The inability to get to sleep at night is a HUGE problem for many people. If you fall into this category, be assured there IS hope to break out of the cycle.
Insomnia is a silent disease that drains the human resources that allow the body and mind to function normally. Lack of energy, unable to concentrate, grumpiness, prone to catching other ailments – ALL related to not being able to get regular and relaxing sleep.
Doctors are happy to prescribe pills and suggest other ‘possible’ remedies, but they are NOT solving the problem. If the truth be known, they really have no idea how to offer you permanent relief from this affliction, so they follow the basic procedure of offering temporary relief. Repeat business allows them to continue earning the dollars. It’s a sad but true story and you remain a victim of the system.
If they took the time to analyze every patient with a sleeping disorder and coordinated the data collected, they would easily be able to determine that the causes of INSOMNIA, can be directly attributable to stress, no matter what the age of the patient is. Everybody suffers from some form of stress. It’s how the stress is handled that dictates whether or not it affects the person’s sleeping patterns and to what degree.
Controlling stress levels has a positive effect in the battle against Insomnia and a number of other sleeping disorders. Finding a workable solution isn’t rocket science. Below are a few free tips you can try out and you will be amazed at just how well they work.
Breaking the cycle that is preventing you from getting to sleep is what you need to concentrate on. You need to replace the negative stressful thoughts with ones that will assist you in getting to sleep.
All of these are tried and tested by myself and have helped me over the years. They can be used individually or as a group. Some things may not break the negative cycle for you, but others will. Some are also dependant on whether or not you sleep alone.
I still find the most useful method for me, has been the ‘counting of sheep.’ Don’t laugh, it REALLY works, but not in the way you may have tried it. Most people using this method will start at one and count until oblivion. Yes, sleep is achieved, but it is as a result of boredom and therefore not a structured remedy.
To apply this tip properly and achieve quick and regular results, pick a number close to one hundred and count BACKWARDS until you reach one. The reason for doing it this way, is that you have a finishing point and, at that finishing point, you will achieve sleep. Each time you count a number, take a long deep breath. It may not work first time but it WILL work. If you reach one or you forget where you are up to, simply start again at the number close to one hundred. Doing this clears your mind of the other thoughts that are getting in the way of you getting to sleep and gives you a positive focal point for your efforts. It’s simple and VERY effective.
You can also try these to break the cycle.
As you are laying there in bed, waiting for you sleep cycle to kick in, gently start to jiggle your leg or your arm, as if you are keeping beat to your favorite tune. Put your radio on with the volume as low as possible so you can barely hear it. You straining to listen plus the jiggling will create its own sleep cycle and you will find yourself easily drifting off into slumber land. This method isn’t compatible if you have a sleeping partner. You may have to find a single bed to test this out. A small price to pay to be able to sleep, don’t you think?
Naturally, there are other ‘factors’ that affect whether or not you are able to achieve regular and relaxing sleeping patterns. These are outside influences that you don’t have any control over, like noise and annoying light, etc. Ideally, your sleeping environment should be dark, quiet and a place where you can feel safe and relaxed. Once you have ‘mastered’ and are in control of these simple tips, you will find that you will be able to adapt to any environment quite easily because you will KNOW that you are able to sleep when you want to.
It is timely to mention one more tip that took me a long time to discover. This definitely had a negative effect on any method I tried. I discovered that your body has a better chance of relaxing and therefore give you a better chance of getting to sleep if it isn’t too hot. I used to go to bed with socks on because my feet were always cold. Wearing socks to bed is a DEFINITE NO – NO! They tend to overheat your whole body and disturb any sleep patterns you may develop. The use of electric blankets has a similar bad effect. You have a much better chance sleeping when your body is cooler and NOT hotter.
