Many of us go through life in a constant state of sleep deprivation. We all have to sleep, and we all know people who can sleep anywhere at any time - but many of us are also familiar with the awful frustration of twisting and turning in bed or the nodding dog sensation on a plane or train when we desperately need to rest.

Long journeys provide an opportunity for some of us with a chance for a ‘power nap’ or a few hours of restful sleep before that important meeting - but how many of us try very hard but still arrive exhausted and angry that we could not do what should come so naturally.

There are always drugs, of course, to push the body down the road to sleep if we are happy to take pills and risk the possible side-effects.

If you are one who is in need of learning the art of going to sleep at any time and any place then this little gem could well be the answer for you.

The first clue is when I learned that your brain doesnt know the difference between imagination and the real world! I suppose it is reasonably obvious as we often make use of our ‘fantasies’. Perhaps best not to go into too much detail on this but we have all gained great pleasure from imagining doing something. The mind and body seem to be easily deceived.

OK so what does this have to do with not being able to sleep?

Well….what is it you are doing when you go to bed?

If you are anything like me you are still watching the film in your head, having conversations with people from work, preparing your presentation, worrying about your children, planning your future or re-running that conversation you had with your best friend.

And what does your brain and body think?

THAT YOU ARE ACTUALLY THERE! Actually with those people, or in that film!

So do you think it will take you into sleep? Of course not.

The people who find it easy to sleep usually have one thing in common - they want to go to sleep and they welcome it. They go to bed (or sit in the seat on the plane) and say OK sleep, I am ready for you. Here I am sleep, come and take me.

My wife is absolutely one to re-run conversations, go over and over decisions she has made, worry about the future and the past - BUT NOT WHEN SHE GOES TO BED. She loves to sleep and thats all she thinks about at that time. Consequently she can sleep anywhere with no problems.

So what do I do now?

I go to bed to sleep. When I am laying down (or even in a seat on a plane- so glad I can do this now) I make sure I stay in bed in my mind. All the temptations to make conversations or be somewhere else are denied by concentrating on being where I am.

I deliberately sense my toes, my arms, my legs. I hear the sounds around me and register any movement - but never let myself day dream or get lost somewhere else.

If I cant stop thinking the wrong thoughts then I verbalise in my head what I can feel and hear. Quietly and slowly.

This works. It has taken me until I am nearly 50 but I now have something to help me sleep.

“I travel back and forth across the Atlantic at least once a month”, said the author of the original blog. “I have to say that I used to always spend many days adjusting to the time difference when I arrived and then to recover when I returned. As I begin to master this simple technique I can now often sleep on the journey and arrive refreshed. It is also helping the night before important meetings when I would otherwise be rehearsing the presentations in my head rather than getting the rest I need.”

This could be a life-saver for many who need to improve their performance at work or who simply want that sensation of feeling rested and ready for the new day.

• Common Side Effects of Sleep Aids
• Find Out What Losing Sleep Does to a Body
• You Get a Far Better Rest Having a Memory Foam Mattress
• Stop Snoring For Your Partner's Sake! | ArticlesBase.com
• A Real Snoring Aid | ArticlesBase.com
• Sleep Better With a Good Sleeping Environment
• The LAUP Procedure for Snoring and Sleep Apnea | ArticlesBase.com
• Powerful Hints to Stop Your Snoring Condition Now - Which Snoring Aids Definitely Work?
• Stop Snoring Methods That Work by Just Watching What You Eat
• The Jaw Supporter As a Snoring Solution

No Comments »

No comments yet.

RSS feed for comments on this post. TrackBack URL

Leave a comment

You must be logged in to post a comment.