Fall Asleep with Your Eyes Open

Unfortunately, humans cannot train themselves to fall asleep with their eyes open in the way that reptiles can.[1] The only humans who can fall asleep with their eyes open are suffering from a condition known as Nocturnal Lagophthalmos or have other sleep disorders and injuries (such as stroke or facial paralysis).[2] These are dangerous conditions, and falling asleep with your eyes open is very bad for your sight and your overall health.[3] However, the reasons that many people wish to sleep with their eyes open (falling asleep secretly and reaching different levels of consciousness) can be achieved in other ways. For example, you can achieve similar effects through taking short power naps, lucid dreaming, or simply meditating with your eyes open.

Steps

Napping Without Being Noticed

  1. Recognize the benefits of short naps. Falling asleep for even just 10 minutes can help improve your energy, concentration, memory, and focus. Indeed, napping should be considered an asset in improving productivity. Consider building naptime explicitly into your schedule so that you can maximize your potential at work or school.[4]
    • Taking a longer nap is not recommended, since it increases your likelihood of being noticed without providing the maximum benefit. Try to keep your naps to just a few minutes in length when you are at work or school.
  2. Find a secret place to nap. In an ideal scenario, you will be able to nap in complete privacy, so that your colleagues and bosses do not realize that you are napping. Find an out-of-the-way location where you can stretch out and close your eyes for just a few minutes.[4] If you can, see if you might be able to nap in the following places:
    • Your office
    • Your car
    • A bathroom
    • A seldom-used storage room
  3. Sit in the back of the room. You don't always have the option of napping in private. If you have to go to work or school exhausted, try to get a seat toward the back of the room, away from the speaker or teacher. Give yourself some space to rest without getting caught. As long as you remain at the back of the room, it is unlikely that someone will notice that your eyes are closed.[5]
  4. Wear sunglasses. If you feel yourself begin to nod off at work or school, put on a pair of sunglasses. Not only will you be able to sleep more effectively in a dark environment, but it will be less likely that you will be noticed. Nobody will realize that your eyes are closed.[6]
    • If you do not have a pair of sunglasses, consider wearing a hat or cap that you can pull over your eyes during key moments.
  5. Maintain good posture. One of the giveaways that you are sleeping isn't your eyes at all: it is your body language. A slumped posture with a slack jaw, open palms, and open mouth is much more likely to draw attention to your nap than your eyes. When you fall asleep in public, rest your elbow on the desk in front of you and bend your arm 90 degrees. Then prop your head up on your closed fist. This will help keep your head upright and will disguise your nap.[7]
  6. Find an ally. If you are forced to nap among your colleagues or fellow students, enlist a friend who can assist you if you are in danger of being noticed. Your ally might wake you up if your name is called or nudge you when everybody is moving their seats. Be sure to return the favor if your ally also wants to take a secret nap every now and again.
  7. Recognize the power and danger of microsleeping. Microsleep is a condition when your brain falls asleep while you are in the middle of a task such as driving or working. Your eyes might remain open during this period even though your brain is not functioning normally. This condition can be powerful, since nobody will realize that you are asleep, and your eyes might indeed remain open. However, this is also a dangerous condition, especially if you are driving a vehicle or operating machinery. If you find yourself losing a few minutes of time, you might be experiencing microsleeps.[8]
    • Microsleeps are more likely to occur if you experience a prolonged period of poor sleep.[9] They are also more common among those who work second or third shifts.
    • You cannot intentionally microsleep; they are caused by chronic sleeplessness and exhaustion.

