Sleep Secrets

Whenever we speak or think of sleep, we immediately conjure up images of lying down on a comfortable bed with our eyes closed. Indeed, to most people, closed eyes embody one of the hallmarks of falling asleep. However, it may come as a surprise to many to know that it is certainly possible to rest and sometimes even fall asleep with our eyes open. The scientific term for sleeping with eyes open is Lagophthalmos. A small minority of children and newborns can fall into deep sleep without closing their eyelids.
People can be trained to rest without closing their eyes completely. Although, this is not equal to sleeping with open eyes, it certainly induces a calm and relaxed state and like sleep, greatly refreshes the mind and body. Before we discuss the technique of relaxing without the need to close our eyes, let’s examine the role of eyelids in the context of sleep. The major reason why we close our eyelids during sleep is to block intense visual stimulation and other disturbances that can take the form of visual signals. The secondary function of eyelids is to keep out potentially injurious foreign objects (such as insects) from damaging our eyes when we are asleep.
There is a very powerful method, a form of awareness meditation (sometimes known as mindfulness meditation) that one can use to relax deeply without closing our eyes. Although there are a number of slightly different ways to implement this form of meditation, a commonly practiced, accepted method is briefly described here.
In order to rest with our eyes open, we must first seek a comfortable position. Most people find it best to lie down and then meditate. After you have found a comfortable pose, you must try to relax every muscle in your body. Each part of the body, starting from the feet, can be visualized mentally and given powerful mental suggestion to relax. If you find that doing this is a little difficult, then try to focus on your own breathing. Take deep breaths and focus on the gentle sounds made during each inhalation and exhalation. This will have a calming effect. After your muscles have relaxed fully, focus your eyes on a single object. The key point to underscore here is that although you must keep your focus on an object, you should try not to think about that object. Instead, try to make your mind go blank. An alternative method is to lay back and quietly examine your own thoughts forming in your mind. Let the thoughts come in naturally, and try to get your mind not to focus on any single thought or idea.
There are some distinct advantages of relaxing deeply without closing one’s eyes. Firstly, short periods of relaxation, even as little as five minutes, can easily be achieved by this method whereas, if one goes to sleep, with eyes closed, awakening after five or ten minutes will have a negative impact on the mind. Resting without closing the eyelids has also been shown to reduce anxiety and work tension. It also refreshes the mind significantly without the need to fall asleep completely for extended periods.
As a last note it must be mentioned here that some very complicated hypnotic methods can also be used to relax with our eyes kept open.