A recent, interesting article talks about persistent and widespread sleep problems among Japanese people since the Great Tohoku Earthquake on March 11th. Not just people directly affected by it, but also the general population who feel uneasy over fears of radiation, the economy and so on. It’s a kind of cultural anxiety hitting people all over Japan, and for many the common symptom is sleep problems.
I guess it’s kind of a mass post-traumatic stress disorder or something, but it shows how Japan as a society will take a long time to recover from the devastation of the earthquake, not just economically.
The article has a nice infographic on the upper-right showing some tips on dealing with insomnia and stress in general. It’s a good read in my opinion. To reiterate the articles recommendations:
- If you can’t sleep, don’t force it. Get out of bed and do something else.
- Don’t put more stress on yourself by thinking about how much you need to sleep.
- Avoid lengthy naps, which will disrupt the sleep cycle.
- Avoid alcohol before bedtime.
As someone who tends to sleep poorly, I have found some of these tips useful, especially the first two. Hopefully people in Japan and elsewhere will get better rest soon.
Hello, this blog is about my life as a father, Buddhist and Japanophile / Koreaphile. Any useful information I can pass along will hopefully make the 
Awake in the middle of the night? A good time to meditate! It’s quiet. Meditation gives you some of the benefits of sleep. I find if I meditate while lying down, I almost always go to sleep.
That’s a brilliant idea. To be honest, I usually read/study myself (taking a queue from the Analects of Confucius), but meditation is a good suggestion too. I’ve recited the nembutsu which tends to have the same effect (sleepy, not necessarily samadhi).
Veo con mucha alegria, que los seguidores son mas de 130. Es para mi una cuestion personal. Cuando vi por primera oportunidad éste Blog tenía el Numero 70. Comente entre mis contactos, en varias ocaciones lo valioso é interesante de sus palabras. Agradezco a los nuevos seguidores por tomar el trabajo de leer.
Dormir ó no dormir. Esa es la cuestión. Sobre todo si tenemos en cuenta la hora local. (Argentina 02:23)