Drowsiness

[Haniver]

Hi,
I have a problem with formal meditation where I just can't stay awake. It's been like this for months. I like sleeping very much and my current lifestyle doesn't allow for 8-hour-sleep nights, but I think that's not the problem; some 10 or 15 years ago I used to go to retreats where I had much less sleep and I could meditate free of drowsiness: I even got hallucinations a couple of times due to sleep deprivation during long meditation nights, but I stayed awake. Nowadays I wouldn't even dream about that: I fall asleep every single time. What's your advice?

[char101]

Walking meditation. As a bonus it is also a good exercise.

Switch to a light kasina (use a flashlight*) as a meditation object until you don't feel sleepy anymore.

(*) I suggest a flashlight with a cree q5 led. This led can produce a rather bright white light. Also an zoomable head flashlight so that you can focus it to a small circle. A white light helps to remove sleepiness compared to yellow light.

[SteRo]

...What's your advice?

Get more sleep. The need for sleep isn't permanent but impermanent. And exclude pathological causes.

[JamesTheGiant]

Drowsiness is one of the five classic hindrances.
At this link there's an article giving some good quotes from the Buddha, about the antidotes to drowsiness.
https://www.wildmind.org/blogs/on-pract ... and-torpor
My solution was to do a lot more walking meditation instead, and when in sitting meditation I changed from breath meditation to a different object of awareness.

[Haniver]

Thank you all. I'm doing walking meditation almost exclusively now and it's working very well!

[Alīno]

Try to reduce amount of information that enter your 6 senses and physical activity like sport.
Your mind and body need to rest a lot because there is too much input information that your brain and body need to digest.

Try metta before sleeping too.

[salayatananirodha]

https://www.accesstoinsight.org/tipitak ... .than.html