Talking Yourself to Sleep,
A Method of Relaxing at Bedtime and Dropping into Sleep Easily by Tom Kelly.
It is so interesting how our busy minds can show up when our heads hit the pillow.
Sometimes it's about nothing important,
Or even stressful,
Just an interesting thought or idea that keeps us awake.
I'm most creative in the evening,
So bedtime can often still be rich with ideas.
Usually,
I can take a few deep breaths,
Close my eyes,
And quickly fall asleep.
Other times it's not so easy.
I've learned a process,
Very much by accident,
That has helped me fall asleep and would like to share it with you.
Below is what I do.
I was lying in bed,
Ready for sleep,
And drew my attention to a workplace I knew in my teens and early twenties.
I had a part-time job in a school as a cleaner,
Which,
Through high school and college,
Paid a lot of bills.
I enjoyed this job and got to know this school very well.
At this moment in bed,
My mind intuitively opened the front door,
And I started walking through the main hallway,
Exploring all the features,
Looking at trophy cabinets,
Walls,
Doors,
Floors,
Etc.
The next thing I know,
It's morning,
And I'm getting up after a great night's sleep.
In the days that followed,
I explored this idea more,
And realized that I was falling asleep quickly,
And not getting very far into my journey through the school I once worked at.
One night,
I must have been more stimulated than usual,
Because my tour was very long and detailed,
And yet I still fell asleep through this process.
I decided to test this further and looked into other places I knew well,
And found I was getting the same result.
My mind was relaxing in the soft detail work provided by these relaxing and quiet adventures.
Over time,
I realized that a few things contributed to how this worked for me.
First,
I needed to be familiar with whatever I was focusing on.
A certain amount of detail was needed to create the transition to sleep.
I was trying to avoid gaps or holes in the experience so that my mind would not become overstimulated trying to resolve the gaps.
It might seem obvious,
But the places I visited or recalled also needed to be happy,
Fun,
And inspiring memories,
Places where I would be relaxed.
Another idea that has helped me transition to sleep is to walk into a room within this journey that has a bed to lie down on.
I find this helpful,
And often the moment when sleep may come.
For example,
In the school where I worked,
There was a nurse's office,
And I could lie on the bed in this room,
Or on a couch in the teacher's lounge.
It's also important to keep stimulation to a minimum.
For example,
If you were imagining your favorite mall,
It should be during a quiet time.
You might even dim the lighting.
I also limit the number of people in my scenes.
I hope these ideas help you find sleep more easily,
Or inspire you to find your own method of sleep transition.
Being grounded is essential for sleep.
Bring your energy inward and back to your body,
And use the breath,
Especially the exhale,
To slow yourself down.
Expand the exhale as long as you can,
And relax.
I should also mention that bedtime is an opportunity to honor yourself and create a loving and safe sleep space.
You can,
If you like,
Create an intention like this for your sleep space.
I am creating a beautiful energetic sphere to wrap myself in during sleep.
In this sphere,
Only that which serves my highest good can be here with me.
I will not be disturbed,
And will rest deeply,
Waking fully refreshed and ready for the new day ahead.
Good luck,
And may good sleep fall upon you with ease.
