[Mr. Potato Head]

Some say that memory, thoughts, emotions, etc are all electrical signals, vibrations, hums, etc in the spaces in our brains. So my question is, on those night that you can't fall asleep for the things on your mind, why not?

What about the restless nights in which you wake up many times due to a busy mind?

Why aren't we able to remain asleep and quell these electrical impulses of our conciousness unless there is something to kick the impulses into action even when they are at rest? Can you dig it? What gives?

[ingannilo]

Synapses, electrical connections between neurons are what make up most of our cognitive thought, from what I understand. These and all physical things being made up of vibrating matter.

physical laws I believe to dictate thought as well, for a large part, which makes some sense when you look at it as connections between individual neurons. If you want a certain thought process to slow it requires as much work as getting it to the momentum is has. This is a theory of mine that's in it's early phases, and I apologize for the lack of scientific data to back it up.

I find that a sleeping mantra makes getting an active mind settled easier. A simple phrase/word or even just a thought or feeling that's comforting and brings a sense of ease. Focusing on this mantra and putting the brakes on all other trains of thought help me drift away, at least.

I hope this is what you were looking for!

Maybe someone else with more scientific information?

Cool idea for a thread!

[Mr. Potato Head]

I also am able to fall asleep when I need to, but my GF can't sleep for the life of her. Sometimes I do wake up in the middle of the night, though. What I am trying to figure out is more directly related to the physical properties of the non-physical mind and the effects they have on going from unconcious to concious states of mind. What is the trigger and how does it work?

[Celeste]

Neurotransmitters control whether we are asleep or awake by acting on different groups of nerve cells, or neurons, in the brain. Sometimes, these neurons fail to "switch off" the signals that keep us awake. The most likey reasons for the apparent failure of the neurons to switch off are foods, illness, stress or excitement, and medications. Another reason may be low levels of a chemical called adenosine.

Since the anxiety of being unable to fall asleep actually contributes to insomnia, try getting out of bed and reading, watching television, or listening to music, or taking a warm bath until you feel tired.

I'm also with ingannilo on using an sleeping mantra. I have had insomnia all my life, along with experiencing waking and dozing cycles dozens of times a night. Mantra's take some concentration, but they do work well after you use them for awhile.

My two favorite: Peace and mmmm.

[InfiniteNow]

It's an evolved mechanism. Those who fell asleep remembering the important things like "go find food in morning" were the ones who survived. Those who fell asleep thinking "doobey doh doobey dah" often forgot the important tasks and didn't survive in the same frequency. Now, with our moder society, the "go find food" thing has become much more complex, but it's essentially from the same root.