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I've always went to bed when I was tired and woken when I was rested, i've never been someone with very regular sleeping patterns. So it's kind of hard to really judge if I am sleeping alot less. I do know most nights I will stay up late (around 1-2 in the morning) and some night's i'll pass out at 9. It all depends on how I feel, my body knows when it needs rest.
When I first went raw, I was getting less sleep than previously, 4-6 hours a night. I was planning my wedding at the time, so being kind of hyped up about that might have contributed, but I also wonder if it was connected to not eating enough calories. In the beginning, I didn't realize how much raw food you have to eat to get enough calories!
More recently I have been making a conscious effort to have a regular sleep schedule, going to bed by 11pm every night and getting up at 6 or 7am every day - even on weekends! I don't keep to this schedule perfectly, but I do notice that I feel much better when I get a full 8 hours of sleep.
Before I started on raw foods more than ten years ago, I was sleeping 8-9 hours a night and had for years and was still always tired. When I started on 100% raw foods I suddenly only slept for 5 hours a night! To this day I only sleep 5 hours. Sometimes only 4 1/2 hours. If I go to bed at 10:30 at night I'm sure to wake up at 3:30 AM so I go to bed about 1 AM and I'm up at 6 AM ready to go. If I lie there and try to go back to sleep it doesn't work. I am still full of energy when it's bedtime too. I think a lot of the sleep studies that report that we need at least 8 hours of sleep must be based on people who eat the standard American diet. I feel great all the time and based on the 3 hours of day gift over 10 years, I gained 10,950 hours - wonderful, productive, waking hours. That
Keewi although i do agree with that logic i just have one question. Since i am caucasian this means that where ever my ancestors lived it was further up north where there was less sunlight and colder whether. Does this mean that my sleeping may differ in some way or another?
GOOOOOODNESSS yess. I was already an insomniac to begin with, not falling asleep until about 1 or 2 AM. Upon getting more involved with raw food again, I'm up until 4 AM and out of bed by 6:30 AM. Due to underlying issues, this is probably an extreme case.
My body doesn't seem to mind until about 4 PM or so, but I don't eat breakfast or lunch, so that's probably why. I just restore myself with a raw dinner or some juice. Then I'm up all night again.
When I was on a 30 day juice feast I needed very little sleep and always seemed energetic. I was up and ready to start my day after 4 or 5 hours, when usually I would feel groggy and needed 8 or more hours of sleep.
During my juice "fast" I felt great, on top of the world! I always thought that it seemed healthy... but after reading the post by keewi, I wonder if my body was just in that "adrenaline" state since I was getting very little calories. I was feeling great at the time, but could I have been causing some stress on my body that I would see in the future?
Where can I research that further, Keewi?
I'm wondering if this phenomenon of needing less sleep is healthy or not in the long run.
10-12
Jakkrabbit: This makes sense to me.
I remember reading a book (I believe it was Norman Walker's book: "Colon Health, Key to Vibrant Live") that stated fasting longer than a number of days (might have been 8 days) could have future manifestations of chronic fatigue or bad health many years later in life. (This is all from my memory, btw. I'd have to re-consult the book to make sure I remember correctly). I remember reading documented examples of his findings. The book emphasized that eating a raw food diet with plently of raw juices was essential to good health and preventing this manifestaion of bad health after fasting.
I decided to err on the side of caution since then and have only done short fasts.
I agree with what you are saying, especially the addictive nature of fasting. I would get so addicted to the fast that I wouldn't want to stop because I knew that I would experience that low once I started eating again. Once off the fast I would look forward to the next one. It was like a drug in that sense and I felt very spiritually awakened during that time.
btw, Walker was the maker of the famous juicer, the Norwalk.
I go to bed about 9pm during work days M-F and get up 4.30-4.50 am. I get up 4 times a night to pee and still get a good night's sleep. Weekends I go to bed later and wake daylight about 8.