How to go to sleep |
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In the west these days there are many people that suffer from insomnia and though they are very tired from a hard day at work they just can't drop off. Instead they have a myriad of thoughts going on in their mind. Is that you?
Below are some tips you can use to assist you in dropping off to sleep however it must be said that these techniques will only help somewhat. Eventually there is no other solution than to change the very way you look at life and the things you do. Notice that I did not suggest to slow down - though this is one way to do it - but just to change the very way you think and feel about the things you are doing. But enough of the deep stuff - here are the tips:
Associate with a time in the past when you where very sleepyIf you remember a time in the past when you were extremely tired and visualise yourself in that same state you will begin to take on the attributes of that state - ie sleepy. But to do this you have to really imagine that you are in that place. See the things you saw, hear what you hear, feel, smell and even taste the same as you did before. This strong association with the situation in which you were tired will be enough to make you very drowsy. Bore your mindA bored mind will usually fall asleep. So for this technique think about something really boring. You might find just chanting a single verse over time and again will help. Eventually your mind will get bored and do one of two things. It will cause you to start thinking about something else or it will shut down and go to sleep. Be mindful that the first possibility does not happen and you will definitely end up falling asleep. (This is how reading and counting sheep work) ExerciseGet up and do 100 push ups or something similar. You will be guaranteed to fall asleep straight after and feel sore the next morning as well. DietA diet rich in oily foods can make you more lethargic but for a lot of us that have too many kilos - this is not so recommended. External causesSoft music, taking a bath, drinking milk, soft lights etc are all good aids to help you sleep however my preference is to gain enough control over your own mind that you don't need these things. Mindfulness of thoughtUsing meditation techniques like becoming extremely mindful of what thoughts you are having in the present moment can also be useful for sleeping. This is because by turning your attention and interest onto the thoughts themsleves rather than what you are thinking, you can effectively destroy racing thoughts. This works be cause a thought can be emotional but observing a thought as a thought is not. This method also has an added bonus. By practicing mindfulness before sleeping in this way it is sometimes possible to remain or become conscious as you move into the dream state. This is called a lucid dream and is the next blog subject.
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