a time for sleep”

Have To Switch Off