We're going to do this one a little differently.
Now in episode 1 I explained why you're exhausted even when you sleep,
The hyper arousal pattern,
The cortisol dysregulation,
The reason why your system stays in watchful rest instead of dropping into genuine recovery.
You understand the mechanisms of that now.
So tonight we're not going to explain it again,
We're going to work it.
Now this episode is your sleep protocol.
It's designed to be listened to in the 30 minutes before you intend to sleep.
So in bed or lying on the couch or wherever you wind down.
Whatever works for you is perfect.
Now you can listen to this with your eyes closed from the start if you like.
You don't need to be upright or attentive.
You just need to be still and willing to follow along.
Now the protocol has four phases.
Each one builds on the last.
By the end your nervous system will have received a clear,
Consistent physiological sign that it is safe to stop monitoring and move into true rest.
Believe in it.
You just have to do it.
So let's go!
Now before we begin the body based work,
I want you to check in three things in your environment.
The first one is light.
Your room should be as dark as you can make it.
Or darker than it currently is.
So if you're listening to this and there's a screen nearby to turn it face down.
Light at this time of day signals your suprachiasmatic nucleus,
Your brain's master clock,
That it's daylight.
It suppresses melatonin directly.
Even low-level ambient light delays sleep onset.
The second is temperature.
Your body temperature needs to drop slightly to initiate sleep.
So a cooler room between 16 and 19 degrees Celsius supports this.
If you could open a window,
Reduce covers,
Run a fan,
Whatever works for you,
Do that now.
And the third is your phone.
If it's within reach.
Please put it face down or on Do Not Disturb.
Not because of the content.
Because of the anticipatory attention.
When your phone is within reach and accessible.
A part of your nervous system stays oriented towards it.
It cannot fully disengage,
Even if you don't pick it up.
The awareness of it keeps like a thread of vigilance active,
If that makes sense.
So do what you need to do to settle into your environment.
And then when you're ready.
.
.
We'll move into phase two.
So lie in whatever position you intend to sleep in and then close your eyes.
Take one long breath in,
A slow extended exhale following.
And let the body get really heavy.
And we're going to move through the body slowly.
Not to relax each part but to simply notice and release any holding that you find.
So let's start with your feet.
And just notice them.
The temperature,
The weight.
Any tension in the toes or the arches.
And on your next exhale,
Let that area soften.
Not forced.
Just permission.
And then moving up into your calves and your shins.
The same process.
Just notice.
And on the exhale release any holding.
And that's it.
And then moving up to your knees and your thighs,
The heaviness of the legs pressing into the surface underneath you.
Noticing and on the exhale release any holding.
Moving up to your hips and your pelvis now.
And this is often an area of holding,
Especially for women carrying a lot.
So,
Notice it.
And give yourself permission to let it drop.
And then moving to your lower back.
And the belly.
Let the belly be soft.
No holding it in.
Just relax and relaxing.
And on your exhale,
Release any holding.
Giving yourself permission.
To let go.
And then up into the chest now.
Noticing whether your breathing has slowed.
It likely has.
Noticing.
And on the exhale releasing any holding.
And then moving up to the shoulders.
This is an area where you hold a lot of tension and stress.
Just let those shoulders fall back into the mattress or the surface that's underneath you.
And it's not a stretch,
It's just gravity doing its work.
Notice it,
And on the exhale release any holding.
And then moving down your arms and into your hands.
Letting them open slightly,
Your palms towards the ceiling or towards the bed,
Whatever works for you,
Whatever is comfortable.
Noticing,
And on the exhale release any holding.
And moving up into the neck and the throat and the jaw area.
All the little muscles around your neck and your throat and your jaw.
Letting them all soften.
Noticing and on the exhale.
Release any holding.
Giving yourself permission.
To relax and just be.
Letting the teeth slightly part and your lips soften.
The forehead now,
Behind the eyes,
The muscles around the temples.
These carry so much.
All the little muscles and fibres.
All the little cells.
On the next tail just let them stop working.
They've carried plenty and now it's time to just relax.
And now the whole body together.
Take one big breath in.
And as you exhale,
Imagine the effort in every part of you simultaneously releasing.
Not collapsing,
Just releasing.
Like something held gently,
Set down.
Relaxed and relaxing,
Giving yourself permission.
Now from here Breathe only through your nose if you can.
And I invite you to breathe in a specific ratio.
In for four counts,
Out for eight.
If you can hold it for six in between.
That's amazing,
But you do whatever you're comfortable with.
The extended exhale is the signal.
Every time you breathe out longer than you breathe in,
Your vagus nerve receives a parasympathetic cue.
You're not trying to fall asleep,
You're just creating the right physiological conditions for sleep to happen naturally.
So breathing in now.
2,
3,
4,
Holding,
For as long as is comfortable.
And then out 2,
3,
4,
5,
6,
7,
8.
And again,
Breathing in,
2,
3.
3 holding 2,
3,
4,
5,
6,
And out 2,
3,
4,
5,
6,
7,
8.
Continue this rhythm at your own pace.
You don't need to count precisely.
Just keep the exhale noticeably longer than the inhale.
And I'll stay quiet here,
So just breathe.
That's it let the longer exhale do its thing let the body be heavy No effort required.
You're doing amazing.
And just one last thing before I let you sleep.
Bring to mind softly,
Without effort.
A single image of somewhere safe.
You used this in episode 1.
Your body knows how to find it now.
Not a thought about a place.
An image of it.
The quality of light,
The feel of the air,
The sounds,
If there were any.
Bring that into your mind's eye.
Let that image be the last thing your attention rests on tonight.
Not tomorrow's list,
Not what needs doing,
Not what was left undone.
This place,
This feeling,
That image.
Your nervous system can rest here now.
USA Good night,
Beautiful.
