Sleep & Insomnia
“A Positive Life Begins with a Positive Mind.”
Do you have trouble getting to sleep or sleeping through the night? Get sleep now and wake up rested, refreshed and revitalized!
Do you lie awake at night, toss and turn and are you not able to turn your thoughts off? Does your mind continue to race? Does it take you 15 or more minutes to fall asleep even though you’re exhausted? Once you finally get to sleep, do you wake up periodically throughout the night and lay awake thinking and tossing around again? When was the last time you had 7-8 consecutive hours of deep sleep? Do you wake up tired in the morning?
There’s no need to fret! It’s time for you to get sleep now! Unfortunately, with our fast-paced world and everyday stresses, insomnia is on the rise. You may also be aware that lack of sleep (less than 7-8 hours of deep sleep per night) causes your body to produce Cortisol, which is the stress hormone that creates fat, thus adding to the obesity problem faced by millions of people today. When you are sleep deprived, it causes more stress, which causes weight gain, which causes a multitude of health problems. If you wake up tired in the morning, you may rely on caffeine to get you going in the morning and throughout the day. Or, worse yet, you may be drowsy while driving, which raises your risk of an auto accident! You may also have trouble focusing on your tasks at hand throughout the day.
Here are some tips that may help you fall asleep more quickly and get a better night’s sleep:
(1) Stay nourished and hydrated throughout the day;
(2) refrain from drinking caffeinated beverages after 4:00pm;
(3) limit your alcohol consumption to one glass;
(4) the last hour before bedtime, be sure to listen to, watch or read something pleasant, relaxing or funny. (Refrain from watching the late-night news or disturbing films. Refrain from surfing the internet and/or emailing. Refrain from reading the newspaper or stories/books that may upset or stimulate you.)
The last hour before bedtime is crucial. In that last hour of the day before you go to sleep, you are beginning to enter into the alpha state of mind, which is the same state of mind you are in while under hypnosis. Because you are highly suggestible just before going to sleep, you want to fill your mind with relaxing, pleasant thoughts and images.
Additionally, if a thought comes up for you while you’re trying to fall asleep, keep a pad of paper or journal by your bedside and jot down your thoughts. If you can do this while keeping your eyes closed and just feel the pen writing onto the paper, all the better. Then, turn the pad over or close your journal. Journaling is very powerful. Your thoughts neurologically go from your brain, down your arm into your fingertips and onto the paper. You’ll deal with the situations the next day.
Here’s to a good night’s sleep!