Forum: Practical Dharma
My question is about the use of a sleep aid while on retreat. In March I will be attending a week long advanced Mahamudra retreat led by Daniel P. Brown with emphasis on the ordinary and extraordinary special insight meditations. I have attended two previous week long retreats (not advanced) with Dan in the past year and I haven't slept during either, although the first retreat I was having lucid dreams and was also "awake" in deep sleep. The most recent retreat in January, I just didn't sleep much beyond 2-3 hours a night and by weeks end, I was really feeling it (although I also wonder if I was experiencing some "dark night" irritability and jitteriness but that's for another thread).
I'm thinking about getting a script for Ambien, or using OTC benadryl, or something to help me sleep. Daniel Ingram writes about the importance of getting at least four hours of sleep in his book, and given my experience, I tend to agree. Any thoughts or suggestions would be greatly appreciated.
