Sleep Well

Not being able to fall asleep and waking up in the middle of the night are problems that nearly all of us have had at some point in our lives. At best this can be annoying and at worst if can affect your whole life.

If you suffer from this problem you will know how it affects you. Not only can you feel tired all the time, you may drop off to sleep during the day, your performance and energy levels can be low, your emotions might be frayed, you could make silly mistakes, become forgetful, and your metabolism can even slow down leading to weight gain. If that wasn’t enough, your lack of sleep can even lead to depression and all kinds of other problems.

WELL HERE IS THE GOOD NEWS…This problem can be resolved!

Let’s face it. Sleeping is one of the most natural things in the world. If you get yourself comfortable and do absolutely nothing, the chances are that you will fall asleep quickly and soundly. The trick is in how you do that.

This is supposed to be a short article so I’m going to tell you about one simple and easy technique that hypnotists and people who naturally fall asleep use. On its own this technique works well, used together with other techniques that you can learn on the Infinite Mind Sleep Well Course, the results can be even better.

Most people who fall asleep easily do so by thinking of nothing or by leading their thoughts in the direction that they want to go, i.e. to sleep. There are several ways this can be done with one of the easiest methods being guided visualisation.

Guided visualisation (GV) is a process where you lead yourself (or somebody else) to access various psychological and physiological states by imagining certain things. It’s a bit like good story telling where the storyteller uses language to paint a picture in your mind. As you hear what is being read to you, you create pictures in your mind and access feelings that may go with the story. 

For example, a story that involves sitting comfortably…. breathing calmly…and… relaxing the muscles of your neck and shoulders will have a similar, relaxing effect on you. You may think it wouldn’t, but to understand the words you have just read, you have to go within your own mind to work out what the words mean to you. As you do this, your body responds. In this case it does so by relaxing. Can you see how beneficial this can be for you?

There are many ways to do guided visualisation, so to get you started, I’m going to share with you a simple method that I use when needed. It involves thinking into various body parts and just noticing how relaxed they become. When I do this I tell myself (internally) what I’m doing and at the same time I visualise and feel the beneficial changes. As with many things, the more you practice this technique the better you will become at it and the easier you will fall asleep.

Something to try…

When you feel tired and are ready for bed, snuggle in comfortably and allow yourself a minute or two before starting this technique. Just follow the below…

“Relax my scalp.”
As I gently say the words in my mind, I visualise my scalp relaxing and at the same time, I feel how relaxed my scalp becomes. You can keep your focus on the relaxation for as long as you want before moving on.

“Relax all the muscles on my face.” 
Again, as I say what I want to happen, I see and feel the beneficial changes.

(You can be as specific as you want with your visualisation of body parts. Instead of “muscles on my face,” you could use, “the muscles around my eyes, around my mouth, my jaw etc.”)

“Relax my neck.”
Say the words to yourself in a relaxed, comfortable tone. See how relaxed you look in your mind and feel the gentle softening of the muscles in your neck.

Simply continue down your body to the body parts you wish to relax. The idea is to lead your body and mind into sleep, not to recall all you know about anatomy and physiology! As a guide, the main body parts will work well; relax your shoulders, arms, fingers, chest, back, hips, thighs, knees, feet and toes. If at the end of this you are still awake, go back to the beginning and do it again.

More ways…

It sometimes helps to visualise someone else who relaxes easily and comfortably. As you go to bed, do the same as above however this time imagine you are someone else who you believe falls asleep easily. How do they say “Relax,” how does it look and feel for them? This person could be someone famous, your spouse or partner, a baby or a dog! The only thing that’s important is that you can imagine what it is like for them to relax and drift off to sleep.

When I do these techniques I’m normally asleep in a couple of minutes. I can’t remember a time when I’ve reached thinking about my feet! If however, after an hour of trying this technique there is no difference for you, call me for an appointment. There are many things that we can do and if past experience is anything to go by, you could be sleeping well within a session or two.

At times, sleep difficulties may be a sign of medical problems. To be certain all is well, please consult with your doctor. If your doctor recommends medication to help you to sleep, please remember that it is a suggestion not an order. It is up to you to make an informed decision.