How to handle Sleeplessness at night

You are physically sleepy and tired but your mind is still whirring

You can relax and enjoy a calm state of being.

Whether or not you believe this will work or not, it will work!

Is you mind full of thoughts and you just can’t seem to ‘shut off your brain’ with random excessive thinking? That will certainly cause a sleepless and restless night.

And because many of the thoughts that arise in the mind are counter-productive creating emotions of anxiety, ill will, and self-doubt we must first must reduce the amount of thinking!

There is much more to the mind than inner self-talk and mind chatter!

There is a part of the brain (located in the hypothalamus) which will induce relaxation, it is a physiologic response which means whether or not you believe it will or not has no bearing.

Physiologic responses include heart rate and breathing, or when the doctor taps on your knee with the little hammer– you don’t have to think your leg will jump or not, it will jump.

You can tap into a relaxation response with just two easy steps!

To relax yourself and quiet your minds inner self-talk make sure that you are comfortable and in a quiet place, preferably in bed. Prior to doing this if you have been in bed for a while tossing and turning working yourself up with excess stress and worry I would suggest that you get out of bed and do something for 15-20 minutes that will put your mind some place outside of your own inner thoughts.

You can write down your thoughts as a list of what you need to do. Don’t spend too much time on doing so, simply jot down a list. You may want engage in a little creative writing, read a book or watch some television. Then go back to bed.

STEP 1:
Close your eyes. Breathe calmly, slowly and deeply. Keep breathing slowly in and out through your nose completely filling your lungs with air. Concentrate on sensations of relaxing in your physical body. Visualize a wonderful calming place.

Focus on a word or phrase that has a positive meaning to you. I use the word “Solace”. Use positive suggestions such as; I feel calm and serene, I believe in myself, I am special and unique, every day I’m getting better and better in each and every way.

STEP 2:
When your mind wanders just let go of the thought and return to your focus word or phrase!

There is only one stipulation in order for this to work, you actually must do it!

A helpful analogy:
Think our our mind as being a pond of water and restless thoughts as pebbles thrown into the water. The ripple of activity creates a disturbance to the tranquil and serene surface so that we cannot clearly see to the bottom – where our most enlightened and wisest self resides.

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