Meditating With Your Eyes Open

  1. Recognize the benefits of meditation. Meditation can improve your focus, concentration, energy, and overall happiness. Meditation can also significantly reduce your stress levels. Studies also demonstrate that those who practice any kind of daily meditation are generally more optimistic about life.[10]
  2. Recognize that meditation can mimic, but not fully replace, sleep. Moreover, meditation can allow your brain to cycle between beta waves (when you are awake) and alpha waves (the stage that immediately precedes sleep).[11] By meditating, you are not replacing your sleep cycle. However, you are giving your brain the rest periods it needs in order to be fully awake during your beta cycles. Only 10-15 minutes of meditation can provide this positive, sleep-like benefit.[11] Those who meditate regularly do not need to sleep as often as those who do not meditate.[12]
    • This is one of the reasons why many people find it easy to fall asleep immediately after meditating: your brain is primed to fall asleep. Meditation is not the same thing as sleep, however.[11]
    • Meditation can also be used to correct sleep disturbances for this reason.[13]
  3. Tell yourself that meditation can be done with your eyes open. Many people expect that meditation requires closed eyes. However, there are Rest-with-Your-Eyes-Open. Indeed, some people report feeling particularly rejuvenated and refreshed after an open-eye meditation experience.[14]
    • This type of meditation is particularly useful for those who have to integrate meditation into their public transit commute, workday, or school day: you can meditate without being noticed. All you need is a place to sit and a few minutes of time in which you can meditate.
  4. Find a dark, quiet place to practice meditation techniques. If possible, choose a dark, quiet, calm place to practice your open-eye meditation. When you become more advanced, you will be able to meditate in the middle of a busy classroom. But to begin with, try a dimly lit space in your home. Close the blinds and turn off your devices in order to eliminate as many distractions as possible.[15]
  5. Get comfortable. Keep your back upright but loose. Sit comfortably. Many people enjoy sitting in the lotus position to meditate. However, you are free to meditate in whatever way keeps your body relaxed. Just be sure that you maintain a good, non-slumping posture. You can sit on a chair, kneel, or even lie down if you prefer. Keep your hands loose and open, resting in your lap.[15]
    • Some people find that incense or scented candles can help them relax and focus. Feel free to try this as you begin to practice open-eye meditation.[15]
  6. Practice focusing on two sets of objects at once. You will not be able to meditate with open eyes right away. To build up your open-eye meditation skills, begin by practicing having each of your eyes focus on a different object. Choose one object to your left to focus on and one object on your right to focus on. Try to maintain this dual focus for as long as you can, even if it's just a few seconds.
    • Your brain will be so focused on the visual information that all other distractions and mental noise will begin to disappear, allowing you to achieve a restful, relaxed meditative state.
    • Gradually increase the time you spend focusing on these two sets of objects. If you want to challenge yourself, you might also try turning your head while keeping the image of these two objects in your mind.
    • Soon you will begin noticing other objects in the room that are in front of you. Be aware of these objects, but do not let them distract you. For example, you might be awed by a beautiful beam of light in your home. However, you do not want to think about the dusty shelf you have to clean that you just saw. Dismiss such worries from your mind.
  7. Breathe deeply. Once you have gotten used to focusing on two sets of objects at once, begin to integrate deep breathing exercises into your meditation. Breathe in through your nose for 5 seconds, hold for 5 seconds, and then release slowly through your mouth. While you might have to explicitly time yourself as a beginner, your goal is to make deep breathing automatic eventually so that you no longer have to "count" inside your head.
  8. Integrate open-eye meditation into everyday life. Once you have mastered the art of open-eye meditation in a calm, controlled environment, you can begin to bring it into your daily life. It will be challenging to do so at first, but you must be patient and forgiving with yourself. Let your body be a source of calmness and relaxation even while the world around you is chaotic and distracting. Soon, you will be able to achieve a restful, focused state with your eyes open when you are at work, school, or on the bus.

Practicing Lucid Dreaming

  1. Consider alternative states between wake and sleep. Many animals who sleep with their eyes open experience a state in between wake and sleep. This method does not work for humans. However, there are other ways to achieve a sense of awareness and consciousness while sleeping: this is known as Lucid-Dream. A lucid dream is when a dreamer becomes suddenly aware that he or she is dreaming. The dreamer can then gain control of the dream world and be fully conscious during sleep.[16]
  2. Read about lucid dreaming to "plant the seed." Scientists don't know why, but simply reading about the phenomenon of lucid dreaming can cause people to experience a lucid dream. Enhancing your awareness of the phenomenon, for some people, is sufficient to experience the phenomenon. Visit your local library to research the topic, or read about it online. Expose yourself to as many articles and stories as you can in order to "plant the seed" of lucid dreaming in your mind. Perhaps you will get lucky and experience a lucid dream on your own.[16]
  3. Get a good night's sleep. The most important step to gaining control over your dreams is to Relax-Before-Going-to-Bed each night. This will maximize the amount of time that you experience REM sleep, which is when most dreaming takes place.[17]
  4. Keep a dream journal. Maintain a dream journal and update it religiously. This will train your brain to recognize common themes and emotions of your own dreams. This will help your brain realize when you are dreaming in the middle of a dream state.[16] Be sure to keep a journal close to your bed so that you can write your dreams down immediately upon waking. If you get distracted after a dream, you are more likely to forget what happened during your dream.[17]
  5. Tell yourself you want to dream lucidly. Immediately before bed, tell yourself that you want to experience a lucid dream. Prepare your brain to be aware during the dream state. Focus on this desire intently each night.[18]
  6. Download a lucid dreaming application. There are phone applications that are designed to help cue your brain to realize when you are dreaming. Download one of these apps and use it while you sleep. It will help monitor when you are dreaming and will play an audio cue to try to make you recognize your own dream state without fully waking up.[16]

