Falling asleep is a letting go. But sometimes it’s not so easy to let go. Here are a few tips for nodding off with greater ease.
Letting go with your mind
Before you attempt to go to sleep, write a do-list of everything you need to do tomorrow. Make it as detailed as you can. Researchers at Baylor University found that people who wrote down the things they had to do the next day and the next few days fell asleep significantly quicker than people who did not, and the more detailed the list, the faster they dropped off into sleep.
You might want to keep a pad of paper handy so you can jot down thoughts that pop into your head during the night, too. When the mind is obsessing about things, sleep is hard to find, but once your mind is assured that you have things written down and you can deal with them later, it can wind down more easily.
Letting go with your body
Tension is muscle activity, and activity is not conducive to sleep. Habitual tension in your body also contributes to stress and anxiety. But just telling yourself to relax usually doesn’t help. Try thinking of letting your weight down. As muscles lengthen and space opens up in your body, your brain is more likely to drift off into sleep. Practice noticing when you tense and when muscles release during the day so that you can start to notice it when you go to bed. the better you get at just noticing, the more your muscles will begin to release on their own. The best way I know of practicing that is the Alexander Technique!
Come to the free sleep workshop!
The Learning Center at Red Willow is sponsoring this popular workshop that I teach a couple times a year to help people build resilience. I’ll help you discover how to let go with your mind and body more easily so you can get to sleep more easily.
Sleep is the great restorer. The better sleep you get, the more resilient you are against chronic pain, stress and illness.
In this fun workshop, you’ll experiment with your own blankets and pillows. This time it will also be online, so you can practice in the comfort of your own home! Sign up with the link below.
Wishing you ease and rest,
Mari
DiscoverEase in Movement
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