Unfortunately, humans cannot learn to sleep with their eyes open like reptiles do. The only people who can fall asleep without closing their eyelids are those who suffer from a condition called "lagophthalmos" or some other sleep disorder, or those who have a physical impairment due for example to a stroke or facial paralysis. Each of these pathologies is to be considered serious, moreover falling asleep with your eyes open is harmful to both eyesight and health in general. However, if for some reason you want to be able to sleep without closing your eyes, for example to not let anyone know or to reach an altered state of consciousness, there are several ways to do so. Some possible hypotheses include taking a restorative nap (called a “power nap”), a lucid dream, or simply meditating with your eyes open.
Steps
Method 1 of 3: Napping without being noticed
Step 1. Recognize the benefits of a short nap
Sleeping as little as 10 minutes can help you have more energy, focus, memory and attention. For this reason, taking a nap should be considered a way to improve one's productivity. Consider voluntarily scheduling a daily nap to maximize your potential at school or work.
Sleeping longer is not recommended because it increases the chances of getting caught without providing the maximum benefit. Try to sleep for no more than a few minutes when you are in school or at work
Step 2. Find a secret place to take a nap
In an ideal scenario, you should be able to find a place that gives you complete privacy, so your boss and co-workers don't notice you're sleeping. Find a secluded spot where you can lie down and close your eyes for a few minutes. For example, consider taking a nap in one of the following places:
- In your office;
- In your car;
- In the bathroom;
- In a rarely used closet.
Step 3. Sit at the back of the room
You won't always have the opportunity to snooze in private. If you feel exhausted while at school or at work, try to sit in the back row, away from the speaker or teacher. Find a suitable space to rest without being discovered. As long as you remain at the back of the room, it is unlikely that anyone will notice that your eyes are closed.
Step 4. Put on a pair of sunglasses
If you feel that you are dozing off while in class or at the office, put on your sunglasses. Not only will the darkness allow you to rest more effectively, but you will also be less likely to be noticed. Nobody will understand that your eyes are closed.
If you don't have a pair of glasses available, consider wearing a hat with a visor that you can pull down over your eyes during key moments
Step 5. Maintain proper posture
The easiest way to betray the fact that you are sleeping is not to have your eyes closed, but to have the wrong body language. Compared to closed eyelids, a slumped posture, with lowered jaw, limp arms and open mouth, is much more likely to attract attention. If you want to sleep in public, rest your elbow on the desk in front of you, then bend your arm 90 degrees to be able to rest your head on your clenched fist. This will make it easier for you to keep your head straight while masking the fact that you are sleeping.
Step 6. Find an accomplice
If you are forced to doze off among your colleagues at work or study, recruit a friend who can help you if there is any danger of someone noticing you. His job may be to wake you up if you are called or to give you a nudge if everyone gets up from their chair. Remember to return the favor if he too wants to take a secret nap from time to time.
Step 7. Recognize the advantages and disadvantages of "micro-sleeps"
A micro-sleep is a rapid fall asleep during which the brain dozes off while you are in the middle of an assignment, for example while driving or at work. During this time, the eyes may remain open even though the brain is not functioning normally. Such an episode can be beneficial, as no one will notice that you have dozed off as your eyes are open, but at the same time very dangerous, especially if you are driving a car or a machine. If you seem to have "lost" a few minutes of the current situation, perhaps you are having micro-sleeps.
- Micro sleeps are more likely to occur when you have been sleeping poorly for some time. Even those who work in the evening or at night are more prone to micro-sleeps.
- Micro-sleeps cannot be voluntary: they are caused by chronic insomnia and intense fatigue.
Method 2 of 3: Meditate with Eyes Open
Step 1. Recognize the benefits of meditation
Meditating helps to have more attention, focus, energy and, overall, to be happier. In addition, it can promote a noticeable reduction in stress. Research has shown that those who meditate on a daily basis typically have a more optimistic outlook on life.
Step 2. Understand that meditation is not quite the same as sleep
For example, meditating can allow the brain to move between beta waves (when you are awake) and alpha waves (in the stage just before sleep). When you meditate, you don't replace a sleep cycle; nevertheless, give your brain the time to rest it needs to be fully alert during beta cycles. Even just 10-15 minutes of meditation can guarantee a positive "similar" effect to that provided by sleep. People who meditate regularly don't need to sleep as frequently as others.
- This is one of the reasons why those who meditate find it easy to fall asleep immediately after the practice: the brain is ready to fall asleep. However, meditation is not the same as sleep.
- For the same reason, meditation can also be used to correct sleep disorders.
Step 3. Understand that you can meditate with your eyes open
Many are convinced that to meditate it is mandatory to close your eyes. However, there are methods of meditating that do not require you to shut out your sight. In fact, some people say they felt particularly invigorated and refreshed after experiencing meditation with their eyes open.
This type of meditation is particularly useful for those who wish to practice it during their daily commute on public transport that takes them to school or to work. Meditating with your eyes open allows you not to be noticed; all you need is somewhere to sit for a few minutes
Step 4. Find a dark, quiet place to use your meditation techniques
If possible, choose a calm, quiet, and dimly lit place to practice meditation with your eyes open. Once you have mastered it, you will be able to meditate even in the middle of a noisy classroom, but to start with, choose a dark corner of the house. Close the shutters and turn off all your devices to eliminate as many distractions as possible.
