As we all know, tossing and turning in bed trying to get to sleep is frustrating-- and a waste of time and energy"especially when our noisy mind insists on talking to us about the day's troubles. Here's a simple method that can beat insomnia in just minutes, especially if you're having a hard time getting to sleep due to anxiety, stress or other temporary factors. It's a "tricked out" 21st century variation on the "count the sheep" routine that really works. Simply close your eyes and describe quietly, to yourself, what you see, hear, feel, taste, touch and smell in your "Mind's Eye" as you lie in bed. Use the present tense, as in "I see a large maroon ball, bouncing slowly to the right of my Mind's Eye, and there is complete and utter silence. The ball is very, very smooth"like glass and....." you get the idea. Do this for several minutes, focusing your attention on describing the sights and sounds in your Mind's Eye, and you may just find yourself feeling more and more relaxed and fall asleep. Be sure to focus on describing ONLY what is "sensory based""that is, don't look for any meaning in what's in your Mind's Eye, but simply quietly describe only what you see and hear there. You may also want to try these variations : * When you are tired and about to fall asleep, notice what is going on in your mind's eye immediately before you are about to fall asleep. I've noticed that, for me, I often see a ball like object coming quickly from the left center of my field of vision, dropping into a slot on my left-- and then moving slowly, reducing speed, to the right of my vision. When I recreate this in my Mind's Eye, I get to sleep far, far more easily. It doesn't make sense, but it does beat insomnia. * Another variation is to describe quietly to yourself what it would be like to be the world's soundest sleeper"an expert at falling asleep quickly and sleeping soundly. What would such an expert see, how would they feel, what would they hear, how would they position their body. as they easily and quickly fall fast asleep? Describe all this and you may find yourself becoming an expert in getting to sleep quickly yourself. It may work for you"try it! |
