As someone who has taken a one-way trip away from a place of fatigue and frustration.
I want to pass along a few of the most important insomnia tips that I wish I’d known long ago. I hope the insights you gain from my past sleep mistakes will help you if you are struggling to get enough rest.
1. Learn to Really Relax
After a busy, stressful day, you collapse into bed expecting to finally relax and fall asleep.
But often, your brain takes the opportunity it hasn’t had all day, to process everything that happened.
Much to your frustration, your body may be exhausted and ready to rest, but your mind isn’t – and that’s not exactly conducive to sleep. I’ve learned that relaxation doesn’t have to wait until bedtime.
By building small moments of calm into a regular (and even stressful!) day, and gradually winding down as evening approaches, you can prepare both body and mind for rest.
When your brain has already processed the day before bedtime, you’re able to drift off peacefully and enjoy a truly restful night’s sleep.
2. Stop Trying So Hard to Sleep
Sometimes, the harder you try to fall asleep, the further away from sleep you drift. It’s like when you try to touch one positively charged magnet with another positively charged one.
The harder you try, the less it works.
Looking back, I remember trying really hard to sleep and usually failing miserably.
The truth is, sleep isn’t something you can force. It happens naturally when your mind and body are ready. By creating a steady sleep routine and keeping a positive mindset around rest, you allow yourself to relax. Then you don’t have to chase sleep – it finds you. Let sleep come knocking and simply welcome it with a smile.
3. Understand That You Can Sleep
It might sometimes feel as though you have “forgotten” how to sleep well, or that your sleep is somehow “broken.” But that’s not the case.
Just like your heart is beating and your lungs are breathing, your body knows how to sleep.
Sometimes, the mind resists rest, but you can gently retrain it to understand that sleep is safe, natural, and good. It may not happen overnight, but over time, you can truly internalize the belief that peaceful, restorative sleep is possible for you.
4. Trust Yourself and The Process
Once you understand that you can sleep just like any other healthy person, you might feel frustrated that you’re not suddenly sleeping like a dream. It’s important to understand that while your conscious mind has accepted this truth, your subconscious might need more time and gentle guidance to fully believe it.
Be patient and compassionate with yourself as you rebuild this trust.
With time, your mind and body will begin to work together, rather than against each other, and restful sleep will follow naturally.
Don’t hesitate to ask for help. It’s smart to consult with your doctor to get their opinion on your sleep issues and to take any recommended tests to rule out medical issues. If there’s no obvious medical reason for your sleep challenges, consider talking to an integrative sleep coach.
The majority of sleep problems stem from thoughts, beliefs and behaviors. A sleep coach gets to know you and creates a custom sleep strategy designed to address your specific challenges, then supplies motivation, accountability, and support while you get your sleep back on track.
Thanks for this post! Is this a Sarno approach?