I wanted to get to a point where I get REM sleep during naps and tried doing this during my summer vacation. Didn’t have a friend to keep me awake. Stayed up one night and napped through the next day fine. The next night I got into a state where I’d start constantly nodding off when sitting down even with the naps every two hours, and was feeling completely out of it. I couldn’t figure out how to keep going. I’d been planning on watching TV, which was now right out as I’d completely stopped being able to focus on what’s going on, and playing twichy action videogames, which also didn’t work that well since I couldn’t stay focused more than seconds at a time. (Also, worryingly, it took me hours just now to remember what the TV show I watched was (Leverage), despite this being only four weeks ago.)
Since I felt I had run out of things I can do without falling asleep, I just went and slept the rest of the night. Later I thought I’d forgotten to at least try a cold shower to make myself more awake. Still, I see why a lot of the adaptation guides recommend you to have hours and hours of brainless work that engages your body to do during the adaptation. I haven’t come up with very good ideas for what that would be for me.
As to brainless activity, cleaning tasks are my favorite. Stupid, picky, clean the shit out of EVERYTHING cleaning tasks. Polishing the silver. Dusting the ceiling. Organizing the socks. Toothbrush-scrubbing the corners. I was lucky enough to stumble on that my first adaptation, and for every one since, or even when I just miss sleep and know I’m going to have a tired night, I make a big list of picky cleaning tasks and just plow through them while I’m tired. They’re physical enough to stay awake for, repetitive/stupid enough to not think during, AND they make you feel really great about how you spent the time afterwards!
I wanted to get to a point where I get REM sleep during naps and tried doing this during my summer vacation. Didn’t have a friend to keep me awake. Stayed up one night and napped through the next day fine. The next night I got into a state where I’d start constantly nodding off when sitting down even with the naps every two hours, and was feeling completely out of it. I couldn’t figure out how to keep going. I’d been planning on watching TV, which was now right out as I’d completely stopped being able to focus on what’s going on, and playing twichy action videogames, which also didn’t work that well since I couldn’t stay focused more than seconds at a time. (Also, worryingly, it took me hours just now to remember what the TV show I watched was (Leverage), despite this being only four weeks ago.)
Since I felt I had run out of things I can do without falling asleep, I just went and slept the rest of the night. Later I thought I’d forgotten to at least try a cold shower to make myself more awake. Still, I see why a lot of the adaptation guides recommend you to have hours and hours of brainless work that engages your body to do during the adaptation. I haven’t come up with very good ideas for what that would be for me.
Also, what’s the point of the fasting, exactly?
Seconded, I’m curious about this.
Thirded; I’m curious about that too.
As to brainless activity, cleaning tasks are my favorite. Stupid, picky, clean the shit out of EVERYTHING cleaning tasks. Polishing the silver. Dusting the ceiling. Organizing the socks. Toothbrush-scrubbing the corners. I was lucky enough to stumble on that my first adaptation, and for every one since, or even when I just miss sleep and know I’m going to have a tired night, I make a big list of picky cleaning tasks and just plow through them while I’m tired. They’re physical enough to stay awake for, repetitive/stupid enough to not think during, AND they make you feel really great about how you spent the time afterwards!