March 1, 2021

The Power of Focused Practice + Sleep

I was listening to an interview with a woman who does research on sleep who also happens to have a newborn baby. One of the things she described was how she would show the baby something to try out – like blowing a kiss or saying the word mama. The baby watched and tried and tried to follow her example with adorable but clumsy attempts that fell short of full imitation.
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Then after a long nap or sleeping through most of the night, the baby would try the new skill and again and nail it on the first try. The learning and integration process happened while the baby slept. Newborn babies are one of the most powerful human example of accelerated learning, and they have a lot to teach us old timers about the value of sleep.

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I am coming very late in life to this party. I have spent most of my life thinking of sleep as a waste of time, as in – “what good is being unconscious?” I love coffee. I love feeling wide awake and full of energy. I grew up with rock and roll role models who would bop till they dropped, and then get up and do it again. Then I moved on to worshiping other type A workaholics who got rich and powerful and successful by burning the candle at both ends with a maniacal focus on some wild goal.

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I still have a ways to go with using the power of a good nights sleep or strategic naps. One book that blew away the worst of my insane belief systems about sleep is “Why We Sleep (Unlocking the power of sleep and dreams)” by Matthew Walker, Phd. I did not read the whole book – yet. It is a long book to read. But the first half of the book hit me hard enough to make me want to change my way of living. It’s made me a lot more aware of how I surf the wave cycles of high and low energy in everyday life.

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Working with my own energy / alertness cycles is ten times more fun and productive than trying to over-ride them. I’m starting to pick up on the signals that tell me it’s time to check out and re-boot. It is amazing to me how many impossible problems evaporate if I remember to use simple tools like deep breathing and short naps.
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Research on the danger of chronic sleep deprivation is finally starting to effectively challenge the “I’ll sleep when I’m dead” type A workaholic role model. When it comes to learning music, problem solving, or developing any complicated skill, todays top coaches and consultants all agree: deep rest is indispensable to high performance.

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Here are a few ideas / opinions on how to use sleep that you might find useful:

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1. Control your inputs – cut down on taking in information, particularly emotionally charged information that you don’t need. One of my worst tendencies is to click on some news network like the Huffington Post – the headlines and articles are mostly highly charged and designed to rile you up one way or another. There are great articles and writers contributing to this news aggregator, but for me personally, it is really more of a news aggravator.
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My main point here is that the less nonsense your sleeping mind has to sort through and toss, the quicker it can get down to the business of making deep learning connections.

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2. Design practice or learning sessions that have some clear boundaries. I can practice scales on the harmonica by rushing through them and making lots of mistakes. This gives my mind confusing information to deal with and the sloppy approach also says that this is really not that important to me. On the other hand I can slow down, create a clear path and repeat it a few times in a row with with feeling and intention and accuracy. This gives my mind clear information along with the message that this information is important to me. Develop your instincts for when to quit . Doing the same thing over and over reaches a point of diminishing returns. When you end a session, a simple reward like telling yourself “That was a good session” also reinforces the process.

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3. Make it easier to get a good nights sleep or take naps when you need them. You can find plenty of advice on how to do this. Find a practice that resonates with you, try it and see if it works. Over time you will personal tool kit for getting the right amount of sleep.

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I wish I could say I’m a shining example of a sleep master but I’m not. I am really more of a part time sleep nerd who is waking up to the strange power of the world of sleep and dreams. The idea that less becomes more when you take a break at the right time gives me a sense of hope that I find invigorating. I love the idea that there are guides and spirits all along the way, and some of the best are just outside of your waking reality, waiting for a chance to get to work.

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I also believe that any tiny improvement in the wiring of my brain makes the whole system run cooler and more efficiently. And that my brain wants to do this for me literally while I sleep…

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Two new Youtube videos:

​Crash Course in Blues Harp Basics​

This video is a condensed version of how I teach breath control, timing and tone, and follows your sound from your core up through your throat, mouth and hands.

​Keep Your Lamp Trimmed and Burning​

A short performance of this spiritual with a melody rooted in the minor pentatonic scale.

I hope this letter finds you in good spirits – Happy March!
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Richard