Meditation can be a very helpful technique for improving focus, reducing stress and anxiety, and a variety of other benefits. However, it is often harder to do than one may think because of the level of focus that it requires. Therefore, even though it's a helpful practice, it's often not utilized.
An alternative, however, is non-sleep deep rest, or NSDR. NSDR is used by Google CEO, and every since he mentioned it in his interview, many have been wondering what NSDR is, and how to do it. Below is some more insight on what it is and how to practice it yourself.
What is NSDR?
Non-sleep deep rest is a guided meditation with the goal of entering a self-directed state of calm. NSDR protocols were coined by Andrew Huberman, a neuroscience professor at Stanford University. The goal of it is to induce a sense of calm by indulging in channelled meditation methods. There are three protocols of how to do NDSR which is how one can participate in this meditative practice.
Non-Sleep Deep Rest: Yoga Nidra
NSDR Yoga Nidra is a protocol that involves lying still and focusing on breathing techniques, individual body parts and the mind. The main goal is finding peace in the stillness and shedding the heaviness through the calm. Essentially, when you are feeling overwhelmed or stress, take time to lie down and just focus on breathing. Try to block out other thoughts, and only think about breath coming in and going out with each inhale and exhale, respectively.
When you are able to focus on this one moment and tune everything else out, then you can reduce the amount of noise around you and calm yourself down. It's basically a self-soothing technique with a meditative base.
Non-Sleep Deep Rest: Hypnosis
This protocol is not quite designed to be self-led, as it is best led by a hypnotist. Huberman described this protocol as "Looking at something through a telephoto lens. You're eliminating the surroundings. So it's a state of high focus which normally would be associated with a high degree of excitement or stress. But hypnosis is a unique state because you have a high degree of focus, but you're very relaxed."
You're taking all of the energy that is associated with vigorously going after something when you're highly focused, and channeling it into meditating and focusing on the main topic of the hypnotic session. By tuning everything out and using all of your energy to focus on this one aspect, you are actually inducing a sense of calm and quiet.
Non-Sleep Deep Rest: Short Nap
The last protocol is perhaps everyone's favorite, the short nap. Naps are an effective way to re-energize the body and reduce extra stress and tension. When you are tired, it's harder to focus, handle small inconveniences, and think straight. However, this method involves taking a nap of more than 20 minutes to calm the body and relax the mind.
Short naps are optimal when you still have work to do because they don't take a long time, yet you won't wake up feeling drowsy because you haven't entered deep sleep, which takes about 30 minutes to achieve. If you're not going to take a short nap, then you should sleep for at least 90 minutes which is the length of time of a REM cycle.
Short naps can provide you with a burst of energy, especially if you hit a dip in energy that normally happens in the middle of the day. Early stages of sleep have also been shown to increase creativity and help with problem solving.
Benefits of NSDR
NSDR helps relax and destress the body which can facilitate a smooth flow of actions. Tasks that require energy come easy for a body that is relaxed. Imagine if you have to study, prepare for a big meeting, or do something that is mentally demanding,but you don't have the energy to focus on those tasks. It's going to be very difficult to get those things done.
Sleep is important to regulate the healthy functioning of the body. With NSDR, one can improve sleep quality and quantity. It's important to aim for a total sum of 7-8 hours of sleep a day, especially for adults. However, you do not have to get them all at the same time. If you were only able to sleep 6.5 hours, but you can get a 30 minute nap in during the day, then you will still hit your goal hours.
A relaxed mind and body are important for creativity and boosting productivity. When your mind is relaxed, it is not distracted or anxious over a bunch of different stressors. It is also not debilitated by stress. It is free to be creative and do whatever needs to be done.
NSDR can help calm the mind and ease symptoms of anxiety, stress, depression, etc. Again, these are emotions, stressors, and mental health disorders that can take up a lot of space and bandwidth, which takes away from our ability to concentrate and think about anything else.
Finally, NSDR can help declutter the mind and make space for new things which can aid in learning and productivity. Rumination can take up a lot of space, and so can fixation on certain issues. By learning to focus our energy and attention on tuning out the noise and calming our minds, we are able to quiet those repetitive thoughts, solve some of our problems, and make way for new information.
NSDR is in no way a replacement for sleep, but it may help calm your mind before going to bed, or during the day, so you can have a restful night. It also may be a boost of energy if you happened to not get a lot of sleep the night before.
If you are struggling with getting good sleep, then the problem may be greater than anything meditation can solve exclusively and you may need to talk to a sleep expert. Please click the orange button below to talk with one of our sleep health professionals.
https://www.timesnownews.com/health/nsdr-the-method-google-ceo-sundar-pichai-uses-to-relax-all-you-need-to-know-about-non-sleep-deep-rest-article-90076155