My laughter experiment to reduce the need for sleep

By Mark Leigh

Two week’s worth of results indicate that laughing right before going to bed reduces the need for sleep.  I last wrote about this on Sept. 4.

For the last 2 weeks, I have averaged 7 hours of sleep per night, sometimes sleeping less than 7 hours and sometimes a little more than 7 hours.  I think this is due to watching funny YouTube videos before going to bed which create a surge of growth hormone.  I often laugh out loud to funny scenes and bloopers; and I can feel how laughter leaves my body in a different state.  Watching a funny video seems easier (and more effective) than trying to recall funny scenes from memory, but I still occasionally recall funny scenes during the day.

Prior to starting my efforts to naturally release growth hormone, I used to sleep at least 8 hours per night.  Then during the 19 months of my growth hormone attempts, my need for sleep reduced a little but sometimes reverted to a need for 8 hours.  I am pleased with (seemingly) reducing my need for sleep to 7 hours per night; I hope it continues.

For your information, I do not use an alarm clock since I don’t have to be at work until 9 am.

Here are some links to YouTube videos which made me laugh:

Christmas Vacation – the squirrel scene.  3 min., 24 sec.

The Three Amigos – “look up here” scene. 1 min. 4 sec.

The Office  — office pranks with Jim vs. Dwight.  9 min 48 sec.

One Response to “My laughter experiment to reduce the need for sleep”

  1. Todd Says:

    Mark,
    You are brilliant. I love your idea. I have discovered that I sometimes wake up laughing in the middle of the night. It’s accompanied by a wonderful sensation that I would equate to laughing gas (though I’ve never experienced artificial nitric oxide). I always feel extremely well rested after a night in which I woke up laughing or a night when my wife tells me she heard me laughing in my sleep. I’m going to adopt your you-tube at night strategy and see if it works for me as well.

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