Sleep is a habit that everyone does! Sometimes, however, we have difficulty either falling asleep, or staying asleep. You have developed a habit of lying awake instead of sleeping soundly. Hypnosis can help you change your habit back to going to sleep easily and sleeping soundly through the night. You are already using self hypnosis as you lie awake saying to yourself "I can't sleep". Using a more effective learned self hypnosis, you will fall asleep easily and sleep soundly through the night.
Prescription for Changing Your Sleep Pattern
If you are reading this, you qualify as a sleep resister…soon to be sleep successor!
Rules for successful and lasting sleep
1. Decide which side is your "sleep side" left side, back or right side (if you are a stomach sleeper, consult a chiropractor immediately for your back pain and damage to your spine!) Before you go to sleep tell yourself, and imagine and picture yourself on the sleep side. Tell yourself, if you wake up, as soon as you turn to your "sleep side" you will immediately go back to sleep.
2. Do not go to bed until you are really sleepy. Do something boring before bed. If you are in bed for 20 minutes and not sleeping, get up and do something boring…no tv or stimulation
3. Avoid caffeine after 2 pm
4. Eat healthy, nutritious food cutting out sugar processed food and caffeine as much as possible
5. Never eat within 3 hours of going to sleep
6. Foods containing tryptophan includ1e bananas, mangoes, milk, yogurt, chicken and turkey
7. Develop an exercise habit. It can be fun but must be for at least 15 min. a day and not within 3 hours of going to sleep
8. Practice feeling drowsy, recall the feeling and imagine and relive that feeling
9. Ask your unconscious mind for help with a goal...the last thing you think about is what you want to accomplish and use positive terms.
10. Pay attention to your self talk many people convince themselves they are insomniacs and can’t sleep…even though you have had trouble sleeping yesterday, your past is not your present or your future. Repeat instead..."I can't stay awake...I can't stay awake"
11. Use the power you have over your mind and thoughts by using visualization to think about or recall a wonderful relaxing vacation or other relaxing time using all the senses you have…certain thoughts create chemicals in your body that keep you awake. When you recall difficulty sleeping, that becomes the movie you play in your mind and you get what you expect
12. Relax your whole body and mind using progressive relaxation. Begin at the top of your head, relaxing every part of your body.
13. Calm your mind with meaningless non thoughts..like the color blue...
14. Sort out your thoughts before going to sleep. Write down anything you need to remember for the next day
15. If you have a nagging thought or problem, step back and see what you can learn from it..what is the lesson that can help you in the future. Imagine seeing yourself moving back from the problem causing more and more distance watching the problem become smaller and smaller….
16. Tap the following points…above the eye, under the eye, under the arm and on the collar bone…while thinking about the problem of not sleeping. Then do the gamut procedure and tap again, this time using the positive expressions, I feel drowsy and sleepy, drifting off to sleep, sleepy
