On my YouTube channel, I've created quite a few videos that address the topic of insomnia. Today I would like to blog about a new trick that I developed this morning which seemed to work very well.
When I'm raw from sleep deprivation it's a good time to test out different techniques to see how they feel. I find that if my nervous system is extra sensitive I can really tune in to whether or not something is helpful.
Today I awoke after about 6 hours of sleep. Six hours is close to what I can "get by on" but not enough to feel well-rested. By comparison, if I awake after only 4 hours, I know I'm going to have to fall back asleep to feel good within my body throughout the day. But with 6 hours, I find it's tempting to not bother to try to go back to sleep, and just start doing things (even though I know I would have lingering aches and rawness throughout the day).
So this led me to reflecting upon how in that moment, curled up in bed, I really didn't need to do anything, and I wanted to pass that information along to my body. So I started to repeat this phrase, in my thoughts: "You have nothing to do, and nowhere to go."
I was amazed at how comforting this was. Now in my case, since I work for myself from home and have a very flexible schedule, this was literally true. I had nothing to do, and nowhere to go. But even if you're in a situation where you "have to" (assuming you want to get paid, so you can take care of your basic needs) get up for work in a couple of hours, in that moment you are laying in bed, there is nothing to do, and nowhere to go.
I believe that this message to ourselves can help "reprogram" that impulse to get up before feeling well-rested in order to survive. I suggest giving the phrase "You have nothing to do, and nowhere to go." (or some modified version thereof) a try the next time you'd like to fall back asleep.
In my case, I fell asleep relatively quickly, and slept for another 4 hours! So although part of me was tempted to get through my day on only 6 hours, my body apparently wanted 10 hours to replenish itself, explore the unconscious realm, and take a break from the physical world.
Peace,
Chris
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When I'm raw from sleep deprivation it's a good time to test out different techniques to see how they feel. I find that if my nervous system is extra sensitive I can really tune in to whether or not something is helpful.
Today I awoke after about 6 hours of sleep. Six hours is close to what I can "get by on" but not enough to feel well-rested. By comparison, if I awake after only 4 hours, I know I'm going to have to fall back asleep to feel good within my body throughout the day. But with 6 hours, I find it's tempting to not bother to try to go back to sleep, and just start doing things (even though I know I would have lingering aches and rawness throughout the day).
Reflecting on the concept of "doing things" made me realize that sleep is a break from the constant barrage of doing, and that most humans don't need to actually "do much" in order to survive. However, we have innate biological programming that prompts us to always be taking action, and if I were a primitive hunter & gatherer, I would probably be more likely to begin my day after 6 hours of sleep in order to optimize daylight in my constant search for food. Survival through "doing" is a very powerful drive, and it lingers on in our nervous system even if we don't need it.
So this led me to reflecting upon how in that moment, curled up in bed, I really didn't need to do anything, and I wanted to pass that information along to my body. So I started to repeat this phrase, in my thoughts: "You have nothing to do, and nowhere to go."
I was amazed at how comforting this was. Now in my case, since I work for myself from home and have a very flexible schedule, this was literally true. I had nothing to do, and nowhere to go. But even if you're in a situation where you "have to" (assuming you want to get paid, so you can take care of your basic needs) get up for work in a couple of hours, in that moment you are laying in bed, there is nothing to do, and nowhere to go.
I believe that this message to ourselves can help "reprogram" that impulse to get up before feeling well-rested in order to survive. I suggest giving the phrase "You have nothing to do, and nowhere to go." (or some modified version thereof) a try the next time you'd like to fall back asleep.
In my case, I fell asleep relatively quickly, and slept for another 4 hours! So although part of me was tempted to get through my day on only 6 hours, my body apparently wanted 10 hours to replenish itself, explore the unconscious realm, and take a break from the physical world.
Peace,
Chris
Get 5 Free Minutes ~ Live Psychic and Tarot Readings
Get 10 Minutes for $1.99 ~ Live Psychic and Tarot Readers
This blogger is supported by ethical reading sites which offer live online psychic readings, tarot readers and astrology.
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