Tips

  • It is not recommended (or possible) for you to try to sleep with your eyes open intentionally. This can damage the eye and hurt your ability to get necessary sleep.[19]
  • Some people already sleep with their eyes open. However, they managed this through biological hard-wiring and injury, not through training and practice. People who can sleep with their eyes open include: children and infants (who will grow out of it),[20] sleepwalkers,[21] people who experience night terrors,[22] stroke patients, those with facial or head injuries,[23] Alzheimer's patients, and others with sleep disorders, eye disorders, and neurological disorders.

Warnings

  • Sleeping with eyes open could be a sign of a serious medical condition. Possible conditions include Bell's Palsy, stroke, infection, Alzheimer's, damage to the orbicularis muscle of the eyelid, genetic disorders, multiple sclerosis, and trauma to the face. If you find that you or someone you know can fall asleep with your eyes open easily, you should visit an eye doctor or neurologist as soon as you can.
  • Do not try to meditate or nap while you are in control of a vehicle or heavy machinery. You have to remain focused on your task for everyone's safety.
  • Be aware that napping at work or school might have negative consequences such as suspension. Try not to draw attention to yourself if you have to rest in secret.
  • If untreated, sleeping with your eyes open can lead to eye pain, infection, and corneal tears.[3]

Sources and Citations

  1. ↑ http://news.yahoo.com/crocodiles-might-literally-sleep-one-eye-open-141938158.html
  2. ↑ http://mayoguide.org/The-Risk-Of-Sleeping-With-Your-Eyes-Open.html
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 http://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-1177254/Ask-doctor-The-dangers-sleeping-eyes-open.html
  4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 http://articles.chicagotribune.com/2011-05-03/features/ct-tribu-office-hours-work-naps-20110503_1_nappers-shopping-mall-sleeping
  5. ↑ http://www.tigermag.com/2011/11/how-to-secretly-fall-asleep-in-class/
  6. ↑ http://lifehacker.com/5815967/how-to-get-away-with-sleeping-at-work
  7. ↑ http://abcnews.go.com/Business/ways-taking-nap-job/story?id=26491590
  8. ↑ http://www.scientificamerican.com/article/sleeping-with-the-eyes-open/
  9. ↑ http://www.sleepdex.org/microsleep.htm
  10. ↑ http://www.webmd.com/mental-health/features/meditation-heals-body-and-mind
  11. ↑ 11.0 11.1 11.2 https://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/focus-forgiveness/201112/sleep-cycles-and-rebooting-your-brain-meditation
  12. ↑ http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2919439/
  13. ↑ http://www.jcomjournal.com/mindfulness-meditation-for-sleep-problems/
  14. ↑ http://www.huffingtonpost.com/rose-caiola/can-you-meditate-with-you_b_5866922.html
  15. ↑ 15.0 15.1 15.2 http://openeyemeditation.com/Techniques.html
  16. ↑ 16.0 16.1 16.2 16.3 http://www.theatlantic.com/health/archive/2014/04/the-ways-to-control-dreaming/360032/
  17. ↑ 17.0 17.1 http://www.scientificamerican.com/article/how-to-control-dreams/
  18. ↑ http://nymag.com/scienceofus/2015/02/what-its-like-to-be-a-lucid-dreamer.html#
  19. ↑ http://www.theglobeandmail.com/life/health-and-fitness/health/conditions/can-you-be-asleep-with-your-eyes-open/article4392422/
  20. ↑ http://www.babycenter.com/404_is-it-normal-for-my-baby-to-sleep-with-her-eyes-open_3652525.bc
  21. ↑ http://www.sleepeducation.com/essentials-in-sleep/parasomnias/symptoms
  22. ↑ https://books.google.com/books?id=dzeXAgAAQBAJ&pg=PA33&lpg=PA33&dq=humans+sleep+eyes+open&source=bl&ots=KYfm1pq9kp&sig=lP_wJCspsAP1KcjnW61yOSO3X_8&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0CDMQ6AEwBDgKahUKEwjI4c3d_-PIAhXKMj4KHWJ8CnY#v=onepage&q=humans%20sleep%20eyes%20open&f=false
  23. ↑ http://www.emedicinehealth.com/disorders_that_disrupt_sleep_parasomnias/article_em.htm#disorders_that_disrupt_sleep_parasomnias_overview

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