Step 5. Make yourself comfortable
Sit in a comfortable position. Keep your back straight but loose. Many people like to meditate in the lotus position, but feel free to take whatever pose makes you feel relaxed. Just make sure you maintain proper posture, avoiding slouching. You can sit in a chair, get down on your knees, or even lie down if you prefer. Keep your hands open and relaxed, resting in your lap.
Some people find that lighting an incense or scented candle helps them relax and focus. Feel free to do the same when you first practice meditation with open eyes
Step 6. Practice focusing on two different objects simultaneously
Initially, you will not yet be able to meditate with your eyes open. To develop this skill, you can start practicing by keeping your right eye focused on one object and your left eye on another. Choose two different things: one placed on your right, the other on your left. Try to keep this double focus for as long as possible, even if it's only a few seconds.
- Your brain will be so focused on the visual information that all other distractions and mental buzz will begin to disappear, allowing you to achieve a peaceful and relaxed meditative state.
- Gradually increase the time you spend by focusing on the two different objects. If you want to try to challenge yourself, you can even try to turn your head without stopping visualizing them in your mind.
- Soon, you will begin to notice the other objects that are in front of you inside the room. Be aware of their presence, but don't let them distract you. For example, you may be captivated by a beautiful beam of light coming through the window. In this case, you will have to try not to think about the dusty shelf that needs cleaning that you just saw. Remove these kinds of worries from your mind.
Step 7. Breathe deeply
Once you have learned to focus on two different objects at the same time, start integrating deep breathing exercises into your meditation practice. Breathe in through your nose for 5 seconds, hold your breath for another 5, then slowly exhale through your mouth. The first few times you will be forced to measure time rigorously, but the goal is to make the practice of deep breathing an automatic gesture - so with the passage of time you will no longer have to keep count mentally.
Step 8. Incorporate day-to-day meditation into your daily life
When you feel able to master the art in a calm and controlled environment, you can start meditating even during your normal daily routine. It'll be pretty tough at first, so you'll have to be patient and forgive yourself when you can't. Let your body become a source of calm and relaxation even when the outside world is chaotic and deconcentrating. Over time you will learn to enter a state of calm and concentration by keeping your eyes open even while you are at work, school or on a crowded public transport.
Method 3 of 3: Making a Lucid Dream
Step 1. Consider the alternative mental states between sleep and wakefulness
Many animals that sleep with their eyes open experience a state that is somewhere between sleep and wakefulness. This method does not work for humans, but there is another way to achieve a state of awareness and self-awareness while sleeping: by having a lucid dream. It occurs when the dreamer suddenly becomes aware that he is dreaming; at that point he can acquire command of the dream world by becoming fully conscious even while he sleeps.
Step 2. "Prepare" for lucid dreams by reading on the subject
Even if scientists cannot explain why, the simple act of reading about the phenomenon of lucid dreaming can make it live. For some people, increasing their awareness of this phenomenon is enough for them to experience it. Go online or visit your neighborhood library to research the topic; read as many articles and narratives as possible to "set" your mind to have a lucid dream.
Step 3. Make sure you get a good night's sleep
The most important step you need to take to be able to take control of your dreams is getting enough sleep every night. This will maximize the amount of time you are in REM sleep, which is the stage where most dreams are born.
Step 4. Keep a dream journal
You will need to update it rigorously and constantly to train your brain to recognize the themes and emotions that recur most frequently in your dreams. Doing so will help him realize that he is dreaming just as he is in the middle of the dream phase. Keep the diary on the bedside table so you can write down what you dreamed of as soon as you wake up. If something distracts you immediately after the dream ends, you risk forgetting the details.
Step 5. Tell yourself that you want to have a lucid dream
Immediately after lying in bed, let your brain know that you want to experience lucid dreaming. This way you will prepare him to become conscious during the dream phase. Concentrate intensely on this desire of yours every night.
Step 6. Download an application about lucid dreaming
There are mobile phone applications that are formulated to help the brain notice when it is dreaming. Download one to use while you sleep: its job is to understand when you are dreaming to send you an audio signal that helps you realize it, without waking you completely.
Advice
- It is not recommended (or possible) to try to sleep with your eyes intentionally open. Doing so could damage them, even compromising your ability to sleep for as long as necessary.
- Some people are already able to sleep with their eyes open, but they succeed through conditioning and biological damage, not because they have trained and practiced. Those who can sleep with their eyes open include: infants and children (who will lose this habit), sleepwalkers, people with pavor nocturnus (sleep terror disorder), stroke or head or face impairment, Alzheimer's and people with other sleep, eye or neurological disorders.
Warnings
- Sleeping with your eyes open can be a sign of a serious illness. Possible conditions include: stroke, Bell's palsy (facial nerve palsy), infections, damage to the orbicular muscle of the eyelid, genetic disorders, multiple sclerosis and facial trauma. If you find that you or someone you know can fall asleep easily with your eyes open, the best thing to do is to see an ophthalmologist or neurologist promptly.
- Try not to meditate or doze off while driving a vehicle or machine. In those situations it is important to constantly stay focused on your task for your own safety and that of others.
- Understand that sleeping while at school or at work can have negative consequences, including suspension. Try not to attract the attention of others if you need to secretly rest.
- If left untreated, sleeping with your eyes open can cause eye pain, infections, and abrasions of the cornea.
