One of the reasons people can't get to sleep (or wake up in the middle of the night) is that they haven't turned off the "racing thoughts" in their mind from their stress-filled day. You need "closure" to get to sleep. For sleep to come, your heart rate, breathing rate and body temperature all have to decrease, and for this to happen, your brain waves have to slow down. They can only do this if you allow them to. For this you have to let go of any anxieties, worries, or negative thoughts you may have had during the day so that you are thoroughly relaxed.
In many cases, though, you have to do more than this. If you want to fall asleep fast, you'll find that images are extremely useful. To get them you'll have to start by getting rid of all thoughts and concentrate only on your feelings. Feelings are different from thoughts in that they are mostly in the body and not in the mind. Feelings are mainly concerned with comfort, but they're also concerned with happiness, joy, and satisfaction. To get the proper feelings you have to relax and enjoy yourself, and allow yourself "to have a good time." This might seem a little strange, but it is important.
The proper feelings should lead to images (which are nothing more than "pictures in your mind"). It's important, however, that they are pleasant, enjoyable images. Anything that makes you feel good is appropriate. A few examples are as follows:
- Lying on a beach, soaking up the sun
- A beautiful sunset
- An enjoyable family fathering
- A great vacation
- A star-filled night sky
- A crackling fire after a day's hike
- An enjoyable dance
You may have a little trouble evoking good images at first, but keep trying. With a little practice you will get better. Also, try to evoke your senses. As you see the images, smell the ocean air, hear the crackling of the fire, feel the warmth of the sun on your back, and so on.
Waking Up at 3:00 A. M.
One of the times when feelings and images are particularly effective is when you wake up in the middle of the night and can't get back to sleep. The important thing if this happens is to avoid trying to force yourself to sleep. In most cases, the more you try, the less likely you are to succeed. Don't worry, or even think, about how you are going to fall asleep. Just relax and enjoy yourself, and as above, begin by concentrating on your feelings and your comfort. Employ the idea of "having a good time," and let it lead to images. If you don't feel relaxed, start with some deep breathing. Keep your mind blank at first; let the images form naturally. Then enjoy them and soon you'll be back to sleep.
The Most Important Sleep
Your body goes through several (usually 6 or 7) 90 minute cycles while you are sleeping. The first part of the cycle is light sleep, then comes deep sleep, and finally REM, or dreaming sleep. In many ways the most important part of this cycle is the deep sleep. When you are in deep sleep it is very difficult to wake you. During deep sleep your muscle energy is replenished and your immune system is rejuvenated, but strangely your brain is not very active. There is, in fact, less blood in your brain (compared to other times) at this time. Interestingly, most of your deep sleep occurs in the first half of the night. Dream sleep, on the other hand, occurs mostly in the second half. Because of this, it is important to sleep well during the first half of the night, if possible. This doesn't mean that the second half is not important. Sleep is generally lighter during this time (this is why you wake up more often in the morning hours), but REM sleep is more common at this time, and studies have shown that REM sleep is important for the brain. It appears to help in the process of memory, and it helps solidify anything you have learned during the day.
Barry Parker, Ph. D., is a professor emeritus (physics, biophysics) at Idaho State University. He is the author of 25 books on science, health, writing and music. He has a strong interest in health and fitness, self-improvement and music. His most recent book is "Learn from Yesterday, Live for Today, Hope for Tomorrow." He is also the author of "Feel great Feel alive." His website is http://www.Barryparkerbooks.com
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