How is it possible to allow your body to rest deeply in a shorter time frame? This includes being able to sleep well and rest well.
While you try to unravel why you are waking up or why you are preoccupied with something unresolved, a problem or just stressed, in general, here are some ideas to consider trying.
It is important to note that none of these ideas are “prescriptive’. They are just ideas to explore. Maybe there is something simple that you can try that can unlock this cycle of exhaustion. I hope this will be the case because insomnia, especially the clinically challenging types have more layers of discovery and healing. I also believe that sometimes we apply too much pressure on ourselves to “sleep” on command, that it works in reverse.
Instead of talking about insomnia ,which can be left for expert advice, I would like to avoid that term and just call it sleeplessness. Why? because I think that it is possible to explore that state without locking ourselves into a condition. In other words, the more you focus on it, the more it becomes solidified in your reality.
This article was created to offer something that might not seem obvious or even an option. After warm milk and warm salt baths, scents, darkened rooms, and night masks, there seems to be little you can do to settle a jumping mind and the obsessive need to look at the alarm clock.
But is there something so simple that you haven’t tried yet ? AND, could it be that easy? I mean, could one approach seem to be a polar opposite and a ridiculous solution to tossing and turning?
Imagine yourself sleeping deeply and waking up completely revived, energized and feeling well-rested.
Try it. You are awake anyhow! 6 simple steps. Set your alarm clock first, for when you want to wake up. You will probably fall asleep.
1. Relax the body and prepare it for sleep.
Get cozy. Surround yourself with comfort. Wrap yourself in fluffy quilts and support your neck with a pillow. Close your eyes. Take a deep breath and let your energy come back to the present moment. Let your body relax starting from the tip of your toes to the top of your head. Relax your toes, feet, ankles, calves, thighs and your legs. Relax your torso, chest, neck, arms, wrists, hands and fingers. Relax your head, and all the muscles in your face.
2. Breathe and release tension.
Breathe and release tension. Let the tension go with each exhale. Whenever thoughts interrupt your attention, bring it back to the breath cycle. Let your attention follow the breath in and out. Feel your body becoming more relaxed and present.
3. Visualize a deep and well-rested sleep.
Imagine yourself sleeping deeply, getting a well-rested sleep. See yourself relaxed, surrounded in a bubble of protected energy.
4. Set an intention.
Set the intention. I sleep well and awaken well-rested and filled with energy. Repeat this affirmation as you visualize yourself sleeping well in less time.
5. Present tense and divine energy.
Bring your awareness back to the present moment, release destructive thoughts that are keeping you awake. Let thoughts that cause worry or distraction [ like looking at the clock] pass through your mind. See them float through you. Allow yourself to be surrounded by divine and /or protective energy. This can be a simple prayer or just by thinking “I am divinely protected as I sleep well and rest deeply”.
6. Count backwards 10-1.
Now, count backwards from 10-1. With each decreasing number feel your body becoming more relaxed and moving into a deep sleep. Let your body sink into this deep sleep. Breathe deeply and feel the comfort of your blankets cradle you in peace.
A busy mind is an incredible gift during waking hours but it consumes a lot of energy. Being able to relax and turn down the volume on the mind chatter and analysis overload is important to allowing the body to rest deeply, restore and revitalize itself and be ready for another day.
Visualization can be used to shift your physiology toward deep relaxation which is still a high performance state. Rest helps the body build its immune system, enables detoxification and healing and a system wide re-boot.
But knowing how to dial down your over active mind is what will give you the most relief to sleeplessness, in my opinion. And, replacing the panic of seeing less time to sleep change to realizing that it is possible to achieve a deep rest in less time if you are open to making one simple adjustment.
Being present in the Now helps rid you of the distractions of looking at the time. Focus on sleeping well, achieving an excellent sleep, and accelerating rest regardless of time constraints.
Counting sheep is futile if you have a lot of mental anxiety or are preoccupied with something that is a worry. But to see yourself rested and being clear of anything that is causing your emotional distraction is healing and very useful in high stress conditions.
Sleep well friends.
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