When we struggle to fall asleep,
Our voice of reason is so easily drowned out by negative chatter and spiraling thoughts.
When we are in this state,
We might go to our computer and look up what to do,
And then all we see is information on how quality sleep is so important for us.
And sleep is so important,
But we also have this amazingly adaptive body that is designed to find the energy we need to get us through the day.
We definitely need to address long-term sleep issues,
But for now,
Tonight,
Just remember that you are okay.
And tomorrow,
You will be okay too.
Your first step in addressing tonight's sleep issue is to remind yourself how well you actually do function even without adequate sleep.
You might not be perfect,
You may be more sensitive,
You may be more short-tempered,
But just be honest and open about it.
Oftentimes,
Some of the grumpiness that we feel the next day can come from being frustrated about not being able to fall asleep the night before.
So be gentle with yourself.
Remember that lying there in a calm state is a form of rest.
It might not be as beneficial as sleep,
But you're slowing down,
You're resting the body.
Now let's try to identify what's going on that's making it hard to fall asleep.
Ask yourself,
Am I worried about something in particular?
Is my mind racing?
Is my body not able to relax?
Am I feeling pain somewhere?
Is my body just uncomfortable?
Maybe this seems really obvious,
Maybe you've been thinking about it all night long,
But sometimes we don't really know why we're struggling to fall asleep.
So just,
In case,
See if you can identify it.
And you could be dealing with several issues all at once.
That's okay,
Just recognize it.
You're going to take a few breaths now,
And you're going to try to let go of whatever part of the body you are struggling with.
So if you're worried,
Your mind is racing,
Focus on letting go in the head,
Neck,
And shoulders.
Or if you're feeling discomfort in the body,
Try to focus your attention on letting go wherever that is.
So let's take a deep breath in for 1,
2,
3,
4,
And hold it there for 2,
3,
4,
And then let it go,
Really focusing on that area where you're struggling to release the tension.
And we'll do that again.
So inhale for 1,
2,
3,
4.
Holding now for 2,
3,
4,
And letting it go on that exhale,
Really letting go.
And one more time,
Inhaling 1,
2,
3,
4,
Holding for 2,
3,
4,
And letting it go.
Often,
When we're struggling to fall asleep,
We feel very alone.
But in reality,
There are so many others out there struggling just like you.
So think about what you would say to someone else.
Would you be gentle and kind and remind them that they will be okay?
We are going to direct that compassion now onto ourselves.
So we'll start by repeating the sentence,
May I be gentle with myself.
May I be gentle with myself.
And the next sentence you can say to yourself is,
May I be safe.
May I be safe.
Everyone deserves to feel safe.
Me included,
May I be.
May I be peaceful.
May I accept rest in whatever form it comes.
May I accept rest in whatever form it comes.
So to finish,
We're going to practice the 4-7-8 breathing technique.
And we're doing this one because it's known to help slow the heart rate down,
Distracts the mind from anxious thought loops,
And it promotes muscle relaxation.
And you might find the breathing technique is easy to follow,
Or you might notice some discomfort with a longer exhale.
But just remember you are breathing.
You're getting oxygen.
As long as those airways are open,
You are going to breathe.
So try to get through any discomfort,
But if it's too much,
Just practice breathing in for five seconds and exhaling for five,
Because that pattern also helps you get into a more relaxed state.
But starting together,
Let's work on that 4-7-8 breathing.
We're going to breathe in for 1,
2,
3,
4,
And hold 2,
3,
4,
5,
6,
7.
Exhale for 2,
3,
4,
5,
6,
7,
8.
Inhale 2,
3,
4,
Hold 2,
3,
4,
5,
6,
7.
Exhale 2,
3,
4,
5,
6,
7,
8.
If you're already lying in bed,
You can just keep practicing that same rhythm.
But if you were sitting up,
If you'd gotten out of bed,
Now is a good time to go and lie down and just practice that 4-7-8 breathing technique.
And again,
Breathing in for five seconds and exhaling for five seconds is another great breathing pattern.
And finally,
If you're really struggling to distract the mind and you've had enough of doing the breathing,
Don't get upset with yourself.
Instead,
You can play a little game,
One where you try to think of a fruit or a vegetable that starts with each letter of the alphabet.
Find something to do that distracts the mind from those looping thoughts and doesn't require too much brain power.
Just be sure to not get caught up in the frustration,
Not be hard on yourself,
Maybe even have a sense of humor about it.
Remind yourself that you'll be okay.
