Thread: How long do you stay up for the WBTB technique?

Well, how long do you?

I'm trying out a new technique and it would be helpful if I found the best amount of time to stay up before going back to sleep.

So far I've been up for about 30 minutes and both time I tried this technique, it succeeded

Usually i stay up for 30+ min, but lately not more than 10-20 because i have to get up early next morning. I usually sit down and start to think logical (i.e. Do some maths, think about some issues, etc.)
I didn't feel any significant difference In both occasions, though some purists highly recommed at least 45 min.

i never stay awake for more than thirty minutes. i am usually awake enough after hitting the bathroom and drinking some water, which altogether takes about 7 minutes...everyone's different though

Originally posted by mongreloctopus
i never stay awake for more than thirty minutes. *i am usually awake enough after hitting the bathroom and drinking some water, which altogether takes about 7 minutes...everyone's different though

Same with me. I'm still pretty sleepy when I go back to bed.

I've tried up to an hour but often find it difficult to get back to sleep. I think the most important thing is to get the brain thinking logically so that when you return to sleep the brain contains some of the neurotransmitters responsible for consciousness.

What I suggest is to get up, do some gentle exercises for a few minutes to get the circulation going and increase your energy level, then do something intellectually stimulating such as writing up the dream you just woke up from, do a crossword, do some math problems, play chess, play videogames, whatever gets your brain working. Then, when you feel clear-headed and reasonably alert, go back to sleep.

Interestingly, LaBerge's MILD technique calls for getting up for about 10 minutes and doing some reading or other analytical activity until the feeling of grogginess has gone. Then do MILD as you return to sleep.

maybe do some sudoku? I think this could help.

Awake for 10-30 mins

Good idea. Anything to get the brain functioning analytically. The reason is that when we go to sleep, the brain is depleted of the neurotransmitters required for consciousness and must recharge itself during sleep. Hence the sleeping brain is running on "empty" and cannot perform the analytical tasks that it does during the daytime. That is why it fails to recognize anomalies or can't remember things.

It seems that WBTB replenishes the neurotransmitters required for consciousness so that when we return to sleep, the brain is partially recharged and can recognize the dream world more easily. But the important thing is to engage in some sort of intense analytical/creative activity during the WBTB period.

Maybe read a book bc you will b awake and it will be easy to fall asleep again

Less then 5 minutes. I try to stay in the Alpha (relaxed ) brainwave state. Getting up, walking, reading, cruising the Internet brings on Beta (alert) brainwaves.