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Sleep Techniques
This article takes a look at some
practical sleep techniques. These are just some basic
sleep techniques to help you deal with insomnia. If
you are interested in more advanced sleep techniques,
simply sign up for my free newsletter at the bottom of
this article.
We’ve all heard about counting sheep
and to be honest its effectiveness varies from person
to person. The reason often being is that too much
concentration and focus is put on the actual task. If
the conscious mind is too awake you may find yourself
counting up to 1000 and still not feel any sleepier.
It’s the subconscious part of the
mind that knows how to sleep. I’m sure you’ve tried,
but you absolutely cannot will yourself to sleep, it
just doesn’t happen that way. Fact is, sleep isn’t
supposed to be forced, it’s supposed to just happen
naturally. If you’ve suffered from insomnia for many
years and relied on sleep medication to help you
sleep, you may find natural sleep difficult.
This is because, you have come to
rely on sleeping pills and you are no longer relying
on your natural ability to sleep. This habit has been
ingrained into your subconscious and is in effect
becoming the way you are. However, just as we can
learn to walk, ride a bike and drive a car, you can
learn how to sleep. More accurately you are
reawakening and reinforcing your own ability to sleep.
There are many sleep techniques you
can try such as progressive relaxation and deep
breathing. In fact there are far more effective and
natural ways to deal with insomnia than your average
sleeping pill. However, today I will explain a simple
and basic sleep technique which you will be able to
follow with ease.
This sleep technique is similar to
counting sheep, however it is far more effective as
you will see in a minute:
Step 1:
Once you’re ready to sleep, ensure that your bed and
bedroom is dark, comfortable and not too warm. It’s
best to lie on your back for this. So get yourself in
a comfortable position and close your eyes.
Step 2:
Now begin to breathe deeply and slowly. Listen to each
slow inhale and exhale. On each exhale, feel your body
sinking down into the bed. Feel your body heavy and
tired. Continue this until you feel relaxed from head
to toe.
Step 3:
Now it’s time to begin with some affirmations. Imagine
a calm and soothing voice and tell yourself ‘You feel
sleepy and tired’ and ‘You will sleep better and
better every night’ Feel free to adapt and change the
affirmations. Just ensure that you use positive
language.
Step 4:
Now continuing with your deep, slow breathing, begin
to count up on each exhale. Working from your head to
your toes, relax a part of your body on each exhale.
Imagine and feel your body heavy and sinking deeper
into the bed. Continue this until you reach your toes.
Step 5:
You may find that you lose track when counting. This
is a good sign that you’re drifting, if this happens,
don’t worry exactly where you were, just continue
roughly where you left off. If at the end you are
still awake, don’t panic! You can’t expect miracle
cures.
This is just a simple sleep
technique that helps your conscious mind drift and
your subconscious to take over using your imagination.
I hope you enjoyed reading this article. If you are
interested in more advanced sleep techniques you can
sign up for my free newsletter.
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